Another dimension

Fascinating. Andrew Sullivan's got a post up discussing a communication between Iraqi dissidents (I think it's an open-letter). I've placed the letter in italics, with emphasis added:

He quotes one Mohammed Bashar Al-Faidhy, spokesman of the Association of Muslim Scholars. If you want to see how attuned these maniacs are to divisions in the West, read on:
To our brothers in the Islamic Army of Iraq. We wish to inform you that we totally understand the extreme rage that is boiling in your hearts regarding the French decision to ban the Hijab in their schools, and we share you your dissapointment. We officially condemned the French decision at the time... However, killing the two hostages without considering the grave consequences of such an act would be harmful to our cause and would isolate us from our international support... Our goal is to besiege the Americans politically in every spot of the world and this act is not serving that goal... You can see how the agents of the occupation are already using this incident against us... It is our duty as scholars to point out to our brothers what is wrong and what is right... France as an anti-occupation country has been helpful to our cause... You might say that the French stance is not an altruistic one and that they have their own political interests that caused them to disagree with the Americans, and I am not going to say that is not true but it is also our goal to turn them against each other to serve our cause so France has a strategic importance for us.
This is a fascinating and potentially important moment in the war on terror. If the Jihadists take the war to France now, we may get the Western unity that has so far eluded us. And that can only be a good thing.

What's most interesting me to the boldfaced line is that it is yet more testamentary evidence to the way in which Republican policies are playing into the hands of our opponents' political goals. Think about all the France-bashing we've seen here in the United States. I noted an article earlier today discussing Chuck Hagel who, when insulted by the National Review, was described as "Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-France)." And of course, we've all heard about "Jean-Francois Kerry" or "John French Kerry" the "french-looking Democrat" who would turn questions of American security over to Paris.

Let's just say that if the goal is to drive a wedge between the United States and its traditional ally, that goal is being advanced by U.S. Republicans. We may not be doing it for them, but then again, in questions of war, all that matters are the results. If the Republican National Convention's flagrant displays of anti-French sentiment aren't being noticed across the Pond, I for one would be shocked. If I were a Frenchman today, I have no idea how I would react to being portrayed as Global Public Enemy Number 1 by the ruling class of the United States. But I doubt it would be sanguine.