World War III: Four Years and Counting

Jewish World Review ^ | 9-7-05 | Steven Stalinsky

[SJackson]

The Arab press — not only what they are saying to the West, but what they are whispering to each other. We believe you will be sickened. But you will certainly better understand the war on terror and what we are up against

The war against the West which was brought to the U.S. on September 11, 2001 has continued throughout the world in places such as Spain and London — which has been referred to by leading Arab writers as "a chapter in World War III". The attacks have included slitting throats, beheadings, blowing up planes, trains, and buses and are purposely brutal to instill terror. One notable example includes the suicide car bombing of a crowd of children receiving candy from U.S. soldiers in Iraq, killing 24 of them on July 14, 2005.

As the fourth anniversary of 9/11 approaches it is worth reviewing what President Bush said to the American people on September 15, 2001: "This is a conflict without battlefields … a conflict with opponents who believe they are invisible… Victory against terrorism will not take place in a single battle, but in a series of decisive actions … You will be asked for your patience; for, the conflict will not be short… You will be asked for your strength, because the course to victory may be long…"

It is also important not to forget 9/11 took a long time to plan and implement as Al-Qaeda has promised more attacks are on the way. As a reminder, last month we heard from Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri twice including August 4th on Al-Jazzera: "Oh Americans, what you have seen in New York and Washington… are nothing but the casualties of the initial clashes…"

[coconutt2000]

"This is a conflict without battlefields … a conflict with opponents who believe they are invisible… Victory against terrorism will not take place in a single battle, but in a series of decisive actions … You will be asked for your patience; for, the conflict will not be short… You will be asked for your strength, because the course to victory may be long…"

I remember the President saying this from the beginning. How quickly so many Americans want to forget and return to their pre-9/11 lives.

[Rutles4Ever]

He explained what is was like being in New York on 9/11 to an Arab audience who laughed with him when he described "how beautiful" it was as the World Trade Center fell and the reaction of the "wretched" American people who quickly embraced Islam.

They don't want us to respect their religion. They want to kill us.

[loreldan]

I've heard people call the War against Terrorism World War III before - and I don't agree with that characterization. Although the War Against Terror is important and necessary it IMO is not WWIII. We haven't even declared war against anybody. We fought against the Taliban regime and the Hussein regime, but we were careful not to call it a war against Afghanistan and Iraq. In fact, except for watching the news, most American people would not even know we were in a war.
Compare this to WWII. People were involved with that war in their daily lives. It was a day to day struggle. A group of countries were fighting another group of countries in declared war. It was all consuming for everyone. Nobody was concerned with getting to the store early enough to get the newest model of flat-screened TV's before their neighbor, or being the first person in their school to get a Honda CBR, etc.

[pfony1]

No doubt, many of the citizens of ancient Rome also found it hard to believe that the influx of barbarians constituted a "war".

Too bad for them, eh?

[bboop]

Yes, and liberals who whine -- "Make it stop. Take the troops home" -- how little they get it.

[Broker]

WW I 1914-1918
WW II 1939-1945
WW III 1949-1990 apx. (Cold War)
WW IV 2001- date (Islamofacist War)

It is interesting to note former soviet cells morphed from cold war into the current conflict. Domestic forces still strive to undermine, disrupt and destroy our capialistic way of life.

[loreldan]

I did call this a "war" and a necessary one. I just said it was not a World War. The analogy of the Romans is a bad one anyway. The barbarians fighting the Romans was also not a World War.

[Pearls Before Swine]

No doubt, many of the citizens of ancient Rome also found it hard to believe that the influx of barbarians constituted a "war".

It was more like an indolent cancer... slow decay with a dramatic finish. Not unlike the West's attitude towards immigration and multiculturalism today.

[PeterPrinciple]

Compare this to WWII. People were involved with that war in their daily lives.

WWII did not happen over night. It took several years of dealing with Hitler and others before it finally turned into a war. I'm not sure where we will end up but am glad we are taking preemptive strikes.

Another point to consider is that the goal was UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER during WWII. If a negotiated peace had been done it would have only deferred the problem.

[George W. Bush]

WW I 1914-1918
WW II 1939-1945
WW III 1949-1990 apx. (Cold War)
WW IV 2001- date (Islamofacist War)

I'm not sure why people enjoy being so dramatic over these terms. Plainly, the two world wars actually drew in all branches of the armed forces of all the major countries in formally declared warfare under their national governments. Their economies and citenzy were fully mobilized for total warfare, not a guns-and-butter war.

The confinement and economic strangulation of Soviet expansionism was certainly a policy. But it was not a shooting war. There are no WW III veterans. Warfare by proxy (Korea, Vietnam) does not qualify and no historian or military expert apply the term.

As for the War On Terror, it is much more comparable to the international efforts against the bomb-throwing anarchists and assassins prior to WW I. The archduke's assassination was the result of anarchist plotting and was the last major action they instigated, the spark that began WW I.

The most likely candidate for WW III is a conflict with China, largely over oil and resources and land and their desperation to continue their communist dictatorship.

[Broker]

I have am a certified documented veteran of the cold war. Many people died in that global effort. Just tried to put war & conflict into historical context.

[George W. Bush]

Certainly I'm not suggesting that many did not serve in the military or die valiant deaths for our country during the Cold War. I would not compare world war vets to Cold War vets in that way.

I just think the two world wars are a special case with very significant defining features.

Strictly speaking, we haven't even declared a war since 1941. At present, we don't even have a recognized Al-Qaeda government and territory upon which we could declare war. What we have is an international effort by police with some military assistance to stop the terrorists, just as they did when they crushed the old anarchists.

Well, I'm sure you know the arguments by heart...

[Balding_Eagle]

Thank you, that needed to be pointed out.

[Valin]

This war is more like the Cold War, and is going to take (at least) that long.

[sheik yerbouty]

They need "a rain of ruin", not "Meals on Wheels".