President Called It Like It Is (Clear Midwestern Thinking on War)

The Fargo Forum ^ | 08/16/2006 | Unsigned Editorial

[Uncle Miltie]

The time for talking nice is over. The time for making excuses for terrorist behavior is done. The time for avoiding truth in the words and descriptions we use is history.

A few days ago President Bush called terrorists “Islamic fascists.” He was reacting to the news that several British Muslims had been arrested in connection with a plot to blow up passenger airplanes en route from London to the United States. He got it right.

Webster’s New World College Dictionary says this about fascism:

“A system of government characterized by rigid one-party dictatorship, forcible suppression of opposition, belligerent nationalism, racism and militarism…” Lace that definition with the doctrines espoused by radical Islamists, and the world gets a network of terrorist cells bound together by a common purpose: Islamic fascism.

In some circles, speaking the truth with such clarity is upsetting. Too bad. The civilized world, especially the liberal democracies of the west, faces a threat that cannot be blunted by diplomacy, compromise or some fanciful desire to understand the enemy. The enemy is driven by implacable hatred for all things modern, all things Christian, all things Jewish. The enemy is motivated by a perversion of a great religion, Islam. The terrorists view all but themselves (including so-called moderate Muslims) as infidels. In their interpretations of Islam, the infidel must be killed.

That’s what they’ve set out to do. The horror of 9/11 was telegraphed a decade before when terrorists tried and failed to bring down (with a bomb in the parking garage) one of the World Trade Center towers. In 2001 they were successful, using passenger airplanes to murder thousands. Since then, Islamic fascists have demonstrated their ability to strike: London, Madrid, the Philippines. Today India is on alert because of evidence terrorists plan to strike cities in that nation.

The foiling of the plot to blow up airplanes leaving London’s Heathrow Airport is good news, only in that the plot was exposed and stopped. However, the fact there was a plot confirms that the war on terrorism has not abated. If anything, it’s spread to more fronts and to home-grown Islamic fascists. The members of the British cell were British nationals, who apparently felt alienated from British society. Their response was to plan mass murder.

The western response should be proportional. That is, kill them before they kill us. Quit giving credence to the mushy-headed notions that we need to “understand” them; that we need to take actions to address their grievances; that we need to better integrate them into mainstream society.

Their stated purpose is to topple the democratic west and replace it with an Islamic fascist empire. There can be no accommodation with that aim. Attempts at compromise are rightly perceived by terrorists as weakness. The result is more murderous plots, like the one stymied last week in the U.K.

Forum editorials represent the opinion of Forum management and the newspaper’s Editorial Board.

[Uncle Miltie]

I especially like the statements, "The western response should be proportional. That is, kill them before they kill us."

[bmwcyle]

The time for talking nice is over.

It was time when the Marines were killed in Lebanon.

[P-40]

From the 9/11 Commission Report...

3. “Islamist terrorism is an immediate derivative of Islamism.This term distinguishes itself from Islamic by the fact that the latter refers to a religion and culture in existence over a millennium, whereas the first is a political/religious phenomenon linked to the great events of the 20th century. Furthermore Islamists define themselves as ‘Islamiyyoun/Islamists’ precisely to differentiate themselves from ‘Muslimun/Muslims.’ . . . Islamism is defined as ‘an Islamic militant, anti-democratic movement, bearing a holistic vision of Islam whose final aim is the restoration of the caliphate.’”Mehdi Mozaffari,“Bin Laden and Islamist Terrorism,” Militaert Tidsskrift, vol. 131 (Mar. 2002), p. 1 (online at www.mirkflem.pup.blueyonder.co.uk/pdf/islamistterrorism.pdf). The Islamist movement, born about 1940, is a product of the modern world, influenced by Marxist-Leninist concepts about revolutionary organization. “Islamists consider Islam to be as much a religion as an ‘ideology,’ a neologism which they introduced and which remains anathema to the ulamas (the clerical scholars).” Olivier Roy, The Failure of Political Islam, trans. Carol Volk (Harvard Univ. Press, 1994), p. 3. Facing political limits by the end of the 1990s, the extremist wing of the Islamist movement “rejected the democratic references invoked by the moderates; and as a result, raw terrorism in its most spectacular and destructive form became its main option for reviving armed struggle in the new millennium.” Gilles Kepel, Jihad:The Trail of Political Islam, trans.Anthony Roberts (Harvard Univ. Press, 2002), p. 14.

[SMARTY]

"In some circles, speaking the truth with such clarity is upsetting. Too bad."

Harry Truman had the same problem. But, he got himself understood and no mistake. He was great!

[prairiebreeze]

I make it a point to say the word "islam" or "muslim" whenever I'm discussing terrorism with other people.

I will NOT assist in camoflaging our enemies, I don't care who gets offended by the truth.

[uncbob]

Let's see if he continues to use the term or if he backs down because of the complaints

My gut feeling is you won't see him using the term again

[Nomorjer Kinov]

Yes, it's a smart plan. But Republicans fail to make the connection that if we pull out and retreat, the battlefield will have to shift from there ... to here.

Democrat calls for increased spending on first responders shows that they are willing to take the casualties on US soil to accomplish their call for "peace."

[R.W.Ratikal]

"A rigid system of dictatorship," etc is also a clear definition of communism/socialism.

but these political titles have no place in the terrorists' world. Islamics have no government as is known in the civilized world. Loyalty is to Islam alone. There are no "Fuhrers" or "Party Chairman" who speaks for the masses.

arabs are diffused, living in groups in area's all over the world. They make up part of the population in many countries. They are held together by hatred for the white race and a religious teaching that all non-believers must be enslaved, converted or killed.

Negotiations with Islam is to determine which of the three you will agree to, submission, conversion or death. Take your pick.

Our government should stop fooling itself.

[Sgt_Schultze]

Democrat calls for increased spending on first responders shows that they are willing to take the casualties on US soil to accomplish their call for "peace."

Sadly, I think you've hit on reality there.

[FunkyZero]

Unless he has something up his sleeve, I lost all confidence in W when he pushed Israel to stop shooting and backed the UN cease fire.
I agree with his wording in those statements, but somewhere along the way since the wars started, he has buckled to the pressures of politics. I used to be so proud that he would do whatever he thought was right, now he has officially lost that spot.
Israel should be allowed to finish the job they started. The Israeli PM should be ashamed and so should bush and all the other who supported this "peace-push" in Lebanon. It
s blatantly obvious who the players were in Lebanon (Iran, Syria, terrorist). The Us and Israel basically handed them another Political victory and the problem will now escalate. This is counter productive to the so called "war on terror".
I've never been a W basher, and I won't start now. However, he just lost my respect and support.

[Rapscallion]

A few days ago President Bush called terrorists “Islamic fascists.”

It is time to re-establish internment camps; this time for Islamics. It is time to stop Iran's nuclear program because they will nuke us and Israel if we do not stop them. It is time to bring back the draft.

America must become ruthless against the ruthlessness of the Islamic fascistic enemy or we will lose. We must win this war.

The President needs to say it.

[Vigilanteman]

Any idea how an editorial this good slipped into the Fargo Foolem, chief enables and flacks for the Dorgan-Conrad-Pomeroy trifeca?

[.cnI redruM]

Thanks for the tagline.

[Uncle Miltie]

The Forum and most North Dakotans are quite conservative except for when it comes to stealing Californians' money. Then they elect Democrats who favor massive wealth transfers from Urban Leftists to Rural Conservatives. Such hypocrisy requires subverting your core values for cash, but hey, cash is king!

(Not saying I agree, but that's what it is like up here....)

[xjcsa]

The enemy is motivated by a perversion of a great religion, Islam.

Fixed.

[P-40]

My gut feeling is you won't see him using the term again

I think the Islamists will be just 'folks' again. We are fighting a War On Folks....

[bfree]

This is outstanding. Hopefully, more will come to this conclusion.

[Humvee]

The enemy is motivated by a perversion, Islam. Is that any better?

[Uncle Miltie]

Dude! My North Dakota license plate is:

BE FREE

[bfree]

That's great!!!!!