Iraq is battlefield for war vs. terror

Chicago Sun Times ^ | August 24, 2003 | Mark Steyn

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Iraq is battlefield for war vs. terror August 24, 2003 BY MARK STEYN SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST Among the more comical moments of a grim week was the sight of the president of the Security Council expressing his condemnation of the terrorist attack on the UN. He was the representative of Syria. Syria is a terrorist state. Syrians have flooded across the border into Iraq to take up arms with their beleaguered Baathist brethren. It would not be surprising to discover a Syrian connection to one or both of Tuesday's terrorist strikes in Baghdad and Jerusalem. But Syria happens to hold the presidency of the Security Council, so a fellow who's usually the apologist for terrorists gets to go on TV to represent the international community's determination to stand up to terrorism. Well, that's the luck of the draw at the UN, where so far this year Libya, Iraq and Syria have found themselves heading up the Human Rights Commission, the Disarmament Committee and the Security Council. The UN's subscription to this charade may be necessary in New York, but what's tragic is that they seem to have conducted their affairs in Baghdad much the same way. Offers of increased U.S. military protection were turned down. Their old Iraqi security guards, all agents of Saddam's Secret Service there to spy on the UN, were allowed by the organization to carry on working at the compound. And sitting in the middle of an unprotected complex staffed by ex-Saddamite spies was Sergio Vieira de Mello, the individual most directly credited with midwifing East Timor into an independent democratic state. Osama bin Laden (or rather whoever makes his audiocassettes) and the Bali bombers have both cited East Timor as high up on their long list of grievances: the carving out, as they see it, of part of the territory of the world's largest Islamic nation to create a mainly Christian state. Now they've managed to kill the fellow responsible. Any way you look at it, that's quite a feather in their turbans. But it doesn't really matter who's actually to blame--Baathist Iraqis or al-Qaida Saudis. As far as the world's press is concerned, the folks who are really to blame are the Americans. It's the Americans' fault because: a) They made Iraq so insecure their own troops are getting picked off every day; b) OK, fewer are being picked off than a few weeks back, but that's only because the Americans have made their own bases so secure that only soft targets like the UN are left; c) OK, the UN's a soft target only because they turned down American protection, but the Americans should have had enough sense just to go ahead and install the concrete barriers and perimeter trenches anyway; d) OK, if they'd done that, the beloved UN would have been further compromised by unduly close association with the hated Americans, which is probably what got them killed in the first place. In other words, whatever happens, it's always evidence of American failure. That's the only ''root cause'' most of the West is interested in. Anyone who thinks Tuesday's events might strengthen the international community's resolve to resist terrorism is overlooking the fact that among the Europeans, the Canadians and New Zealanders, the British and Australian press, CNN and the New York Times and a large majority of the Democratic Party, the urge to surrender is palpable. At the moment, there's only one hyperpower (the United States), one great power (the United Kingdom) and one regional power (Australia) that are serious about the threat of Islamist terrorism. There's also Israel, of course, but Israel's disinclination to have its bus passengers blown to smithereens is seen as evidence of its ''obstinacy'' and unwillingness to get the ''peace process'' back ''on track.'' What a difference it would make if one or two other G-7 nations were to get serious about the battle and be a reliable vote in international councils. But who? France? It's all business to them, unless al-Qaida are careless enough to blow up the Eiffel Tower. Canada? Canadians get blown up in Bali, murdered in Iran, tortured in Saudi Arabia, die in the rubble of the UN building in Baghdad--and their government shrugs. Belgium? They'd rather issue a warrant for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld than Chemical Ali. And so on Tuesday, up against an enemy unable to do anything more than self-detonate outside an unprotected facility and take a few Brazilian civil servants and Canadian aid workers with him, the global community sent out a Syrian ambassador to read out some boilerplate and then retreated into passivity and introspection and finger-pointing at Washington. This is the weirdly uneven playing field on which the great game is now fought. Islamic terrorism is militarily weak but ideologically confident. The West is militarily strong but ideologically insecure. We don't really believe we can win, not in the long run. The suicide bomber is a symbol of weakness, of a culture so comprehensively failed that what ought to be its greatest resource--its people--is instead as disposable as a firecracker. But in our self-doubt the enemy's weakness becomes his strength. We simply can't comprehend a man like Raed Abdel Mask, pictured in the press last week with a big smile, a check shirt and two cute little moppets, a boy and a girl, in his arms. His wife is five months pregnant with their third child. On Tuesday night, big smiling Raed strapped an 11-pound bomb packed with nails and shrapnel to his chest and boarded the No. 2 bus in Jerusalem. The terrorists watch CNN and the BBC and, understandably, they figure that in Iraq America, Britain, the UN and all the rest will do what most people do when they run up against someone deranged: back out of the room slowly. They're wrong. There's no choice. You kill it here, or the next generation of suicide bombers will be on buses in Rotterdam, Manchester, Lyons, and blowing up the UN building in Manhattan. This is the battlefield.

[witnesstothefall]

Steyn is guilty of a borrowed premise, but so what.

The truth is, the battlefields are numerous. We're all over the Horn, and still on the Peninsula too. And of course the hunt continues in Afghanistan, Yemen, and many other exotic, fun to visit locales. /s

[witnesstothefall]

The entire effort is predicated on one element. Getting Iraqi oil to market to fund the efforts.

If that were the only strategic consideration, we'd be in great shape. Domestic politics are not to be forgotten, and there's always the possibility of regional war breaking out somewhere very nearby. Then there's Turkey, the Saud's and Iran, not a neighborhood in which to run amok, capiche?

[Pokey78]

Thanks!

[JusPasenThru]

BTTT.

[Gritty]

Their old Iraqi security guards, all agents of Saddam's Secret Service there to spy on the UN, were allowed by the organization to carry on working at the compound.

In UN world where everyone is "equal", this decision makes a lot of sense. Deadly nonsense!

[Miss Marple]

Thanks for the article! Steyn has really done a good job of skewering the press. He also has framed the problem quite correctly. Oh, for a thousand Mark Steyns!

[headsonpikes]

"There's no choice. You kill it here..."

[Rummyfan]

I found Biden particularly disgusting.... another Dem calling for more involvement of the UN as if that will solve all problems in Iraq. The UN is the source of many of the problems in the Middle East. Nowhere did I hear anyone say that we have to fight the battle over there, which is exactly what our troops are doing, god bless them! What a bunch of idiots in the mainstream media.

[Core_Conservative]

Ping to wife

[Rummyfan]

In other words, whatever happens, it's always evidence of American failure. That's the only ''root cause'' most of the West is interested in. Anyone who thinks Tuesday's events might strengthen the international community's resolve to resist terrorism is overlooking the fact that among the Europeans, the Canadians and New Zealanders, the British and Australian press, CNN and the New York Times and a large majority of the Democratic Party, the urge to surrender is palpable.

Fortunately, our president is more determined and smarter than all those bozos!

[Mind-numbed Robot]

If this weeks Newsweek poll is any indication, the media is winning the propaganda war. I just cannot believe the overnight turnaround. It's sick. Most Americans must be stupid and weak after all.

This is a time-worn liberal tactic. They flood the airwaves and frontpages with a particular point of view. Then they conduct a slanted poll to "prove" their point is the popular one. They follow that up with more coverage touting the same line as before. Viola! Instant "public opinion" which supports the position the want. Only problem is that is not the true opinion of the public but they do stampede the stupid with this tactic.

[PLK]

Muslims living in the Middle East are totally ignorant of what's really happening in the world. Their education has consisted of listening to Islamic nut-cases rant anti-Western fundamentalist garbage, and that's it.

Until we can facilitate their enlightenment, the terror will not ever end. It feeds on itself, helped along by the complicity of the left who use the issue as a political strategy, never caring how many lives are lost and people suffering in misery because of it.

[Cindy]

fyi links re Irag and Radical Islam...

On The Net...www.obm.clara.net/i/preview.jpg: ISLAMIC CONFERENCE - SEPT 11TH 2003 - www.almuhjiroun.com: "THE MAGNIFICENT 19"

YAHOO! Groups - almuhajiroun: Press Release: "THE UNITED NATIONS - A LEGITIMATE TARGET?" (PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: "One of the many benefits of 9/11 was that it clearly delineated the two camps of Islam and Kufr (non-Islam), the camp of Haq (truth) and that of Batil (falsehood), the camp of sovereignty and supremacy for God as opposed to sovereignty and supremacy for man made law. Verily Muslims have no choice but to reject all alliances apart from those with Muslims. This means rejecting the UN and any organisation or body propagating man made law. As Allah (SWT) says in the Qur'an: 'O believers do not take the Jews and Christians as friends and protectors. They are just supporters of and love each other alone. And whoever does turn to them is one of them. Verily Allah does not guide the oppressors' [EMQ 5:51] And 'The believers are a single brotherhood' [EMQ 49:10] Let it be known therefore that all regimes, governments and bodies (implementing man made law) in the world today are rejected by Muslims and that the only legitimate authority, recognised in Islam on the state level, is that of the Islamic State i.e. Al-Khilafah, which must be established by Muslims and which will carry the message of Islam to the world - striving for Izhar ud-Deen i.e. the total domination of the world by Islam, through its divine foreign policy of Jihad. Al Muhajiroun The Voice the Eyes the Ears of the Muslims U K") (August 24, 2003)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE - Travel Warning: "IRAQ" (TRAVEL WARNING SNIPPET: "On August 19, 2003, an explosion occurred at the UN headquarters located at the Canal Hotel in Baghdad. An explosion also occurred at the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad on August 7, 2003. The Department of State continues to strongly warn U.S. citizens against travel to Iraq. Although the restrictions on the use of U.S. passport travel to, in or through Iraq has been lifted, travel to Iraq remains dangerous. Remnants of the former Baath regime, transnational terrorists, and criminal elements remain active. Coalition led military operations continue, and there are daily attacks against Coalition forces throughout the country. Attacks have occurred in Baghdad, Faluja, Ramadi, Tikrit, Bayji, Baqubah, Mosul, Kirkuk and other areas, but the security environment in all of Iraq remains volatile and unpredictable. Attacks on coalition forces as well as civilian targets usually occur during the late evening and early morning hours. Travel at night is extremely dangerous. There have been attacks on civilian as well as military convoys. Travelers are strongly urged to travel in convoys of at least four vehicles in daylight hours only. There has been an increase in the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) and/or mines on roads, particularly in plastic bags, soda cans, and dead animals. Grenades and explosives have been thrown into vehicles from overpasses, particularly in crowded areas.") (August 22, 2003) (Read More...)

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001: "ATTACK ON AMERICA!" (Updated)

[185JHP]

Their evil is functionally autonomous. A quote about fighting from a serious guy: "You must want to be in the fight, be prepared to disregard your personal comfort, and be fighting for something you are willing to die for - otherwise don't even bother to show up." (Bennie Cooley)

[metesky]

If Steyn were a baseball player, he'd be the first guy to bat over .900!

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

If these were different times, I'd pity the mewling crybabies and self-righteous critics who can't tell the difference between Pres. Bush and Saddam Hussein, Baghdad Bob and SOD Rumsfeld, who choose to believe the lost press corps over those risking their lives on the ground.

As it is, I don't care what the critics say anymore. They did nothing to help, everything to undermine our efforts. Still our troops are winning. The liars earned nothing but scorn from those actually risking their lives for OUR freedom.

You clearly have no idea how many bad guys our troops have already taken out. You seem to think you know more than the troops, or the Generals or the Iraqi people - as do the politicians.

The "experts" who spend hours on the ground, maybe even days, are now giving advice to this awesome military. PLEASE!! Gee, toppling Saddam and rebuilding Iraq after 5 SHORT months isn't fast enough for the ungrateful jerks who couldn't do what this military did in the past 5 months if their lives depended on it.

Politicians who dare criticize after doing very little to help the Generals and SOD who came regularly to their committees on Capital Hill after winning a great victory only to be treated like dirt by the likes of sell-outs like Joe Biden and Chuck Hagel on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, or traitors like Sen. Graham on the Intel Committee who undermined our CIC overseas by actually telling international audiences that our President was not legitimately elected. Add SEN. Benedict RODHAM Clinton to the mix on the Armed Services Committee with access to classified intel, yet traveling to Europe on her 'book' tour over the Independence Day holiday, pledging her and her party's loyalty to global EU socialism, condemning our CIC to Old Europe as our troops are fighting on the ground for AMERICA. Her hubby hobnobs with current world leaders, as well, and coincidentally - those international socialist organizations that Clinton tied our foreign policy to for 8 years - pulled their support from the fledgling Iraqi Council - refusing to recognize their legitimacy, when there was every reason to support them and the available funds, business deals would have meant everything to the Iraqi people. The World Bank, the Arab League, the IMF, all chose not to support our efforts even though they all had no problem doing business with a mass-murderering monster for years.

Oh, there are plenty of Rats in this war, but most of them are not in Iraq. Our troops and the Iraqi people can handle the enemy there. They can not do anything about the traitors in the press and the pols who continue to put partisan politics and their own selfish ambitions ahead of the troops, the longsuffering Iraqi people and our national security.

[MeekOneGOP]

[maica]

I found Biden particularly disgusting.... another Dem calling for more involvement of the UN as if that will solve all problems in Iraq. The UN is the source of many of the problems in the Middle East. Nowhere did I hear anyone say that we have to fight the battle over there, which is exactly what our troops are doing, god bless them! What a bunch of idiots in the mainstream media.

I totally agree with your observation of Biden - a total opportunist! Always whining about something.

I don't say mainstream media any more. That sounds respectable. I call those who always blame America first or suppress any good news about our country's successes the fifth-column media. They are so destructive to the future of our country and, it would follow, our world.

[caltrop]

Unfortunately, while I obviously agree with some of your characterizations, I can't agree with you on the Iraq situation. By occupying Iraq, we've agrravated all the conditions we should have been attempting to mitigate. We've further intervened in the Middle East even beyond our taking sides in the Israeli - Palestinian War, put additional troops on the ground in the region whose presence provides additional fuel for increased terrorism against them and the US homeland and interests, compromised our justified and very worthwhile effort in Afghanistan and encouraged those who seek a Moslem - US War. Weve done it all at huge expense (US forces' lives, tying up our forces and draining our treasury) and, if it turns out badly (likely in my view) we'll have further encouraged our adversaries. The only silver lining in such an outcome would be that the country will probably finally conclude we've no business (or interest) in which thugs are running the Middle East and withdraw our ground forces from the region. I suspect this would also have the effect of preventing us from running around the world further demonstrating that "nation building" isn't something we can successfully accomplish or should be attempting. Interestingly, this outcome would turn the neocons' triumph in suckering us into Iraq into what would be, from their standpoint, a disaster.

[windchime]

"The terrorists watch CNN and the BBC and, understandably, they figure that in Iraq America, Britain, the UN and all the rest will do what most people do when they run up against someone deranged: back out of the room slowly."

And those proposing we do just that do not realize (or care?) the deranged ones will just follow you home!

Steyn again makes his points beautifully, even without employing his usual dose of humor.