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Loose Canons
Quo Vadis, Mars?
The War on Terror: why haven’t we won it yet?
The most remarkable thing about the war we are in is that we haven’t won it yet.
This war didn’t begin on 9/11: it began in August 1996 when the London newspaper Al Quds al-Arabi published Osama bin Laden’s fatwa against America. Now is it ten years and one day after 9/11. U.S. forces have been fighting in Afghanistan for nearly a decade, in Iraq for more than eight years and even longer in countless other corners of the world where special operations and CIA paramilitary forces work covertly.
Whether you count this as a fifteen-year war or begin your accounting on 9/11, it is the longest war in U.S. history. Although bin Laden, Saddam Hussein and many other enemies are dead, we have not won the war and victory not only isn’t ours: we haven’t even defined what it would be.
Where do we go from here? What path does the god of war dictate we travel if we do not heed his warnings? Quo vadis, Mars?
Much of what we learned about our enemy, and how he fights, we knew before 9/11 but hadn’t learned. We saw Islamism do its best to blow up the World Trade center in 1993 and fail because the terrorists didn’t use a bomb large enough to accomplish their objective. We saw the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996, the embassy bombings in Africa in 1998, and the attack on the USS Cole in October 2000. We saw, but we did not learn.
We knew then, and have suffered painful lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan, that Islamic terrorists abjure the Law of War. By that Law’s definition, terrorists aren’t lawful combatants because they intentionally attack civilians and — almost always — do not fight in uniform or under a national symbol. Even some in uniform reject the Law of War: Saddam’s forces repeatedly ambushed U.S. troops by feigning surrender and then opening fire on those who advanced to capture them. This, like attacks on civilians, is a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. But so what? Only we fight by the rules. This enemy follows its own rules, rules prescribed in its own barbaric code.
We have learned some things. We knew before 9/11 that al Qaeda and the other largest, most dangerous terrorist groups could not pose an existential danger without the sponsorship of nations. But, we were told, no matter how many of them we killed, more would flock to their banners because of our “aggression.” We couldn’t kill them fast enough, said the experts.
But, to borrow a phrase, yes we can. By the time bin Laden was turned into chum, al Qaeda’s capability had been dramatically reduced by our special forces’ relentless pursuit of its leaders and operational groups. Joint Special Operations Command — JSOC — has, for years, conducted operations against terrorist leaders and cells almost every night.
According to several sources, the pace has been tremendous: sometimes eight to twelve operations in a single night. But this comes at a price. We don’t have enough people to keep up this pace forever. And the enemy knows this.
Which brings us to Lesson One: terrorist operations are cheap and defeating terrorist groups one by one is too expensive, in blood and treasure. It is just as British economic historian Niall Ferguson said last year: America is approaching the point at which it will no longer be able to defend itself. It is not just terrorism we must defend against but also cyberwarfare, anti-satellite weapons, and other threats that are far cheaper for the aggressors to create than it is for us to defend against them. And yet we are about to cut defense spending massively because our economy is weak and our president believes defense is less important than his ineffective “jobs” and “stimulus” programs.
Lesson Two is that by disabling terrorist networks — killing their leaders, destroying their bases, and interrupting their finances — we are tactically reducing the threat, but the reduction is only temporary. Though a terrorist leader may be indispensable to his group, he is not to the movement. Terrorist fighters can shift among groups easily. Terrorist groups can come and go, but as long as the movement they represent and the ideology that propels it remain undefeated, we cannot win this war.
Mars is not just a false god, but an evil that will always haunt our world. His earthly prophets point us to the path we need to follow in the coming years if we are to win this war. Both Sun Tzu, who wrote about 2300 years ago, and Carl von Clausewitz, who followed him by almost two millennia, assumed that a nation fighting an enemy could identify that enemy clearly and easily. That we have not done.
As I wrote on 9/11, in an article published in the Washington Times the following day, the nations that sponsor terrorism are our enemy. It is they who make terrorism an existentialist threat. And we have failed comprehensively to hold them to account for their acts.
Consider how our false ally, Saudi Arabia, spoke of us on the eve of the tenth anniversary of 9/11. In an editorial published last Saturday, the government-controlled Saudi newspaper Arab News wrote:
… as it flexed its military, economic and political might in two wars, Washington forgot, or deliberately overlooked, the fact that its foreign policies, globally and toward the Arab and Islamic world in particular, were a crucial factor in generating the forms of violence it was combating…
About the Author
Jed Babbin served as a Deputy Undersecretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush. He is the author of several bestselling books including Inside the Asylum and In the Words of Our Enemies. You can follow him on Twitter @jedbabbin.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (127) | Leave a comment
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All American American| 9.12.11 @ 7:01AM
Hey! Its only taken TEN YEARS for someone other than Diana West to say it---this is a war against islam. Yay, I guess.
Ten years ago the federal govt should have stopped islamic immigration. It should have closed the borders, using the military if necessary. It should have shut down treasonous mosques and imams, and deported those who preach and support the overthrow of our government and the establishment of an islamic America.
In short, America should have recognized islam for what it is--a political ideology bent on terrorism, subjugation, and war, and fueled by hate.
Instead we got the ol' "islam is a religion of peace" nonsense while the WTC was still burning. Instead of real leadership, we got ramadan celebrations in the White House. Instead of waging war to win, we pussyfoot around the koran and try to buy off pedophilic goat-rapers.
Most importantly instead of real security and freedom, we saw the government take advantage of the attacks and implement monstrous beauracracies like the TSA and the communist-sounding Dept of Homeland Security. We got the PATRIOT Act and checkpoints, we got NY and DC looking like some third-world muslim hellhole with cops in army gear and automatic rifles on every street corner. We got never-ending wars bleeding us--literally, figuratively, and monetarily--dry.
And news to Babbin, this war hasn't been raging for a mere 15 years, this has been going on for about 1400.
Wake the frig up America!!!!!
Intelligent Design| 9.12.11 @ 8:11AM
Exactly!
Jack in Wi.| 9.12.11 @ 9:11AM
Balderdash! Terror is a tactic not a country. The whole premise was and is wrong. There was a small group of terrorists who came form countries allied with us. 15 were Saudi's the rest from Jordan and Egypt. Did we concentrate on this small group of terrorists? Hell no we didn't! Instead we started attacking numerous countries who had nothing to do with 9/11. The whole result of the massive pile of blood and wasted trillions of dollars is that we have turned a few hundred terrorists into many hundreds of thousands. We have turned most of the world from sympathetic friends into people who dislike our bully boy tactics. Bin Laden has won a resounding victory even in death. He has bankrupted his enemies and the radicals are stronger then ever. Why would anyone ever listen to Mr. Babbin? He has been wrong on this issue ever since the beginning.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 9:32AM
Are you posting from some mud hut in Gaza? Go hug a suicide bomber.
"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last."...Churchill
Describes you would be dhimmis to a tee.
Sean| 9.12.11 @ 12:40PM
Funny that you quote Churchill on appeasement. this is they same guy who appeased the Soviets all they wanted and turned over Eastern Europe to them. Of course you are probably totally ignorant of history.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 1:01PM
Oh, please educate me, Dr. Zinn. Is that why he compared the rise of the British nanny state to the scourge or Nazism? No room for blame on Roosevelt? You know, Uncle Joe's good pal?
Sean| 9.12.11 @ 1:30PM
You are the one bringing up Churchill on appeasement in your reply to Jack. Jack stated the fact that the 9/11 terrorists came from Saudi Arabia and you throw in some qoute from Churchill on appeasement. When he himself was a big appeaser.
Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:27PM
Churchill's UK barely had teh resources to fight the war against Germany adn was a junior partner as soon as Hitler drug us into the war in Europe. FDR was high on ol' uncle Joe. What was Churchill supposed to do?
Churchill wanted to go into Europe through the south to forestall Stalin's invasion. FDR wanted to go in from the Atlantic. It is self evident from the political decisions taken in DC that Churchill had little influence.
W| 9.12.11 @ 8:32PM
But we invaded in North Africa, then Sicily and Italy to relieve the pressure on the Russians. There was no real military reason to invade Italy/Sicily other than to help the Russians. We suffered terrrible casualties in Italy.
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 6:47PM
There was that fellow named Alger Hiss at Yalta, however Potsdam was the disaster and that was Atlee and Truman.
The Big E| 9.12.11 @ 9:35AM
The problem, Jack, is that if you were right, we wouldn't still have thousands of men and women fighting and dying in Afghanistan and Iraq. And don't give me this crap about George Bush ginning the whole thing up for Haliburton. If that were true, then your hero Obama would have easily exposed it and brought the troops home, and would would not still be over there.
The reality of the facts on the ground expose your theory as pure fantasy.
The Big E| 9.12.11 @ 9:41AM
Please excuse my typos, it's Monday. Clearly, that should have been, ". . . and we would not still be over there."
And of course, should have been, "exposes your theory to be pure fantasy."
Mike w| 9.12.11 @ 11:28AM
Don't mingle the necessary war in Afghanistan with the pointless wasteful hopeless debacle that Iraq and willl become again. That argument was settled long ago and the meatheads that advocated invading a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 are discredited. Babbin is one of those discredited types.
The Big E| 9.12.11 @ 4:05PM
I don't believe I attempted to draw a comparison between Afghanistan and Iraq. I merely pointed out that the fact that we are still in those countries, whether necessarily or pointlessly, is proof that Jack in WI's theory is actually a fantasy.
If you were attempting to discredit my point on that issue, then you failed miserably by failing to address my point at all.
Furthermore, your claim that, "That argument was settled long ago" is, I think, wishful thinking at best, and blatantly dishonest at worst.
By the way, if I recall correctly, following the death OBL, I was one of the posters who opined that it was time to leave both Iraq and Afghanistan. I'm not advocating that we stay in Iraq or Afghanistan now, all I'm doing is pointing out that you either don't know what you're talking about or you're a liar.
I'll let you choose which.
Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:30PM
The argument on Iraq was settled when we shipped 22 tons of Yellowcake to Canada from Iraq.
The argument on the occupation of Iraq, however, has not been settled. Not even close. We should have broke the regime and given the keys to someone else with the warning not to make us come back, then left.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:31PM
You know, correct me if I'm wrong, but there is a way to kill the enemy in large quantities while using relatively little manpower---that is to use material.
Air dropped weapons are the least labor intensive route to go to do this. It seemed to work with Germany and Japan. And the infrastructure of Arab countries is much weaker than either of those two.
The point of war is to kill the enemy until he submits.
I'm not saying a lot of boots need to be on ground in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan. I am saying a lot of firepower needs to be there---especially on Iran, which declared war on us in 1979 and have NEVER suffered sufficient retaliation---sufficient retaliation would be the destruction of their top ten cities.
The Big E| 9.12.11 @ 9:39AM
AAA,
You're right, but unfortunately, the fact that you're right, combined with the fact that in ten years our policy hasn't changed to reflect reality, shows just how far we have fallen. Yes, we should have closed off Muslim immigration immediately, secured the borders immediately, expelled the enemy immediately, and I would add, begun the full exploitation of our own natural resources immediately. But we did none of those things, not because no one realized the need to do them, but because in modern America, it is not possible to do what must be done.
All American American| 9.12.11 @ 2:55PM
Big E, I guess my question is then, HOW DO WE WIN? If we can't name our enemy, how do we win?
More importantly, why do we fight? If we are too scared to even call islam what it is, why don't we just say "you win, mohammed" and all convert? If we are that ashamed of our own culture to not properly defend it when it comes under attack, do we even deserve to keep it???
ENOUGH ROPE| 9.12.11 @ 4:05PM
Boycott the liberal media, end public school K-12 in every state, and boycott liberal higher education. The left dominates those institutions. We in the center and right can end those institutions simply by not consuming their products.
The progressives/liberals hate God, religion, Judeo-Christian morality, America, freedom, capitalism, families, the rule of law, the U.S. Constitution, private property, American Exceptionalism, and America''s superpowerful military.
There are more of us centrists and conservatives than there are progressives/liberals. Boycott their organizations and repeal public schools. Then they will be far less powerful to destroy us, which is their goal. Do you have any doubts that if they gained fascist or Marxist type power that they would put us in concentration camps? Doubtful? Google the topic about the FBI undercover agent who infiltrated Bill Ayers' Weathermen group. The agent asked Ayers how many people would have to be killed to lessen dissent. The answer, then, was 25 million people.
The Big E| 9.12.11 @ 4:16PM
AAA, I wish I had answers because those are brilliant questions. In my view, the problem on our end lies not at the top (though clearly, the top is very problematic), but at the bottom. Too many people in this country HAVE surrendered, not to Islam itself, but to the idea that nothing is worth fighting for. They have no idea what their own culture is about or what their history is. They have no moral foundation upon which to build a case for what is right and what is wrong, as they have become followers of the gods of moral relativism, nihilism (which are basically the same thing), and selfish narcissism. People like that are incapable naming the enemy, because to the extent they even see a difference between us and them, they don't care.
What is needed in this country is a revolution - not a political revolution - that would do nothing but replace one set of problems with another - but a social revolution. A revolution that overthrows, not the government, the twin societal mindsets that (a) the whole world revolves around "Me" and what "I" want, and (b) there's not such thing as right as wrong and nobody's point of view is no better than anybody else's. In other words, the old country song got it right - "You have to stand for something or you'll fall for anything."
Those two societal mindsets are destroying us because they are rotting out the foundation upon which America is built, and they cannot be changed merely by changing who is in charge. Indeed, short of Divine intervention, I'm not sure they can be changed until our entire societal house-of-cards collapses and we as a people are forced to fight for our survival, or die.
All American American| 9.12.11 @ 5:20PM
Its sad Big E. Its the old "America sucks" mindset. Or worse, when an American says something like "who says our society (or culture) is better than theirs?"
I am trying in my family to instill American pride and self-reliance in my children. And also, a love and respect for the one true God (not the false god of islam). Maybe if we can do that one family at a time our country has a chance. Keep praying!
GW| 9.13.11 @ 2:00PM
Keep it going. Common sense needs to be reintroduced to most conservatives who either think every war or no war is worth fighting.
KyMouse| 9.12.11 @ 10:32AM
In the year or two right after 9/11, we heard a lot about "sleeper cells" of Muslim terrorists in America. I can't remember the last time I heard or read about them. What, they all went home?
About two months after 9/11, a young black man walked into the storefront pro-life ministry in which I volunteer, and started telling us that Islam is a peaceful religion -- and that Allah would make us pay for _________ (fill it in yourself).
Our office manager didn't want to call the police to come get him; after he left on his own, the o.m. did call the FBI, which was what they were asking people to do at the time.
I've wondered ever since what became of that very angry young Muslim man, who chose to berate us although we had never seen him or harmed him in any way.
He was spoiling for a fight. Chances are, he still is.
Ole_Sarge| 9.12.11 @ 10:46AM
Americans think in 2-year and 4-year election cycles. We have the attention span of a goldfish, (or a two year old child). What we are fighting has a very different concept on time. 1529 (the Siege of Vienna) was only "yesterday" to them.
So "sleeping" for 10, 20, even 30 years is "not a problem." Patience people, these are a very patient people that will wear us down like water on a rocky surface, if we let them.
KyMouse| 9.12.11 @ 12:25PM
Well said, Sarge. We forget that cultures with a strong tribal heritage tend to carry grudges for centuries, even millennia. "My tribe hates your tribe because...because we've always hated you."
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 2:36PM
Sarge:
Interesting that you would note the seige of Vienna as the date of Sept. 11 has relevance to the battle there. Another date of note is the fall of Constantinople in 1453.
Alan Brooks| 9.12.11 @ 6:34PM
THIS war began in 1948
Skippy| 9.12.11 @ 7:31PM
Wait, wait, don't tell me.
1948 was the year...Israel was born!
That's it!
Thanks Alan.
I knew you would have the answer.
POST American| 9.12.11 @ 7:12AM
"We are using MASSIVE third
world immigation to DESTROY
British culture beyond repair,
once and for all---FOREVER."
-Fmr PM TONY BLAIR
(thru his Home Secretary JACK STRAW)
Daily Mail interview
----Jack being a fave capstone nickname for the devil
---and straw being what you set fires with,
a la last month's provocateured 'burning Britain'.
And here? ---the ever more intrusive, degrading
and ILLEGAL T&A at work on the good people
of America ---while as est. 30 MILLION
Mexicans roam the landscape --and as our entire
economy is systematically put into the
hands of the --MOST-- awesomely genocidal,
utterly unrepentant, regime history's --EVER--
seen.
----OH, and then there's the little matter of
the quintuple meltdown of flawed GE reactors
in Fukishima which, even as we write, are
raining fallout across North America ---while
GE's Jeff I-Melt-down dances across the world
building dirty plants TAX FREE. ALLL deliberately
buried by the DEPOP 'friendly' Globalist media.
(AGAIN, they do love word play)
As for the -----'War on Terror'
-----------------RRRRRRRRIGHT!-------------------
JP| 9.12.11 @ 7:37AM
Prediction: Lower Manhatten will become a virtual Islamic No-Go Zone within 15 years.
PattyMor| 9.12.11 @ 7:51AM
Step One: stop Muslims from immigrating to the U.S. and Western Europe.
Step Two: stop foreign countries from setting up Islamic schools and from donating to U.S. schools.
Step Three: Close U.S. southern and northern borders.
Step Four: Hunt down illegal aliens, especially those from Muslim countries and deport them.
Step Five: DRILL FOR OIL. We can become energy independent and crash many of the terror sponsoring countries by lowering the price of oil.
ConantheContrarian| 9.12.11 @ 8:56AM
Step Six (ongoing): Vote Democrats out of office, the filthy traitors.
Seek| 9.12.11 @ 11:23AM
Sounds like a plan to me.
Timothy L. Pennell| 9.12.11 @ 7:54AM
Wow. Where do ya start?
Let's start at the beginning. JIMMY CARTER.
There has always been the axiom: 'It's better to deal with the Devil you know, than the Devil you don't know'. OR, we could use: 'The road to Hell is paved with Good Intentions'.
When trouble began in Iran, in the late 1970's, OUR ALLY, the Shah, asked for our help, as ALLIES are wont to do. He was refused. (Perhaps the Jew Hating, Carter, was told by his Jew Hating, Security Chief - Zbrezninski - that the Shah was, secretly, a Jew?) I don't know. Supposedly, Carter wanted HUMAN RIGHTS. What he got, was 444Days of Humiliation, Ayatollah Khomeini, and the beginning of the END.
Bill Clinton was too busy to Win the War. (The one that THEY were waging) He had 'Girl Trouble', and every guy knows how that can throw a wrench in to everything.
Under Slick Wiener, we got all those things that Mr. Babbin has listed: The 93 WTC Bombing. The Khobar Towers Bombing. The African Embassies Bombings, and the USS COLE Bombing. Under Bill Caligula, it was Bombs Away. And he did NOTHING.
Billy No Pants was busy with all of those Bimbo Eruptions. (I hate those) Being Sued for Indecent Exposure. Being accused of RAPE and MOLESTATION, on National Television. Having to go on T.V. and lie through his teeth about having a Mid-Life Crises with "That woman" - Miss Fat Intern.
George Bush was elected, and we got hit. Bin Laden, having seen the spectacle of the previous 8 years, concluded that America was ripe for the picking. On September 11 he struck.
His actions had the opposite effect of what he had counted on. America was NOT a Paper Tiger. She was a SLEEPING GIANT. Bush decided to take us to War, and the Congress agreed.
We crushed our Enemies, in record time, but soon found out that some things are easier to catch, than they are to hold on to. Occupation was hard. As is the case, too often these days, the Lawyers and the Diplomats took over. The Fighting Men were put back in their cages. We were told that we needed a "Small Footprint". Things soon got tough. And, when the things go tough the tough get going. Unfortunately, the "TOUGH" started going South. The Democrat half of our Bi-Partisan Coalition in Congress, bailed. They no longer wanted to help. In fact, they saw these problems as an opportunity for Career Advancement. They fought our efforts, every step of the way. Actually SYMPATHIZING with our Enemy, for their treatment by the WAR CRIMINALS - Bush and Cheney.
Now we have the Muslim. Born in Hawaii(?) Raised in Indonesia. Taught in the Muslim Schools. Indoctrinated in the Mosques til the age of 11.
His approach? To APOLOGIZE. To make Speeches. To let the Muslim World know that he was ONE OF THEM. That HE was the one they've been waiting for. (Just ask HAMAS)
He is the Green Light, and Green means GO. They see how he treats Israel. They see how he treats Netanyahu. They KNOW what he is. Hence: The Arab Spring. Hence: All those Egyptian Democrats, tearing down the walls of Israel's Embassy.
We've come full circle. Back to where it all began. The SACKING of their enemies Embassy.
We are not winning this WAR, because ONE PARTY is busy doing something else. They've been doing something else (or in Clinton's case - SOMEONE else, for a long time)
I know. Next election? Let's all vote Democrat.
What could possibly go wrong?
Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:37PM
Bush did not take us to war, and that's the problem. We did not,as a society, mobilize for war and bend our national resources to facing the problem squarely.
As the Marines in the ME have said repeatedly, "The USMC is at war. America is at the mall." JFK's "bear any burden" is OK as long as Starbucks and iPhones are available. Oh, enduring the hardships of combat is so 1960s.
LIke it or not, the American people are a mere shell of what they were even in 1970. Nevermind 1940.
Brian Mc| 9.12.11 @ 8:06AM
The only way to force Islam into civility is simple, yet a path we will never be willing to take. For every attack that murders non-combatants our military should be allowed to unleash surgical strikes on mosques in countries notorious for their complacency in this battle for world dominance. This should be our only response. No more boots on the ground; all's fair.
After a few months of this stance let us see where we stand and adjust accordingly. For once, the enemy will be compelled to hunker down and wonder where the next strike will come which will indirectly give Islamic autocracies a run for their money...force it to fester inward and halt it's spread for a change. It might compel them to come to the table, hat in hand looking for a little appeasement.
The bigger the attack, the bigger and more beautiful the mosque that will unknowingly be targeted. Can you say, "Dome of the Rock"...?
Tomp| 9.12.11 @ 8:46AM
How about the glassifcation of mecca and medina?
JimH| 9.12.11 @ 9:41AM
We haven’t won in part because we have yet to define what winning is. There is no clear strategic goal. I think we could use crop dusters or forest fire tanker planes filled with pig blood and send them over the Haram. This way we make our point without actually killing any innocent people.
Ole_Sarge| 9.12.11 @ 10:52AM
In a real sick and non-PC way I like this, I really do.
Didn't they (suicide bombers) stop blowing themselves up on Israeli buses when the "word" got out that the Israelis were starting to use "pig fat" to fill in the empty spaces in the construction of the buses?
In Islam, the entire animal is unclean and dying with pig blood and guts on you -- will prevent you from attaining those 72 Virgins.
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 2:39PM
Sarge:
Would it not be interesting to see what might happen should the US load up the B-52 fleet with surplus hog bellies and drop them on appropriate cities in the Islamic world? When the Russians hung the Chechniyan terrorists they wrapped them in pig skin first. Contrast that message with the way our nation handled the Bin-Laden rites.
Drunken Sailor| 9.12.11 @ 3:50PM
I like the way you think Al, how about aerial spraying of pigs blood? Better coverage and why wast the pig bellies when you can make bacon?
RCV| 9.12.11 @ 6:25PM
Al Adab, becoming more like the Russians is not something I want my country to aspire to.
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 6:31PM
RCV:
Of course I do not disagree, however the purpose is not to accomodate to the enemy, but rather to end their operations. Attempting to placate the sensitivities of the enemy for some PC reason is ludicrous in the extreme. We think too much with our emotions and not enough with our reason.
Quartermaster| 9.12.11 @ 6:41PM
We don't want to be Russians, and we don't have to be. But, understand that war is an uncivilized way of dealing with a problem, and we go to war because we are forced to do so, not because we desire it.
When an enemy forces to into the field against him, you do you must or you die. We are not doing what we must and our grandchildren will not forgive us, and we won't deserve their forgiveness either.
Michael Tomlinson| 9.12.11 @ 8:10AM
There are between 1.2-1.5 billion Muslims in the world (several Muslim groups like to claim 2 billion, but taqiyya/lying to infidels is religiously acceptable so what can you expect?). Muslims claim they are in every country of the world. Among militant elements of Islam the idea is that anywhere Muslims live, have settled or at one time dominated that land is part of the ummah (community or nation of Islam) or dar al Islam “home of the Muslims” as opposed to dar al harb/ “land of the infidels.” As the thinking goes Muslims are free to wage jihad/holy war to reclaim these lost lands of Islam. This is why Osama bin Laden targeted Spain and the Balkans in his fatwa – both areas were once dominated by Muslim tyrants (as is the majority of the current Muslim world). But now they are including lands where Muslims live and work, but are minorities into the dar al Islam. Why? To give mujahedeen/holy warriors/terrorists a foundation in their theology for the violence it is waging against the West and US.
Estimates on the number of Muslims supporting terrorism or sympathetic to terrorism is conservatively estimated at between 100-350 million Muslims. That’s an enemy seemingly as large as the entire population of the US. This enemy is spread around the world and becoming more militant and violent in its quest to force the West to submit to Islam. In Europe (possibly Dearborn, MI), Muslims are creating enclaves where the officials and institutions of democratic governments are not welcome or allowed to go. Thus, the Muslims are creating “states” within states governed by brutally oppressive shaira.
What about Muslims in the US? Despite the Muslim apologist RINO neo-liberal Ron Paul defending Muslim extremism in the world as a US caused problem Islam in the US is moving in the same direction of European Islam – more violent and chauvinistic. CAIR cofounder and longtime Board chairman Omar Ahmad said, “Islam isn’t in America to be equal to any other faith, but to become dominant. The Koran should be the highest authority in America, and Islam the only accepted religion on earth” (he now denies saying this, but the original reporter sticks by her story). Prominent American Muslim leader Siraj Wahhaj said, “if only Muslims were clever politically, they could take over the United States and replace its constitutional government with a caliphate.”
Thanks to Barack Obama according to a recent2011 Zogby poll Muslim attitudes towards the US have declined and are more precarious. The poll overwhelmingly demonstrates that weakness and a markedly softer approach to the projection of American global power do not make the US or its president more popular abroad. In fact they simply strengthen the position of America’s enemies, undermine her effectiveness as a global power, and draw contempt and derision from both friend and foe alike.
George W. Bush may not have been loved in the Arab world, but at least he was feared and respected. The removal of Saddam Hussein and the crushing of the Al Qaeda-led insurgency in Iraq demonstrated that America meant business, and that it would be prepared to wield hard power to defend its interests against the enemies of freedom.
There is little evidence, however, that Barack Obama is viewed with fear or with respect in one of the most volatile regions of the world. If anything he is seen as a weak-kneed pushover, with a confused and flailing foreign policy. This will ultimately haunt America as Iran races towards becoming a nuclear power and traditional US allies in the region lose faith in Washington’s willingness and ability to stand with them. The White House’s mantra of ‘leading from behind’ is looking more and more foolish by the day, and the world’s only superpower has fewer friends on its side as it faces an increasingly dangerous array of adversaries.
We must acknowledge who our enemies are and drive them out of our country (non-citizens) and ban them from travel into the US. As far as shooting wars go better to kill them in their own countries than the streets of the US. When it comes to Islam Mao was right “power comes from the barrel of a gun” we just need to make sure it is a US Marine holding the gun against the true infidels of the false religion of Islam.
JP| 9.12.11 @ 8:41AM
As I stated above, Lower Manhatten will go Muslim within 15 years. They will have thier rabbat (not quite a mosque- but more like a Muslim version of a monastary). From there they will steadily begin to stir the pot. Local businesses will be given offers to sell (or intimidated to sell); local Muslim businesses will move in. The adult businesses will be visited by "Muslim" activists and advised to close up shop. Gays will get the message to avoid that part of town. Clashes with Asians from China-town will ensue; Muslim activists will begin then to shake-down Wall St for jobs, favors, and donations. Within 10 years, Muslim families will have moved into Lower Manhatten using seed money from various Islamic organizations as well as our own government. Within 15 years, non-Muslim women will avoid the area if at all possible. For those women working in Lower Manhatten, they will do what thier European women do - wear the hijab if to just prevent being harrassed. The NYPD will be told to lay-off. And the NY City council will unofficially allow sharia law to reign. Lower Manhatten will become a de facto No-Go Zone.
Michael Tomlinson| 9.12.11 @ 8:50AM
JP I hope you're wrong, but I do forsee a civil war in Great Britain, France and other countries as they fight to save freedom against the neo-fascist Muslims.
Don'tTazeMeBro| 9.12.11 @ 4:38PM
Well, I certainly hope so; what I mean is that anymore, I fear that the Europeans don't even have the guts to fight for and "save freedom against the neo-fascist Muslims", in your words. But it is more likely they will roll over and give up without a shot being fired.
Seek| 9.12.11 @ 11:27AM
A frightening scenario, JP, but I don't think it's gonna happen. Most New Yorkers, even the most liberal ones, won't stand for this. At some point, they'll stand up to these hyper-religious tyrants.
An aside: Why do Muslims stick their asses in the air five times a day to pray? What's wrong with just once? What's with these guys? Do they anticipate anal sex with Allah? Or do they believe that numbing repetition makes for blind obedience? I'll go with the second theory.
Clint | 9.12.11 @ 9:42AM
"Rick Perry's dangerous Muslim compromise
Right out of the chute, of cause for deep concern is an apparently close relationship Perry has fostered over the years with a Muslim leader know as "His Highness" Prince Shah Karim Al-Husayni, the Aga Khan IV.
According to the Austin American-Statesman, Perry met Al-Husayni while vacationing with his family in Paris in 2000.
In 2002, at a dinner in Houston hosted by Al-Husayni, Perry spoke glowingly of his new friend. Since this time, Perry has continued to attend various Nizari Ismaili Muslim events and by several accounts has become a close friend of Al-Husayni and the Nizari Muslim community.
According to Kate Shellnut, a blogger for the Houston Chronicle, "Perry even laid the first brick at the groundbreaking ceremony for an Ismaili worship center in Plano in 2005."
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:35PM
And Ron Paul supports Hamas and CAIR. Point, Clint?
Old Soldier | 9.12.11 @ 8:44AM
The wars on Drugs, Terror, and Poverty are quite similar. They are unwinnable wastes of time and treasure.
The “War on Drugs” is based on a rejection of the laws of supply and demand. It requires us to completely pretend Prohibition didn’t happen and that alcohol isn’t a drug.
The “War on Poverty” requires us to reject human nature. We have to pretend that all people have a work ethic. If we pay them not to work, we must assume they will still try to find work and not game the system for more benefits for not working.
The “War on Terror” may be the most ridiculous – terror being an emotion. We have lost the courage to name our enemy. We tell ourselves lies about our enemies (religion of peace, Arab Spring, etc…). Maybe we will reach a point where we are angry enough to drop all the BS and actually fight. If not, we should just drop the whole thing.
Jack in Wi.| 9.12.11 @ 9:16AM
Old Soldier: You know what you are talking about. The wars on poverty, drugs, and terror were nothing but public relations stategies to sucker the public into further dependence on an overbearing and incompetent goverment. It is time to close down all these phoney wars.
nister| 9.12.11 @ 8:47AM
Wow. Where do you start?
Carter admitted the Shah into the United States; that was the trigger for the embassy taking. The Shah and Savak were imposed on Iran when we took out the democratically elected Mossadeq.
We looked on with ghoulish glee when Iraq invaded Iran; when Iran was poised to win that war, we shot down an Iranian Airbus, killing 290 innocents..then spit on their graves. Iran accepted a peace accord 11 days later; they were under no illusion that it was an isolated accident.
Bush Sr. lied to his friends the Saudi royals in order to garrison Saudi Arabia with American troops; he told them Saddam had 1,500 tanks and 200,000 shock troops amassed on the Saudi border. When, over time, his perfidy was unmasked and the troops were being shown the door, suddenly Iraq needed invading and garrisoning.
You came to the right conclusion, Pennell. Let's vote Democrat.
Michael Tomlinson| 9.12.11 @ 8:58AM
Mossadeq was a communist dictator just like the democratically elected dictators Hitler or Hugo Chavez. How about that democratically elected Hamas? Aren't you going to defend them too against the Israeli aggressors?
Why don't you admit it nister your a RINO, neo-liberal, Iranian theocratic dictatorship apologist, Ron Paul cultist who blames America for the demented theology of murderous Islam.
You folks love Islam so much why don't you move to Iran if you lean to Shiism or if Sunni is to your liking the soon to be democratically elected Islamic Brotherhood Egypt?
W| 9.12.11 @ 9:46AM
The Shah was the only rational leader Iran has had in years. He tried to modernize the country and instituted measures to reduce the powers of the crazy Mullahs, increase the rights of women, and education for the citizens.
The mistake was that Jimmy Carter did not support the Shah when Khomeni started his takeover. Had Carter not been such a weak, indecisive little weasel who abandoned a long term ally, Iran would have continued to evolve to a modern secular state, and the Middle East and the world would have been spared the terrorrism sponsored by Iran.
Clint | 9.12.11 @ 9:46AM
Little Rino Ricky Perry's Buddy Al-Husayni.
Al-Husayni is the spiritual leader of the Shiite sect of Nizari Ismaili Muslims. Nizaris, a group with roughly 18 million adherents, believe that Al-Husayni is both the physical and spiritual descendant of Islam's prophet, Muhammad. Nizaris refer to Al-Husayni with such grandiose titles as the Imām-I-Zaman (Imam of the Age) and "the Face of Allah."
Nizaris are one of the more esoteric and mystical sects of Islam. Nizaris refer to Allah by unique and odd terms such as "the black light" and "the luminous night." Though Nizaris believe that Allah is utterly unknowable, they believe that through mystical meditation, shadows of what is to come can be glimpsed. Nizaris are also known for being deeply committed to Islamic causes of social justice.
Besides being the spiritual leader of the millions of Nizari Muslims, Al-Husayni is also wildly rich. One report has placed his personal value at roughly $800 million, but he also controls a vast network of businesses, organizations and schools, including the Aga Khan Development Network, or AKDN, one of the largest "private development networks" in the world. The AKDN and its network of Islamic organizations and charities distribute well over half-a-billion dollars each year."
Clint | 9.12.11 @ 9:51AM
Dr.Ron Paul's Foreign Policy Advisor Michael Scheuer, Former CIA Chief of The bin Laden Unit
On Iran, The President should:
2.) Publicly state that there will be no U.S. surprise attack on Iran, and no U.S. attack at all on Iran unless the president asks for a formal declaration of war and the Congress votes its approval in a constitutional manner.
3.) Call in Israel's ambassador to the United States and tell him that we understand that Israel believes Iran is a threat to its survival, and that we agree that Israel has every right to defend itself. If Israel believes it must go to war with Iran, then so be it. But also tell the ambassador that if Israel attacks Iran, the U.S. administration will declare U.S. neutrality in the war and immediately cut off military and financial support to all combatants in the war."
The Tea Party Rebellion Is Here.
nister| 9.12.11 @ 10:35AM
What a pantload. You only believe in democracy when it suits your twisted worldview. As to your "Israeli aggressors", WTF?
You conservatives and the Moslem Brotherhood see eye to eye on any social issue extant. Perhaps it's you who should move to Iran.
Old Soldier| 9.12.11 @ 11:19AM
I don't believe in Democracy at all. I believe in limited government and freedom.
Mike w| 9.12.11 @ 11:33AM
No Paulista here but nister was dead on about Iran. We did all of those things to them and we wonder why they hate and fear us.
The Shah was a torturing murdering tyrant but he was probably just what the Iranians needed. Just like Saddam was a torturing murdering tyrant but he was what the Iraqis needed. Instead, Iraq is now an ally of Iran and will soon expel all US troops.
loulou| 9.12.11 @ 1:12PM
The Shah was like Attaturk--he was trying to civilize his backwards country. The ayatollahs dragged the Persians back into the 7th century.
They don't really hate us--they want to be us but their religion does not allow it.
Harry the Horrible| 9.12.11 @ 8:55AM
Early in the Afghanistan War, a UAV operator located a convoy of Osama bin Laden's family - wives, children, armed guards. His UAV was armed with Hellfires.
Rather than attacking the convoy with his missiles and calling in aircraft to finish the mission, he told his bosses and they called a Pentagon lawyer - who said not to attack.
That is when I knew we didn't have what it took to win.
Michael Tomlinson| 9.12.11 @ 9:08AM
Harry I've never heard this story, but I do know Sandy Berger and Bill Clinton nixed operators who actually had Osama bin Laden in their crosshairs.
As to killing bin Laden's family what would that have accmoplished? Hellfires cost roughly $50,000.00 what good would it have done to kill a bunch of women and kids when Hellfires should be saved for terrorist fighters?
Harry the Horrible| 9.12.11 @ 9:42AM
Like it not, a lot of terrorism, its finance and its leadership runs along family lines (sort of like organized crime...). Killing the family eliminates a nice chunk of this.
It also raises the cost of terrorism. Suicide bombers should pay the same price - their families die.
Finally, revenge is not a bad motivation, either. It something Muzzies can understand.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:38PM
The Arab world is Tribal. The family is a legitimate target, therefore. You want to send a message that your enemies can understand, in their medium. In short, you want to be "multi-cultural" and appreciate the appropriate aspects of their culture, and act accordingly.
Harry the Horrible| 9.12.11 @ 9:43AM
Also, the armed guards were legit targets. The bin Laden family would just be bonus collateral damage.
Mriordon| 9.12.11 @ 9:04AM
Excellent article as always expected and delivered by Jed Babbin. Islam is a militant religion- period. So-called "moderate muslims" at the very least approve in private what their terrorist brethern are doing, while in public acting suprised and apologetic. The war against Islam- which is exactly what it should be called- will be won when the "moderates" get tired of suffering for the acts of the terrorists. This simply means that there are no innocent civilians. Instead of all the "hearts and minds" crap our tactic should be to scare the religion out of all of them. We need to make it so difficult for offending countries that they decide the radicals are way more trouble than they're worth. We wouldn't even need ground troops, just a lot of drones and cruise missiles and some good old fashioned paid for intelligence. We can be energy independent in a few years and have the Islamic countries completely cowed shortly thereafter. Step one is to get rid of Barry, step two is to quit giving money to Islamic countries, step three is to become energy independent, step four is start blowing things up- and I'll bet you don't have to blow up too much before the message is received loud and clear.
W| 9.12.11 @ 9:51AM
The war on terrorr started in June 1968 when Sirhan Sirhan murdered Robert Kennedy. We had the 1979 Iran takeover of our embassy, and the bombings during the 1980's.
The war accelerated in 1993 with the attack on the World Trade Center, and continued with the attacks on our embassies, Khobar towers, and the USS Cole. Clinton did nothing except lob a few missiles during the same week as his deposition Paula Jones suit.
The problem is we did not act seriously until after September 11.
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 2:47PM
As you correctly note W, our failure to respond decisivly to the earlier attacks led to escalating events which finally culminated in the murder of 3000 of our fellow citizens and other nationals. What we failed to do was decisivly engage the enemy and we fostered a "nation building" effort in the two theaters of Afghanistan and Iraq. There exist other theaters as well and we have not engaged those hostile forces. Engage does not in my usage mean dialog but rather confrontation on the battlefield.
The clebrations which took place across the Islamic world on 9-11 required a more dramatic response. An end to foreign aid to those countries where celebrations took place along with the confiscation of national assets would have been a start. In fact it is not out of line to ask why those cities hosting celebrations do not today resemble "ground zero".
W| 9.12.11 @ 8:44PM
Al Adab,
GWB is the first president to deal seriously with terrorrism. He was forced because of sept 11.
One unintended benefit of Iraq is that terrorrists went there to fight us and many were killed. But that is a war of attrition that we should not fight, and it seems terrorrists are easy to replace
What now? We should have an economic war to strangle the money supply of the terrorrists. This means Iran and Saudi Arabia. If we would open and develop our oil reserves in Alaska and import more from Canada, we could stop importing from Saudi Arabia. The Saudis, our friends, are building all the mosques where the extreme jihad muslim hate is taught, and they fund terrorrists.
John786| 9.12.11 @ 10:27AM
An article based on a pile of poo. Two simple ways for American to save blood and treasure:
Remove all bases from ME
Stop supporting ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
You will amazed the number of friends you will gain. But allas unlikely to happen. Especially with the vile christain zionists having so much influence in America.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 11:39AM
Another web fingered meth head Ru Paulite apologizes for The Religion of Pieces. Or are you just some poser from Gaza posting your islamofacist drivel here. Either way, you & your muzzie loving/appeasing friends are disgusting. Your willful ignorance knows no bounds. You disgust me.
Paul Kotik| 9.12.11 @ 12:28PM
One more thing - we have to figure out who it was (the Evil Wizard George Bush?) who travelled back in time and so enraged the Muslims that they began to make war on the entire rest of the world over 1,000 years before the US established its first base in the Middle East and before the State of Israel was founded. I mean, if Israel and US bases in the Middle East are the causes of Islamic terror, the Muslims must have had advance knowledge that the USA would be founded, that Israel would be founded, and that the US would establish basis in the Middle East. The Muslims had to know about this as far back as the 7th Century, when their global rampage began. There's only one explanation, and John786 has hit it: somebody travelled back in time and told them what what was going to happen! I'm betting Johnny knows who it was, too, and will reveal this to the world at the appropriate time. Maybe right before the space aliens return to Area 51 and disembark the Illuminati sleeper agents...
W| 9.12.11 @ 1:59PM
Is this Johnny Muhammed? Where have you been, Club Gitmo?
John786| 9.12.11 @ 2:53PM
Ok guys I'm wrong and the best way for America to safeguard it's interest is:
Continue bases and occupation in ME.
Continue to support murder and ethnic cleansing in Palestine.
Im sorry I didn't see that earlier.
Skippy| 9.12.11 @ 7:38PM
Palestine no longer exists.
It was ceded to Israel by the British; the UN; and the Arabs when they attacked Israel and lost.
Thrice.
Palestine is gone, and will not return until Israel is gone.
At which point we will all be gone.
But first every Arab city larger than Poughkeepsie will be gone.
Clear enough for you, Mo?
John786| 9.12.11 @ 8:52PM
"At which point we will all be gone". Speak for your self mr end times loon. Most of the world does not share Christian eschatology. on the bright side at least the loons would get raptured.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:39PM
Bullshit, John.
Submitting to scum like you only garners contempt and more demands.
PolishKnight| 9.12.11 @ 10:29AM
Nobody suggested this tactic: Eliminate the concept of terror. Israel is already largely doing this. When a cafe is bombed, they send in a crew to clean up the mess and repair the damage and it reopens next week. Maybe put a plaque up to commemorate the victims and move on.
Put up sensible security measures to minimize damage but otherwise tell civilians to accept some risk. Eventually, they get used to it rather than taking off their shoes at checkpoints and trying to pretend they're safe.
In other words, treat terrorists like ugly teenagers screaming: "I don't care what you think!" and slamming doors. Nothing annoys them more than if you don't take them seriously.
As Mark Steyn is pointing out in another column, America is becoming a land of can't-do unionized wussies who can't rebuild the twin towers. In addition, as people criticize the TSA, often rightly so, it remains that the TSA is given an impossible task of providing almost bulletproof security while people complain about inconvenience. The terrorists laugh while the TSA gets the blame for the inconveniences they caused. The shoe bomber gets to laugh at the millions of people doing kubuki theater.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:40PM
The Israelis do not get their lives disrupted but they do counterstrike. You need both for it to be effective.
loulou| 9.12.11 @ 10:37AM
I wouldn't object to carpet bombing selected areas.
Civilian casualties? There are no civilians in the Arab/Muslim world. They are ALL jihadis for Allah.
Ned Ferguson| 9.12.11 @ 10:37AM
You make some excellent points but err, I think. You take it as a given that we have "defeated communism" for instance. We have not. The fall of the Soviet Union equates to "a" defeat of communism but not "the" defeat. Shamefully, the communist ideology is alive and well and making continuous inroads into American policy. Communism's reputation does not suffer nearly as much as it should given its historic horrors. "Intellectuals" have long seen to that. Of course, universities are communist hotbeds.
There is a conflation of ideas (nation-states; Islamism; terrorism) in this article that just do not add up. These things are not synonymous. Though I agree completely that we should forcefully target state sponsors of terrorism. You'll get no argument from me on that score. It is the most effective approach.
PolishKnight| 9.12.11 @ 11:21AM
Hello Ned, in one significant way, the fall of the USSR was a heavy blow for communism or at least a certain brand of it: Total state employment.
The western version of communism is a crony form of capitalism where privileged party members don't get GUM cards and travel permits, but rather high ranking jobs for themselves and their relatives at corporations with cozy deals with the state where regulations protect them from competitors and tax breaks ideally designed for them (hello GE!)
The left is able to blame the right for massive unemployment and inequality caused by their own brand of socialism. The party members' "GUM" stores out here are fantastic benefits for unionized government workers and this is a priority in Obama's latest stimulus plan. Notice how Obama is ordering large corporations to hire more workers. He doesn't have the resources to hire more government workers and is barely managing to keep that payroll going.
Ned Ferguson| 9.12.11 @ 11:49AM
PK: You're essentially right - at this point in the iterative process. What will it be tomorrow? They keep chipping, chipping, chipping. Confiscating property and businesses as they go, and countermanding the plain language of the constitution.
PolishKnight| 9.12.11 @ 2:05PM
It's not a matter of chipping so much as adding. They have grabbed various special interest groups over the years to form their consortium while the right has done little to protect theirs (straight white heterosexual men and their families.) It truly is a fantastic trap and the right fell into it.
However... the weak point in their plan is that all these special interest groups need resources to stay happy and a lot of them. I was chuckling about a CNN living story where they lamented a "family" of government workers (a lesbian couple and their daughter) losing their cushy jobs as state workers. "Boo hoo!" they moaned, they would have to give up their, get this, organic foods and shop, gasp!, at a NORMAL grocery store with the rest of the "het" schmucks!
Keep in mind that most of their elite live in the cities that they've taken over and the cost of living is much higher there than in the countryside. Also, ironically, if the republicans called their bluff for taxing "millionaires" (which is really anyone over $250K a year per family), it would hit them the hardest. Most small businesses run by red staters are on the back of their pickup trucks.
Joe Wood| 9.12.11 @ 10:58AM
Mr. Babbin -
We haven't won because we have not identified the enemy: Islam. You, yourself, are part of the problem. When you discontinue the use of euphemisms like "Islamist", "Islamism", etc ... in lieu of "Islam", then, I will believe that you are on board for the fight.
Until that time, you are merely another confused, politically-correct President Bush mumbling 'Islam is a religion of peace' atop the smoking rubble at Ground Zero.
Join the fight, Jed - we need you.
Best - Joe Wood
Petronius| 9.12.11 @ 11:28AM
Enough of this foreign policy over second guessing. This country will not survive unless liberalism is defeated here first. Americans have been Dr. Spocked to the point that when they call us names we cannot even respond with a fist to their faces in dread fear of their power over the courts. The average American has no stomach for fighting not only because he's had it too easy, but because he's been brow beaten in schools, churches, and everywhere else that he is at fault for everything his accusers don't like. He has no influence except his vote. And no politician will speak for him because he has no pressure groups and can't afford to write campaign checks. He is not allowed to join the services because his Conservative values are now considered treason by the DoD. If he walked into a recruiting office and said, "I want to kill hajis because they killed my friends" he'd be hauled off and locked up in a mental hospital ala the Soviet Union. Why he would want to join an army that won't let him pull the trigger without permission from a JAG officer defies logic anyway. Add to it the fact that the government of this nation is populated by weenie intellectuals who refuse to understand our enemies as the stateless street gangs killing for their own pleasure. And so long as they kill Christians and don't decapitate college professors and journalists, they don't give a rats rear. They won't even get upset unless another bunch of Saudis jacks another 767 and flies it into the Washington Press Club. The problem is right in front of us here in the guise of abject cowardice masquerading as altruism and compassion.
If the next election places a Republican in the White House, God willing or not, The first thing he needs to do is call King Abdullah in Riahd and tell him in no uncertain terms that all Muslims engaged in this jihad or preparing to fight have 2 weeks to surrender to U.S. forces. And after that, if one American G.I. or installation anywhere is attacked, Mecca gets nuked. Then they'll understand because force is all they understand. And we have to defeat them on their terms or else we die with our heads on blocks. And the liberals continue to believe they are safe because they aren't bleeding yet. Every real warrior knows to take first those who can fight so the rest and those who won't may be slaughtered at leisure. And don't expect liberals to change one bit. They like predators who go for the throats of those they despise. But their turn will come.
Gary Shields| 9.12.11 @ 11:30AM
Try to remember, each time you fuel your vehicle you pay tribute to Islam.
Jeff Perren | 9.12.11 @ 11:33AM
"This war didn't begin on 9/11: it began in August 1996"
I respectfully disagree. It began in 1979 when the Islamists took over the Iranian government and occupied the American Embassy in Tehran.
Jeff Perren | 9.12.11 @ 11:35AM
P.S. Other than that, excellent article!
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:42PM
Nope---the war began early 1950s with the publication of Qutb's work, in its modern form. But the actual war began with the Hegira to Medina.
Mike w| 9.12.11 @ 11:36AM
Babbin talks about the Iraqis committing war crimes in defense of their country. I assure yoou that if some invader comes to my country I will use every dirty tactic available to fight them, including fake surrenders, terrorism etc., roadside bombs etc.
It is ridiculous for him to refer to war crimes in this context but then again the man is pretty ridiculous himself.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 11:40AM
Thank you former Fedayeen member.
Paul Kotik| 9.12.11 @ 12:36PM
My Dad told me what had to be done back when we were waiting on a gas line in 1974, during the oil embargo.
He said: "Son, someday we're just going to have to go over there and take it away from them".
Quite right, Dad. And someday is now.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 12:38PM
Or the Dear Leader & his greenie weenie minions could let us drill our own.
loulou| 9.12.11 @ 1:14PM
We have our own oil.
We just have to extract it.
Jeff Perren | 9.12.11 @ 9:35PM
Except it wouldn't be taking it from them; the oil rightfully belongs to the British, French, and American companies that developed the oil fields.
The Arabs and Persians abrogated the contracts and Eisenhower, et al decided to do nothing about it because he was as politically gutless as most politicians. How he led American forces to victory in WWII is an enduring mystery.
Con Chef (NB) | 9.12.11 @ 12:39PM
How many of us remember what we were doing 10 years ago on September 11th? I remember what a BEAUTIFUL day it was, not just in NYC, but in Memphis as well. And in an instant, our world changed. At first, when I heard the news, I thought, as I'm sure many others did, that a Cessna had hit the towers. Then I turned on the news to see that wasn't the case. And as we, as a nation, stood watching what had happened, we saw the second plane hit. It was at THAT time that we ALL realized that our nation was being attacked. There was no left or right or Republicans or Democrats. There were only AMERICANS. Then came the news of the Pentagon crash. And we, as a nation, stood in transfixed horror as we saw both of the Twin Towers crumble into rubble and the dust cloud engulf Manhattan. As the day progressed, we then learned the story of the brave passengers of United Flight 93. And as the day drew to a close, we all went home to be with our loved ones in our states of shock and grief.
As horrendous as that day was, it was also emblematic of what makes our Republic so exceptional amongst the other nations of the world. Strangers carrying wheelchair bound people down 70 plus flights of steps. A picture of a crowded stairwell where everyone is going down, except for the grim & determined faced FDNY member who was going UP. The FDNY chaplain who was doing his duty RIGHT IN THE SHADOW of one of the Towers as it collapsed. And we finally heard the calls from Flight 93. A group of Americans who already KNEW what was going on. These were not military folks, cops, firemen or anything else of that sort. They were you & I. They were just everyday Americans who realized that their lives were forfeit. And rather than have their lives end in the way dictated to them by the enemy, they fought back & took their fates into their own hands and trusted their souls to God.
Now, 10 years on, I can still remember, with tears in my eyes, the images of people jumping rather than burn alive. But what I choose to take away from Sept. 11th is that there is PURE, UNADULTERATED EVIL in this world. It will not leave us alone if we leave it alone. It is an evil that is manifested in all manner of ways. But suicidal fanatacism like that which we face today is no different than the same type of fanatacism displayed by the Imperial Japanese Army. And we must meet and DEFEAT that evil, in whatever form, wherever it is. Because if we don't, there will be a few more beautiful days that will be remembered more for their sorrow than for their beauty.
"Not to know what has been transacted in former times is to be forever a child. If no use is made of the labors of past ages, then the world must always remain in the infancy of knowledge."...Cicero
RCV| 9.12.11 @ 6:27PM
Well said.
tadcf| 9.12.11 @ 1:41PM
And the warfare won't end until we've gained control of every natural resource of on earth, or until we don't need it any more.
George S| 9.12.11 @ 1:58PM
What is missing from this article is good old fashioned Cold War geopolitics. Once, there were three factions: the superpowers (US and the Soviet Union); their satellites; and the Third World. The game of chess revolved around the superpowers and their satellites positioning themselves by courting the Third World. These countries were romanced with the equivalent of flowers and chocolates by the superpowers for strategic advantages such as military bases and resources. Many of the Third World's economies were positioned around interaction with the superpowers -- Cuba and the Soviets, Iran (the Shah) and the United States, etc.
With the fall of the Soviet Union, these Third World countries were no longer international players. So they needed a substitute; and unfortunately, terrorism served a need. By being able to be in a position where they can negotiate the export of terrorism, countries such as Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia all of a sudden became a thorn in our side. This is their ticket. So Iran builds reactors when they have plenty of fossil fuel, and Syria becomes a benefactor of Hamas.
How do we handle this is key. Do we respond with Cold War diplomacy and accept terrorism and the equivalent of Russian ICBM's? Or do we engage militarily to remove the threat. We didn't do the latter during the Cold War because it was logistically impossible, as it is today. What we did do, though, is economically starve out the Soviet bloc by Star Wars and refusal to sign SALT. The same tactic can be employed today. Drill our own oil. Put the terror enablers on notice that their petro dollars will not be able to finance terror indefinitely. Then we can apply good old fashioned Cold War economic sanctions without threatening our own energy supply. This is the critical first step. Then, we can apply targeted, covert military action as needed through the back door.
al-Mohareb| 9.12.11 @ 2:02PM
Yes, natural resources.
Just ask Ibn Taymiyyah!
"These possessions received the name of fay since Allah had taken them away from the infidels in order to restore (afa’a, radda) them to the Muslims. In principle, Allah has created the things of this world only in order that they may contribute to serving Him, since He created man only in order to be ministered to. Consequently, the infidels forfeit their persons and their belongings which they do not use in Allah’s service to the faithful believers who serve Allah and unto whom Allah restitutes what is theirs; thus is restored to a man the inheritance of which he was deprived, even if he had never before gained possession."
http://books.google.com/books?.....ge&q=These possessions received the name of fay since Allah had taken them away from the infidels&f=false
john| 9.12.11 @ 4:11PM
All this according to that pedophile mohammed who fucked 9 year olds (Aisha) Ah the religion of peace, over 17000 people killed by them since 9/11!!
carol| 9.12.11 @ 2:59PM
did ya miss it
drill here drill now
natural gas coaL
AND THROW IN SOME SUN AND WIND FOR THE LEFT WING LOONS 1% unfortunately it will fail
ABNCP| 9.12.11 @ 3:48PM
We will not start winning until the America people start to understand we are in the begining of a long and terrible war with Militant Islam. We will not start to understand that until 2012 when the subversive Obama Administration is voted out of office and the American people can start hearing who are real enemy is. Babin is right on when he states we have to identify Islam as the force we have to defeat. Then there will be so many things that have to be done:
1. Secure the border. Anyone who dosen't understand that Hezbolla sleeper cells have been coming across our souther border needs a large injection of reality medicne. When we finally do something about the Iranian nuclear threat expect them to start bombings in this country.
2. In Afganistan, change the Rules of Engagment to allow our troops to shoot first, break things and kill people who even look like they threaten them.
In other words play to win not to try and make friends. These people don't like us. Either do that or pull our troops out and let the bastards kill each other. If they then are a threat, bomb the crap out of them and put in Special Ops to take out the worst targets (people) in an in and out operation.
3. Pull our troops out of Europe, Korea and any other countries that have the financial wherewithall
to defend themselves. We are going to need all our resources to defend this country. Put some of them on our borders. We need them there right now.
4. Start financial covert war/ops against China, Russia and any other countries that are giving us grief in any moves we are making to try and make the world and the USA a safer place.
5. Begin immediately to drill for Oil, Gas and Shale Oil. We have the capability to be energy self sufficent. At that point the Saudis will have no power to influence anything we do. Do everything possible to advance the creation of nuclear fusion energy. If we could go to the moon we can do nuclear fusion but we need to start the same kind of effort the moon landings took.
6. Work with Israel to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. This is a WHAT EVER IT TAKES PROGRAM. Those raghead Imans have no real military power yet. Hell Iraq under Saddem fought them to where they had to beg for peace. As I recall we took about 100 days to kick Iraqs butt the first time and much less time the second time
7. Of course what this country really needs is a President that can find his scrotum, a Congress that wants American to suceed and an American people who have the understanding that this country is at a crossroads in it's history, we either change the way we have been doing things or we become just another idea that failed.
Havoc| 9.12.11 @ 4:16PM
testing 1, 2, 3
Simon Templar| 9.12.11 @ 4:21PM
The same reason we won the Vietnam war and then lost it.
Take an internal political party and domestic enemies within coupled with a segment of the public lacking two brain cells to rub together and mix that with politicization of national security for political gain and you have a recipe for failure. Throw in a pinch of biased media hell bent on disinformation and propaganda surrounding the conflict, put that in the oven for 8 or so years, and shazam!
Intelligent Design| 9.12.11 @ 4:56PM
This tells it all. Obama approves Taliban office in Qatar to facilitate negotiations.
http://www.theaustralian.com.a.....6135168019
os| 9.12.11 @ 4:59PM
So, according to Mr. Babbin, America won't be safe until a billion people convert to some other religion?
Simon Templar| 9.12.11 @ 5:04PM
Kinda crazy? Not really. Europe faced the same thing in 6oo AD. It did not reemerge for another 500 years. It is either that or second class citizenship and tribute. Take your pick.
os| 9.12.11 @ 5:20PM
LOL...are you seriously suggesting that the an Islamic army is capable of invading the U.S.
Simon Templar| 9.12.11 @ 5:44PM
They do not invade, jackass, they immigrate, they have dozens of children, they agitate, they terrorize. Have you ever heard of a place called Lebanon? Can you pull your head out of your ass and take a look at Europe right now, France for example. Ken, is right, you can not fix stupid.
os| 9.12.11 @ 6:03PM
So now it's no longer about making the world safe for democracy? We now have to convert them to a more peaceful religion before they start burning us at the stake for not accepting the Koran?
Al Adab| 9.12.11 @ 6:38PM
It should never be about making the world safe for Democracy. That was a failure as policy under Wilson. Nation building is simply the continuation of that policy under another name.
BTW, it's Q'uran.
os| 9.12.11 @ 6:53PM
You're preaching to the choir my friend.
Skippy| 9.12.11 @ 7:43PM
No, it's Koran.
And it's Bombay, not the muslim Mumbai.
And it's death or submission to all 1.2 billion of the filthy wogs if we ever get a man as POTUS.
os| 9.12.11 @ 9:12PM
Yea only a real man is willing to wipe his ass with the Constitution.
Simon Templar| 9.13.11 @ 12:58AM
Only a complete jackass would accept the propaganda of an insane, murderous, and evil arabian sitting in a compound in Pakistan about his nation and still think he is going to win the presidency of that nation. Only a complete idiot and fool would follow such a moron. What would you know about a real man?
Simon Templar| 9.13.11 @ 12:50AM
My god, you are a drooling liberal idiot..did is say convert them to anything? Actually, I am guessing another Ron Paul robot, right? Your smarmy response has that particular stink.
You also have that I am in college and think I am cool while I blog on the internet in my parents basement smarmy sound.
os| 9.13.11 @ 10:42AM
I'm guessing you think you're a conservative because you embrace Bushism or 21st century Republicanism?
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:48PM
It doesn't need to initially invade, but, yes it can, if it wishes. Do you think Mexico will aid or stop them, os? We only have about 10 active divisions. Our military is superb, but they have more men.
In addition, they are willing, even eager, to die. Further, it doesn't take an "invasion"---it takes about 8 Hiroshima sized nukes, placed appropriately.
Getting into the US from Mexico if you are a US Citizen is easy-peasy. Getting into Mexico from the US is incredibly easy, much easier than penetrating the most porous controlled border in the world. (Mexico into the US). Yeah, it can be done. And many US Muslims support terror.
shipley130| 9.12.11 @ 5:38PM
The author of the Saudi article obviously has no idea just how dumb some of our lawmakers are, or how corrupt they are. They aren't smart enough to figure out how to fight an ideology. They are the dumb SOBs that are preventing a focus on the middle eastern that will be flying in our airspace, but are patting down Grandma.
Simon Templar| 9.12.11 @ 5:46PM
Little something for my friends.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.....r_embedded
Rad Manley| 9.12.11 @ 5:53PM
Respecting all of the preceding worthy extended posits regarding the waging of war, there is the stark and universal understanding shared by all warriors of any conflict past and present, including my year-long excursion as an 11B Infantryman in Vietnam, that the brass implements the tactics or lack thereof as dictated by the political saps that play chess with our asses and always turns the screws on the considerably explosive capabilities of our magnificent military juggernaut by shackling what we all identify as the rules of engagement.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:49PM
Yup. The point is to LET LOOSE "the dogs of war," and not CARE about civilian casualties. I will care about their civilians when they surrender.
Don| 9.12.11 @ 5:59PM
Wars are not "over" until one side has been defeated..and knows it... We have not had that yet.
have we?