Democrats Still Don't Get It
“Fighting terrorism should not be the alpha and omega of America's security policy. Yes, Al-Qaeda remains a threat, but it's a plain fact that ‘terrorism’ is not a menace meriting hysteria or neglect of other national priorities;” – Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor of The Nation, 2/1/05The United States have fallen victim to what I guess we could call “nuisance attacks” for over 20 years. History, at one time, was the day's headlines, and its political impact still has an effect on today's affairs. But the history that I’m about to talk about is not the kind that one would have to open a history book and read about. Recent history is enough to prove the logic, and further base the argument that terrorism “is not a menace.”
In 1979, Iranian terrorists seized the U.S. Embassy in Tehran and held U.S. citizens hostage for a considerable amount of time. In 1983, a truck full of explosives drove into another U.S. Embassy in Beirut, killing 63 people. Another raid of the same nature, only six months later, and this time, 241 US servicemen are killed. And then another, in 1984.
Soon the terrorism spreads to Europe. In April 1985 a bomb explodes in a restaurant frequented by US soldiers in Madrid. Then in August a Volkswagen loaded with explosives is driven into the main gate of the US Air Force Base at Rhein-Main, 22 are killed. Fifty-nine days later a cruise ship, the Achille Lauro is hijacked and we watched as an American in a wheelchair is singled out of the passenger list and executed. Terrorists seize plans over Scotland, detonate an explosive, and kill 259 innocent individuals.
Then in November 1995 a car bomb explodes at a US military complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia killing seven service men and women. A few months later in June of 1996, another truck bomb explodes only 35 yards from the US military compound in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. It destroys the Khobar Towers, a US Air Force barracks, killing 19 and injuring over 500. The terrorists are getting braver and smarter as they see that America does not respond decisively.
Again, terrorism strikes, but this time, in America itself. In 1993, a car explodes under the World Trade center in an apparent attempt to bring them down. They move to coordinate their attacks in a simultaneous attack on two US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. These attacks were planned with precision. They kill 224. America responds with cruise missile attacks and goes back to sleep. The USS Cole was docked in the port of Aden, Yemen for refueling on October 12th, 2000, when a small craft pulled along side the ship and exploded killing 17 US Navy Sailors. Attacking a US War Ship is an act of war, but we sent the FBI to investigate the crime and went back to sleep.
And finally, the events of September 11th turn on the lights, and the threat is finally seen. I would like for those on the Left who truly believe that terrorism in “not a menace” and just a “nuisance” to tell that to the families of the victims of 9/11. Tell them that their lost loved one’s life is not worth defending, because America can handle it. America can sit on its hands and take these attacks as crimes, and treat them as such. I’m sure they would love to hear from College Professors that their loved ones that died that tragic day were not innocent, but were “ignorant” “little Eichmanns.”
Now that we’ve proven that terrorism is real, and a real threat of grave importance, we should then arrange ourselves to a more productive mindset. What’s the best way to combat terrorism?
Example A: Treat terrorism as a crime, investigate attacks, and attempt to arrest these killers.
-- It seems we tried that for many years, and Clinton proved it to us that this method failed. So we can scratch that one.
Example B: Use special ops forces to assassinate or capture key leaders such as Osama Bin Laden and claim premature victory.
-- I think anyone can see that even though this has been preached (and continues to be preached) by some on the Left, it is a complete backwards and illogical point of view. Anyone can see that this method would not deal with the even more powerful element of hatred, but just one man’s hatred and dreams to see America fall. Scratch this one.
Example C: Isolate financial and military ties, engage in massive search operations to seize, and sever terrorism’s leadership, and communication.
-- This might just work. With no financial ties, terrorism is left with sleeping in caves or ditches. With massive search operations, terrorists would always be on the move, and with limited allies and a bounty on their heads, terrorists and their political affiliates have no where to hide.
If nothing were to be done, terrorism would still be coordinating, and implementing attacks on innocent civilians of the free world. If we were to continue the Clinton way of dealing with terrorism, we would still be searching for Iyman Faris, a terrorist who worked with al Qaeda to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge. They failed because the Patriot Act allowed the intelligence regarding that bombing to be enforced and local police arrested him. This feeble ideology that Americans can take the heat is one the Left has implemented in this country for too long. Anything tougher than what the brilliant President Clinton had done is wrong, racist, and fascist.
posted by Tetracide_ @ 3:59 PM
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