Posted on 06/04/2005 1:34:39 AM PDT by Manic_Episode
The War on Terror: Who is Winning?
Commentary on the News Thursday, June 02, 2005 Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
More time has passed since September 11, 2001 until today than the period of time between the sneak attacks at Pearl Harbor and the destruction of the Japanese Empire.
On December 7, 1941, the US Pacific Fleet was all but completely destroyed while moored at its base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When his wife congratulated Admiral Chester Nimitz at being appointed Admiral of the Fleet, Nimitz reportedly reminded her, "Dear, the fleet is at the bottom of the sea." And it was.
On hearing news of the successes at Pearl Harbor, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto reportedly exclaimed, "I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a terrible resolve."
Six months after Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Ocean was virtually a Japanese lake, bordered by Hawaii to the west and Australia to the South. The United States, totally unprepared for war in 1941, handed Imperial Japan its first defeat at the Battle of Midway six months later.
Within a year, the successful Solomon Island campaigns all but broke Japan's logistical back, and victory, although still nearly two years away, was all but assured.
World War II transformed America from an isolationist, second-rate world power into the most powerful nation the world had ever seen -- in less time than has elapsed since 19 al-Qaeda terrorists attacked the United States on September 11, 2001.
On September 20, 2001, President Bush addressed a joint session of Congress to issue a declaration of war against terrorism world-wide.
It was a stirring speech; one that was subsequently compared to President Roosevelt's speech declaring war against Imperial Japan.
On December 8, 1941 President Roosevelt vowed;
"Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again. "
Almost sixty years later, President Bush told a still-stunned and grieving nation;
"Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned to anger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to our enemies, justice will be done. . . They want to drive Israel out of the Middle East. They want to drive Christians and Jews out of vast regions of Asia and Africa. . . Every nation, in every region, now has a decision to make. Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists. From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."
Almost four years after 9/11, our enemy is still undefeated. Indeed, it would appear that he is replenishing his numbers as fast as our forces can kill or capture them.
And, unlike 1941-1945, America's power, influence and prestige has been steadily shrinking, not growing.
That isn't to deny the successes of the US military forces. They have liberated two repressed nations, deposed a murderous dictator, introduced free elections and generally improved the quality of life for the vast majority of Afghanis and Iraqis, often paying for it with their own lifesblood.
Indirect consequences include Libya's sudden change of heart about possessing WMD's, Syria's withdrawal from Lebanon after forty-years, the restoration of Lebanese sovereignty, and the dramatic strides taken towards democracy in Central Asia.
But with all of that, four years after the outbreak of war, the mad mullahs remain in power in Tehran. Syria's Ba'athist government continues to stream aid and supplies to the Iraqi insurgency and al-Qaeda terrorists can count on support from both Damascus and Tehran.
Hezbollah remains armed and dangerous and in control of Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. al-Qaeda still controls a significant portion of Pakistan's vast, unregulated tribal regions. Osama bin Laden, Adnan al Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi remain at large.
And, after almost sixty years of warfare, conquest, negotiation and seemingly-endless uprising, Palestinian terrorism continues to dictate the terms of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Last week, President Bush met with PA leader and Arafat confidante Mahmoud Abbas. During the visit, Bush handed Abbas an unearned victory, switching sides and endorsing one of Yasser Arafat's key demands.
Bush called for Israelis and Palestinians to coordinate all "changes to the 1949 armistice lines" rather than to the pre-1967 lines, which is the usual term employed.
While changes in the armistice lines carried out by Israel and Jordan between 1949 and 1967 were relatively minor (until the Six Day's War in June, 1967) a return to the 1949 Armistice lines would return the Golan Heights to Syria.
It is significant to note that a return to the 1949 Armistice lines would put the Temple Mount and Western Wall back behind Arab lines, and would redivide Jerusalem into Arab East Jerusalem and Israeli West Jerusalem and return the Old City to Arab hands.
Bush's declaration, if accepted at face value, means Syria wins, the Palestinians win, and Israel loses everything it fought and bled for since 1949. It gives one pause to wonder. What is happening?
How can it be that we are claiming victory by handing victory to our enemies?
The Palestinian Authority is a terrorist entity. It was conceived by terrorists, is led by terrorists, and is involved in power-sharing arrangements with terrorist organizations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad.
Four years ago, President Bush vowed, "From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime."
Last week, President Bush vowed to aid in the establishment of a terrorist state, not ON Israel's borders, but WITHIN Israel's borders.
At his joint news conference, Bush said nothing about Abbas disarming and dismantling the terrorist organizations within the PA. Instead, he demanded a halt on Israeli settlements and called for the destruction of existing ones.
Last year, in a well-publicized letter to Sharon, Bush said it would be 'unrealistic' to expect final-status negotiations would bring about a full Israeli return to the armistice lines of 1949.
This year, Bush says any deviation from the 1949 lines would have to be 'mutually agreed to' -- as if Abbas will agree to surrender the Temple Mount and East Jerusalem.
It would seem that the administration is beginning to cave under the unrelenting pressure of the Left. Bush's popularity ratings continue to sag under the onslaught, and he is virtually hamstrung by the opposition.
The left-leaning media continues to project the Bush foreign policy as a 'quagmire' and a failure, while leftist organizations like the ACLU and Amnesty International are pulling out all the stops in their effort to portray the United States as evil personified.
Amnesty International recently described the US detention facility as a 'gulag' while the ACLU is suing to have more Abu Ghraib prison abuse photos released.
In short, it looks like the American civil war at home is handing victory to the terrorists. The American Left is becoming an unwitting Islamic fifth-column as it continues in its efforts to bring down the current administration -- at any cost.
Consider the motives behind the ACLU effort to release more Abu Ghraib pictures to the public. Can there be ANY motive apart from inflaming anti-American sentiment?
The US isn't denying the abuse took place, has described it in detail and is vigorously prosecuting the abusers.
What purpose is served by releasing the pictures? It will enrage the Arab 'street' -- providing the Left with fresh illustrations of what a disaster the Bush foreign policy is.
The abu Ghraib pictures will be followed by pictures of angry Arab demonstrators, burning flags, wreaking destruction and mayhem -- so the Left can claim it was right all along.
Four years into the war on terror, there is still no clear answer to the question, "who is winning?"
Heck, we aren't even sure of the sides.
bump
I disagree, I don't believe they are "unwitting".
God has already won the war on terror.
http://www.zombietime.com/sf_rally_november_3_2004/142-4277_IMG.JPG
Ditto.
"The War on Terror: Who is Winning?"
Answer: We are.
The War on terror will and must end where it began, in Persia with the destruction of the genie our most wise peanut farmer let out of the bottle. Iran is the root which feeds all the surrounding branches. Cut off the root, the vines wither w/out their sustenance.
when the metal detectors come down at the Smithsonian entrance....
then I'll believe we're winning.
This article blames the left wing media, the ACLU , and amnesty International, it forgets the entire Democrat party and RINO Republicans who are at fault.
When this country fights a war it should fight the enemy not each other. The Dems have forgotten that in their attempt to seize power from the majority.
Well it isn't a civil war - but it is a political struggle to retain or abolish the way (although not the outward form) of government defined in the Constitution. But if it isn't a civil war, it still has casualties - in the sense that the casualties we incur in Iraq are undoubtedly higher because of the aid and comfort given to our opponents abroad by our opponents at home.The best we can hope for is that our opponents at home will overplay their hand, and their system of subversion will become so transparent that the Republican Party will gain ground in the Senate again in '06. Just think if PA becomes a true swing state. I've got a mental block on the name of the Steeler WR who's running for Governor, but were he to win election and Santorum to win in '06 - both possible - that might be the 2x4 that would get the Democratic donkey's attention.
Even one more senate seat would help, the RINOs notwithstanding. If SC changes its senator in the process, even a tie could be salutory.
Um, the first landing on Guadalcanal was made within a year of the war's start - November of 1942 to be specific. But the campaign dragged on into 1944, gaining only a few hundred miles, with thousands to go. It certainly attrited Japanese forces, particularly their air force. But it is hardly a model. The war accelerated dramatically with the shift northward to the central Pacific offensive in 1944, which covered vastly wider portions of the Pacific in a much shorter time.
http://www.liberallunacy.net
As for the pretence of military defeat, it is pretence. Yes the US stopped without toppling the Syrian regime, but it is being expelled from Lebanon by popular pressure. The real worry remaining on the threat board is Iran and its nukes, which is currently in Euro-diplomatic fantasy land. The author doesn't mention them for some reason.
Has the left's noise reduced what we have even attempted, given comfort to enemies, keeping the war going? Sure. Bush did not have a lot of room to be more aggressive about it - he won by 3% of the popular vote. He has gauged it very finely, taking the level of effort the home front could barely stand, and cashing all of it in facts on the ground in the middle east.
The war was always between those opposed to US power in the world and those in favor of it. Bin Laden didn't attack the US blindly, he expected applause for it and he got it. From other leading powers, who are supporting their proxies against the US, including reckless support for terrorist states with active nuclear programs. Half of Europe would rather have terrorists win that see America continue to be successful - but those politicians now face their own tests, Bush having passed his. The US left is determined to get us to lose the war - but as long as that determination continues, the American people are most unlikely to trust them with political power.
Just be cool. She'll hold.
I believe your analysis is correct.
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