Exactly Why is the US At War in Iraq and Afghanistan?

I often wonder exactly why the US is at war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and frequently I’m afforded the opportunity to try to understand this better.

In previous posts I’ve mentioned that I occasionally go to parties with professors at the Monterey Institute of International Studies who are experts in terrorism. One of them, Ray Zilinskas, has recently co-authored the second edition of the Encyclopedia of Bioterrorism Defense, a copy of which I leafed through at a Memorial Day barbecue. Wow. 668 pages, list price $449.00, providing “complete coverage of bioterrorism and defense against it, spanning scientific, technological, clinical, legal, historical, and political aspects.” A weighty piece indeed.

What I found most interesting in my conversations with Ray, however, was that he really can’t weigh in on when, where, or how probably such an event would take place. “What are these people’s philosophies?” I asked. “What are they trying to accomplish? What would drive them to take such a terrible course of action as to sicken and kill whole populations of innocent people? I hear they’re motivated by revenge, is that right? If that’s true, isn’t the US course of action from a military standpoint actually counter-productive?”

This isn’t Ray’s area – which I can understand. But I’m reminded of the American pragmatist philosopher William James writing on the importance of his subject. I can’t find the quote, but to paraphrase:

There is nothing more important about a person or his group than their philosophy. Suppose you have an enemy. Sure you want to know how many of them there are, and what weapons they may possess. But don’t you really want to know their philosophy?

We commonly hear that one can’t wage a war on terrorism, as it’s a tactic, not a people. It’s like waging war on flame-throwers. This is true, but behind the tactic, there are people, and motivating the people are philosophies.

In any case, this inquiry as to the US motive for war in the Middle East came up empty, but I’ll keep trying.