This administration has no sense of reality vs. wishful thinking. No wonder they keep doing precisely the wrong thing.
The Bush administration has made Southeast Asia a priority in the war on terrorism. But, instead of bolstering cash-strapped intelligence and civilian agencies, it has sent money and training to the region's corrupt militaries. That is a mistake. While civilian organizations are making strides in combating terror, the same cannot be said about the Indonesian, Malaysian, Philippine, and Thai militaries, which are not only brutal but in many cases have ties to Islamic militants themselves. U.S. aid for these armies may backfire, fueling more radicalism and terror.