The Dangers of Radical Islam

If we can’t understand our enemies, how can we develop a strategy to defeat them? Also if we cannot energize and mobilize the American people and our world allies to face our common challenge, what chance do we have for victory?

A common failing of our leaders in the past and even in the present has been that we have not known or understood our enemies. It was true in WWI, WWII, Korea and a glaring example was the unfortunate experience in Vietnam.

We face similar challenges today with extreme Islamic jihad. We must, therefore, know more about Islam.

Radical Islamists are people who want to impose Sharia (or Islamic law) on the entire world. Radical Islamists’ are determined to impose an extraordinarily different system on us. There is a sharp distinction between Muslims who want to live in America as a free country, and Radical Islamists who seek to destroy America. Indeed, Islam means submission and almost all Muslims, especially those in the Middle East who have not known western culture, find all other societies and religions to be decadent, sinful, and obnoxiously populated with infidels. Radical Islamists view their struggle as a religiously inspired and enthusiastically approve jihad.

In addition to the violent Radical Islamists who would use force to destroy America, there are stealth Radical Islamists who use our political system and our commitment to free speech and liberty to undermine our democracy through infiltration, intimidation, and propaganda.

Both the violent Radical Islamists and the stealth Radical Islamists represent a mortal threat to the American system of Constitutional Law and political freedom.

We should be aware that the dangers start right here in the USA:
*There were fourteen young Americans arrested last month for plotting terrorist activity.
*Five Americans from Northern Virginia were arrested in Pakistan trying to attend a terrorist training camp.
*An American born imam condemned for advocating the killing of Americans from a website in Yemen.

The evidence of violent Radical Islamist activity is in the news on a regular basis – the Detroit Christmas Day bomber, the Fort Hood massacre, and the Times Square car bomber.

In Detroit the entire national security system, including Homeland Security, failed completely even though forewarned by the bomber’s own father who had gone to the American Embassy in Nigeria and briefed US officials on his son’s radicalism. That he failed can only be attributed to pure 'luck'.
At Fort Hood, the Army (demonstrating 'Political Correctness' and a reported desire to obtain 'diversity' in our Armed Forces) failed to recognize the warning signs from a troubled Army psychiatrist who carried a card identifying himself as a “Soldier of Allah,” who attended a mosque that preached violence, and who routinely corresponded with a violent American religious leader in Yemen who preached the killing of Americans. He was allowed to continue unmolested until he yelled “Allahu Akbar” and killed 13 American soldiers and wounded many more.

Then there is the instance of the Times Square car bomber. Had not a street vendor reported to the police that he saw smoke coming out of a car he may have succeeded. He was a Pakistani who had acquired American citizenship, moved his family back to Pakistan, gone to a terrorist training camp for two weeks and came back to to New York to build a car bomb.

The desire to deny reality among many liberals is so great that Mayor Bloomberg’s first reaction was that it might be the work of someone opposed to President Obama’s healthcare reform bill. With the unwillingness to face the truth about who wants to kill us, is it any wonder our national security systems find it difficult to develop a strategy for victory?

These examples of attempts by violent Radical Islamists should cause alarm with Americans and force a national debate about what we need to do to defend America and defeat our enemies.

This is not a new problem. 
The Iranian dictatorship has considered itself at war with the United States since October 1979 when it illegally seized the American Embassy and kept 52 American hostages for 444 days. 

Iranian leaders have financed and led efforts to kill Americans. The Marine barracks in Lebanon and the Khobar Towers attack are two prime examples of Iranian funded and directed attacks that killed many Americans. 
Today, Iranian leaders openly express their desire to eradicate Israel and defeat America. We must take them seriously and implement a strategy to counter them before they develop and use nuclear weapons. And most experts consider that this will likely become a reality.

It is a fact that most al Qaeda and other terrorist activities can be traced to Radical Islamist teaching, preaching and propaganda. That they will act is a certainty. So far US policy has only been reactive. It would seem that a proactive approach would have saved many American lives and stopped most of the danger at the source. In fact, not counting casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan, we have lost 4,190 killed and 5,727 injured to Islamic terrorist since 1979 and the hostage crisis in Iran.

It is imperative that we start a national dialogue about the threats we face today and how to achieve victory.

It appears every politician hides behind the facade of 'political correctness' and religious tolerance and denies the possible dangers. We must have the courage to tell the truth and to act on that truth. It’s time to be honest with ourselves.
DE