Stand Tall, Europe

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY ^ | Thursday, March 18, 2004 | Editor

[Isara]

INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY

Terrorism: Europe's leaders will hold an emergency meeting this Friday to decide what to do about terrorism. What's at stake? Only their civilization.

The threat to European civilization from terrorism is very real. And it must be met head-on. A centuries-old culture and way of life are at grave risk.

We aren't overstating the case here. Spain has barely had time to bury its dead from its worst terror attack ever, but already other European nations have pushed the panic button.

Italy on Wednesday warned it was a likely terrorist target. In France, a group calling itself "Servants of Allah the Powerful and Wise" threatened attacks in retaliation for France's ban on Muslim head scarves. And London's police chief says a major terror attack in that world financial capital is "inevitable."

Given such alarming facts, doing nothing at Friday's anti-terror talks would be a dereliction of leadership. Yet, sadly, there are those in the upper reaches of the EU hierarchy who see appeasement, not confrontation, as the way to purchase peace.

Romano Prodi, the EU's top bureaucrat, is one of them. "It is clear," he said Monday, "that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists. Terrorism is infinitely more powerful than a year ago."

Sorry, signor, but you're wrong. Terrorism won't just go away if we simply join hands and sing "give peace a chance." Nor has it grown stronger. If anything, it's in its death throes — after being confronted by freedom-loving peoples around the world.

Make no mistake: Appeasing terrorists won't buy a moment of peace. It'll earn only their contempt — and further wrath. It'll lead to more bombings, more death, more fear and more uncertainty — not less. This is one of history's clearest lessons.

When evil — yes, we use that out-of-fashion term — isn't confronted, it festers and grows. And terrorism is a very tangible evil.

Say one thing for the terrorists: Unlike the Prodis of an often-confused West, they know what they're fighting for. And it's nonnegotiable.

As former Hezbollah leader Hussain Massawi said, "We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you."

They're counting on our weakness. A document that showed up on an al-Qaida Web site last December was eerily prescient. "We think the Spanish government will not stand more than two blows, or three at the most, before it will be forced to withdraw because of the public pressure on it," it read. It went on to predict a win by the Socialist Party, and the withdrawal of Spanish forces from Iraq.

The leaders of the European Union better buck up. Their citizens won't be safe until they confront the implacable reality that faces them. They can't huddle together in fear, like children. Or walk away from alliances that have stood for decades.

No, safety comes with resolve — resolve to use military force, to share hard intelligence and do better police work, to confront nations that give comfort to the enemy, and to track down and remove the growing number of assassins who make Europe their home.

And where will EU's leaders find such resolve? Maybe from the simple idea that their civilization, for all its ills, is a wonderful thing — and worth preserving.

[Isara]

As former Hezbollah leader Hussain Massawi said, "We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you."

Do you get that, Europe?

[ken5050]

Given current birth rates, in about 25 years, The Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris will make a beautiful mosque, dontcha think?

[cripplecreek]

Fox just reported that rail traffic between London and Paris was shut down due to a suspicious package.

[Consort]

Eurabia Jack

[kahoutek]

They never have and they never will. See the posts concerning Italy and Poland.

[ladtx]

Do you get that, Europe?

The answer is obvious, seeing what Spain has done, and listening to the statements of the Polish President and an Italian minister today. Hard to believe so many have become so spineless considering their glorious pasts.

[skeeter]

Maybe from the simple idea that their civilization, for all its ills, is a wonderful thing ? and worth preserving.

Its a shame that the Left has been so successful at getting western society so addled by self doubt that we now need to be reasoned with like children.

[TXBSAFH]

They have to get up off their knees first.

[Lady Eileen]

bttt

[Tribune7]

I missed that. I thought Poland was standing strong.

[kahoutek]

Posted on 03/18/2004 6:56:14 AM PST by areafiftyone WARSAW (AFP) - Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski said that his country had been "taken for a ride" about the alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq (news - web sites). "That they deceived us about the weapons of mass destruction, that's true. We were taken for a ride," Kawsniewski said Thursday. He argued however that it made no sense to pull US-led coalition troops out of Iraq. Poland heads up a 9,000-strong multinational force patrolling a swathe of Iraq south of Baghdad.

I detect a weakening of knees.......

[texasbluebell]

The Hagia Notre Dame?

That will be a sad day indeed.

[FRgal4u]

Who can blame them..a weekend poll over Poland is showing the poles are really worry about a terror attack there..the Iraq war is not popular there even tho the President of Poland is supportive.

This Iraqi war could well doom Bush's chances in 04, but we don;t know that for sure. The war delayed the economic recovery, created a real fracture in the International community, and no one could argue the lack of WMD in Iraq has hurt our credibility all around the globe. I want our own govn. to examine serious on how and why we were so wrong on the WMD issue. I am convinced the intel we got was shoddy at best, bias is more likely. We have people in the admin. so intended to get rid of Saddam and the exiles just fed these guys whatever they want to hear. These are the real thugs that misled everybody, including the President. there are questions to be answered, kept on saying we will still find WMD in Iraq will not help us to argue Iraq needed us now and we can't let it go on and becoming another Afghan. What a mess and we are all paying for this - in monetary and real lives.

[Gunslingr3]

As former Hezbollah leader Hussain Massawi said, "We are not fighting so that you will offer us something. We are fighting to eliminate you."

Can you provide the context for that quote?

[Levante]

"Romano Prodi, the EU's top bureaucrat, is one of them. "It is clear," he said Monday, "that using force is not the answer to resolving the conflict with terrorists."

The jawbone of an a$$ strikes again. This clown sounds like an Al-Gayda mouthpiece.

The only neutralized terrorist is a dead one!

[TXBSAFH]

You can not negotiate with a rabid dog, you have to kill it.

[McGavin999]

It's a real sad statement when an American can write the kind of post you just wrote. WMDs have such a small part of the war in Iraq and I can expect ignorance from a european but there is no excuse for an American.

Iraq is dead center of the terror matrix and everyone knows it. By taking Iraq we have not only freed a people who were living in unimaginable horror, we struck a blow against terror that has been devestating. It is precisely because of the weakness of europe that this isn't over yet. They were so busy donning their dhimmini clothes that the terrorists took heart.

Have you been paying attention? Have you been seeing what is taking place in Syria and Iran? Do you even notice that millions of people are beginning to make a stand for freedom? Does that matter to you?

[Isara]

Can you provide the context for that quote?

Sorry! I can't. It came from the article above. I searched on Google. Mark Steyn also used this quote.

[FRgal4u]

If the pretense of the war is about the freedom of the Iraqi people, I am all for it. But like it or not, WMD was the central argument for the war.

What is really sad is I personally know families who have lost their sons in Iraq. I hate to say this, but these families are botter, they thought they were being misled. I don't have to go to Europe to sense what the anger is all about, it is right here in my town, in my churches and in my schools. People kept on saying WMD will be found, we have the same intel Klinton, UN got or even arguing the freedom of Iraqi is worth the cost are totally missing the point. The families, the countries who felt they were misled have real bitterness underneath. As long as the President won't utter the words - "I did what I did based on the info. I got for the best intentions, but obvious my info. is flawed"...the bitterness for those who lost a son or daughter won't subside. We are a very forgiving society here, what we won't forgive is steadfast foolishness. To quote one of the families who lost a son in Iraq - "the war was a good thing for the Iraqis but a bad thing for our family" - they want explainations, not excuses or bullcrap about freedom of some people in some far away places. I sure won't send my son or daughter to free everyone on this planet - there are dictators in Africa, in South America, in Asia, heck even in Europe - where would we stop!

If we went to Iraq because of the freedom, center of WOT, remaking the middle-east blah blah are the reasons, we sure won't be in the same crap we are in now. For those insisting this war is justified because it is decided by a Republican president then they better think harder. Any president lead this country to war on false pretenses, R or D, is not acceptable in my book. I don't believe Bish misled me on the war, but I am convinced there are corrupted people around him that is responsible for misleading the president.

jmho.

[blueminnesota]

Hear, hear.