Posted on 10/15/2004 8:39:38 AM PDT by Lando Lincoln
How many times during these last weeks have Americans heard the words, ''If President Bush had just not lost sight of Bin Laden and not let him escape from Tora Bora, this war on terror would be over.'' What a foolish and ignorant statement.
When Adolf Hitler put a bullet in his head, the war in Europe was officially over. That war had been lost by Germany the day the coalition of the willing got a foothold on the beaches of Normandy, but Hitler just didn’t realize it. Ask yourself this question: Did the Nazi ideology die with Hitler? Of course, it didn’t. It is alive and well all over the world including right here in America. Could the Nazi ideal attain its lofty goals today? Hopefully it would not--but only because the world recognized the Nazi plan for the evil that it was, and stopped it over 50 years ago.
The world now faces a similar enemy, with the same basic ideals as the Nazi ideal. A ''Master Race'' that is not blonde and blue-eyed, but made up of strict Islamists who believe that the Prophet Mohammed instructed them to rule the world and that all the ''infidels'' should either be eliminated or subjugated under them. That is their belief and these radical, fundamentalist followers of Islam believe that any action they take to attain this goal is justified--and they are very patient. And this is the belief of Osama bin Laden.
But Osama bin Laden is a figurehead who has been made far more important than he is, in the world’s war against terrorism. It is unknown at this time if Osama is alive or dead and it doesn’t seem to matter to the terrorists. Terrorists don’t need bin Laden to carry on their war. Alive Osama is a mystery and dead he is a martyr, but either way the war will go on. Terrorists do not need some group called ''al Qaeda'' to carry on the killing. All terrorists need is the firm belief in their cause, and they seem to have that in abundance. A mullah in England just issued an edict to his female followers to produce many children who will be trained to kill the infidel. This shows very clearly that this war is not going to be won in a year or a decade or by finding Osama bin Laden, who may or may not even be alive.
Look closely at what has happened to the terrorists and their cause since the day bin Laden carried out his attack on the United States. The wrath of hell has been brought down on their radical heads since their brief celebration over the attack on the ''Great Satan.'' The Taliban has lost control of Afghanistan which had been a safe haven for terrorists from all over the world. Many terrorists have died since that foolish frontal attack on their most formidable enemy, America. Saddam, another financial supporter and the dictator of Iraq--a country that was also a safe haven for terrorists--is now in prison awaiting justice at the hands of his people. While these fundamentalists all over the world longed to strike the United States on our own soil, none were foolish enough to do it--until bin Laden.
In truth, it was the over-inflated ego of Osama and the non-existent punishment for bin Laden’s many attacks on American interests for years that led to the attack on September 11, 2001. Bin Laden was woefully ignorant about how the American mind works. He based his decision on his past experience of attacks without retaliation and felt that America was weak. Under a Democrat president--Bill Clinton--we were weak. It was reported that bin Laden was genuinely shocked when the bombs started to fall on his adopted haven, Afghanistan. Bin Laden’s followers, though they have tried since loosing power, were unable to stop the first democratic election in Afghanistan’s history. A woman cast the first ballot. Three years ago, this same woman was not allowed to leave her home without a male member of her family. To do so could have put her in a soccer stadium to be publicly executed or beaten. This young woman had no rights, no future, and no life. Afghanistan has a long way to go to be a peaceful country, but oh my, look what it has done in three short years!
Bin Laden’s followers have indeed flooded into Iraq. They are also dying in large numbers in Iraq. Splinter terrorist groups have taken on their own names such as ''The Iraqi Freedom Front.'' Al Qaeda is perhaps now seen as a failure instead of some great power. After all, al Qaeda lost Afghanistan. These same fighters battled the Russians for over ten years and were victorious, yet they fell quickly before the American and coalition forces and then did the unthinkable--they ran. Only a few pockets of fighters remain and they are being hunted down, not just by coalition forces but by Afghani forces who want them out of their country. The same thing is now taking place in Iraq.
Prime Minister Allawi of Iraq has issued a warning to the people of Fallujah: Turn over the terrorists or face the consequences. He can now make this threat and back it up, not by relying on American troops but a combination of Iraqi and American troops. The Iraqi people are tired of having their own people slaughtered by radical terrorists in the name of Allah. The people are angry about their children being murdered by terrorists whose only desire is possession of their country. These animals are not just killing coalition forces; they are killing the Iraqi people. It is much easier to blow up a school bus full of children than to attack a heavily armed Marine patrol.
It will be a long haul for the Iraqi people, but they, too, will be rewarded with real democratic elections in January. Bin Laden will be just as powerless to stop the Iraqi election as he was in stopping the election in Afghanistan.
Does it really matter if Bin Laden is dead or alive, free, or in prison? It may to us but it doesn’t really matter to the terrorists of the world. I suspect if he were killed they would simply bury him and go on. The mystique of a man like Osama is far more important than the man himself. Perhaps the terrorists have themselves killed Osama because he has failed. Bin Laden has failed in Afghanistan. He has failed in Iraq, and Osama has failed in his promise to attack America a second time on a grander scale. All Bin Laden has done for the fundamentalists ultimate goal of world domination is shine the light directly on it. Were the terrorists ready for that revelation? Have they benefited from a single attack on America? I don’t think so.
About the Writer: Barbara is a registered nurse who enjoys writing about politics and current events. She has a website at http://www.republicanandproud.com/. Barbara receives e-mail at dickens502003@yahoo.com.
> Does it really matter if Bin Laden is dead or
> alive, free, or in prison?
For another few weeks, his present status of "undead"
is the most useful. Anything else will be spun by the
Party of Defeatism as either WOT-failed, WOT-over or
Bush-lied.
Exactly my thoughts when I keep hearing Kerry talk about Bin Laden.
Alive Osama is a mystery and dead he is a martyr...
...which, of course, cuts both ways. The absence of recent photographs indicates that at the very least he is in a non-presentable state (dead will do that to you too) and hence increasingly useless as a figurehead as time goes on. But his value as a martyr decreases over time as well. Had he died a glorious and public death charging the Americans on a camel it'd be one thing; gasping his last in a dingy hospital room in Iran or Pakistan is quite another.
I have a hard time finding any sympathy for a guy who wanted a war, started a war, and now finds himself on the losing end. If he did live I hope he's being informed about the free elections in the EX-theocracy in Afghanistan. And the booming market in automobiles, electronics, and porn in free Iraq. And perhaps he may even still be breathing to enjoy the fall of the mullahs in Iran. That'd be a nice sendoff...
Needs to be read bump.
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