With friends like these...

It looks like President Bush can add one more passionate and committed group to his much-ballyhooed "Coalition of the Willing" in the struggle against al Qaeda - and I'll bet you can't guess who it is. As the New York Times reports this morning:

Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia and the Islamic Army fought a bloody battle on the outskirts of [Taji, a city north of Baghdad].

The battle, which the insurgents said was fought on Oct. 23, was one of several clashes between Al Qaeda and local Iraqi guerrilla groups that have broken out in recent months across the Sunni Triangle.

American and Iraqi officials believe that the conflicts present them with one of the biggest opportunities since the insurgency burst upon Iraq nearly three years ago. They have begun talking with local insurgents, hoping to enlist them to cooperate against Al Qaeda, said Western diplomats, Iraqi officials and an insurgent leader.

That's right. The Sunni insurgents. It would seem that the same Islamic Army fighters Mr. Bush referred to as "terrorists" just a short time ago, are our latest hope for victory against the... well... uuuuh... you know... the REAL terrorists.

What's also reassuring is the immediate sense of kinship that's developed between our new allies and the ol' Red White & Blue now that the former have seen how really bad those al Qaeda thugs are after all - just like the latter's been a-tellin' 'em from the git-go. As an example of the way in which our insurgent buddies plan to help us in Mr. Bush's "War on Terror", a local imam recounted a heated confrontation he'd had with foreign al Qaeda fighters:

"Why are you driving the troubles into our town?" the Sunni cleric said he asked the men. "If you want jihad, the U.S. military is there."

With friends like these...

Now, don't get me wrong - I've thought for quite some time that some sort of communication with the insurgency has been needed, certainly so if we ever hope to convince this disaffected group that it has a viable stake in a unified Iraq. And you know what? The violent fanatics comprising the loose-knit band of international criminals known as al Qaeda really are dangerous, irrational, and contemptible, and need to be opposed by all reasonable inhabitants of the globe.

But experience tells us that we simply cannot trust the Bush Administration to view this "big opportunity" with nuance and intelligence - or with an understanding of the larger, long term picture. The President's approach to everything so far, both at home and abroad, has been to seize upon wedge issues, and ham-handedly bludgeon that wedge as deep as is necessary for a self-serving short term goal. The fact that the first reaction from American officials was focused on "enlist[ing] them to cooperate against al Qaeda," and not on the potential for realistically addressing broader Sunni concerns and altering insurgent misgivings about a unified Iraq, only confirms that hypothesis.

Or maybe not. Maybe it's just me that's bothered by the news that our "biggest opportunity" in Iraq right now is simply (big breath) USING this new enemy of our bigest enemy (even though that first enemy was our other enemy just last month) because what's MOST urgent in rebuilding Iraq is increasing the violence against that main enemy instead of making it a priority to work peacefully with our former enemy toward more constructive ends, (breathe) conveniently ignoring the fact that our ex enemy is still really a current enemy since they see US as an enemy not so much different from that other foreign enemy, (almost there!) and not caring that our ex enemy is just taking advantage of U.S. hatred for our mutual enemy by joining forces only 'til we can go back to being their enemy again.

Whew!

All of which will virtually guarantee - as it has so often in the history of American foreign policy - that this former enemy will never truly become a friend.

I do think it's important to begin some meaningful dialogue with the Sunni insurgents, even if it is just a shared distaste for al Qaeda that's opened the door to such communication. So I hope the Administration sees that the real importance of this window of opportunity is not just to add more bodies to "our side" out on the killing fields, and instead focuses genuine attention on Sunni issues and grievances, and helps steer them in a more peaceful, productive direction. The U.S. has clumsily, recklessly, and shortsightedly tried that old "enemy of my enemy" routine before, with a fundamentalist Afghan rebel leader named Osama.

And that's what started this whole mess to begin with.