Wolfowitz - bank on a big surprise or two

The reason why so many mistakenly put Wolfowitz in with old guard conservatives, such as Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney, is because the distinctions between conservative and neo-conservative objectives were not all that apparent.

For the former, the Iraq War was a means through which to defeat an enemy of the US, and in doing so, preserve the long-term security of its citizens. For the latter, it was about establishing a democratic regime in the Middle East which, when backed by American military capabilities, inched towards the goal of a democratic world order. Unfortunately, this crucial distinction was lost in the justified furore over missing weapons of mass destruction.

In the end, Wolfowitz, like many liberals, knows that making the world safe for democracy is as much about eliminating non-democratic, fundamentalist elements committed to the destruction of the "free world" through all means necessary, as it is about creating conditions that prevent the rise of such elements in the first place.

In light of all this, then, is Wolfowitz's trip to Africa all that surprising? The answer, put simply, is probably not.