The proactive position of our country and her allies is an imperative commitment that could prove to ensure future safety and harmony across the world for generations to come. We, being stated as a collective
ally in the Global War Against Terror, will not for generations to come be able to reap the benefits, nor bask in the feeling of success. The future goals of our actions will not be attained in any current lifetime, but we cannot afford give up when it becomes tough. World security comes a close second to our own homeland‘s, but coincidentally both require the same firm initiative and preemptive actions that keep bad men re-thinking their intentions. World peace and homeland security should be important to all; It remains Paramount!…. that unanimous and popular support be a passion and collective conviction of each American in every corner of the nation. “A quick withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could allow victorious Muslim extremists to fan out into other countries, with some militants going to Afghanistan to fight alongside a resurgent Taliban.”(Cheney) It is essential that we stay determined on the course. We must renew our conviction as a country of Democracy, never forgetting how we were formed nor our past struggles, and reflect now on the values we have come to represent: equality, freedom, knowledge, respect, and justice. The chance alone of acquiring a peaceful future is worth exhausting all efforts and resources to ensure stability. The U.S. House and Senate vigorously apply policy at home in a cycle of national self-improvement, and therefore should employ the same fierce commitment to any threat that poses a risk of interrupting the success of our diverse and powerful country. Any interruption that diverts away from our process of growth and development is hard work and momentum lost forever.
“Gunmen rounded up a Sunni family under death threats for joining U.S. organized talks with local Shiites, hauling away the men and boys and killing all six Saturday
[03 Mar. 2007] as insurgents expand a campaign of fear against opponents.(6 Sunnis) At home and abroad, we currently face a scared and simple-minded, but very determined enemy. They are passionate in their purpose, but lack the knowledge of benefits that we possess because of prosperity and diversity. “Two homicide bombers turned a procession of Shiite pilgrims into a blood-drenched stampede Tuesday [06 Mar. 2007] killing scores with a first blast and then claiming more lives among fleeing crowds. At least 106 were killed amid a wave of deadly strikes against Shiites heading for a solemn religious ritual.”(At Least) The enemy we are fighting is desperate and heartless. They have nothing to look forward to in life, and therefore nothing to lose. Their only aspirations are the possibilities of a glorious afterlife. “Those who are killed in the jihad are called Martyrs, in Arabic and other Muslim languages shabid. The English word martyr comes from the Greek martyrs, meaning witness, and in the Judeo-Christian usage designates one who is prepared to suffer torture and death rather than renounce his faith.” (Lewis 38) At the sake of appearing stereotypical, it should be vastly worrisome that a very large portion of an entire ethnicity has waged an actual war against the traditional American lifestyle. They hide among us now, in our government, our military, and most definitely mixed in with the rest of society from the prominent to the common. “[Hassan Abujihaad] was arrested in Phoenix on charges of supporting terrorism with an intent to kill U.S. citizens and transmitting classified information to unauthorized people.”(Former) Abujihaad was known as Paul Hall during his days in the U.S. Navy and was discharged honorably. There are many cases just like this, many bombings and threats the public never hears about, and a countless number of individuals living among us that support Radical Islam. Most Muslims are not terrorists, and should not be treated as such, but most of the terrorists are in fact Muslim. They are all familiar with the term – jihad. “Jihad is sometimes presented as the Muslim equivalent to the Crusades, and the two are seen as more or less equivalent. In a sense this is true – both were proclaimed and waged as holy wars for the true faith against an infidel enemy. But there is a difference. The Crusade is a late development in Christian history and … marks a radical departure from basic Christian values…”(Lewis 37) From the beginning, and birth of our dueling religions, Muslims recognized Christians as having a very similar history and common beliefs. Basically speaking- the Modern West is the primary rival of the Islamic struggle for imperialistic world domination, or as their coined terms now apply: enlightenment vs. globalization. Being forged with Protestant and Judeo-Christian values, the United States is the prime target of a fierce Radical Islamic Ideology, and that really should scare the hell out of everyone. Such a threat jeopardizes the fundamentals of our great Nation, because of the simplistic fact that Muslim extremists wish to destroy the Western world. It is their ultimate goal and final solution, to spread Islam across the globe destroying all that oppose it. “According to Islamic law, it is lawful to wage war against four types of enemies: infidels, apostates, rebels, and bandits. Although all four types of wars are legitimate, only the first two count as jihad. Jihad is thus a religious obligation. In … Muslim jurists distinguish between offensive and defensive warfare. In offense, jihad is an obligation of the Muslim community as a whole, and may therefore be discharged by volunteers and professionals. In a defensive war, it becomes an obligation of every able-bodied individual. It is this principle that Osama bin Laden invoked in his declaration of war against the United States.” (Lewis 31) According to the values Muslim extremists defend, it is forbidden to commit suicide, being a mortal sin punishable by eternal damnation. Muslim jurists and prophets have also prohibited those engaged in jihad not to kill women, children, the elderly, and forbid the torture or mutilation of prisoners. Bernard Lewis said well, in The Crisis of Islam, that “The suicide bomber is taking a considerable risk on a theological nicety.” Insurgents and terrorists behaving the way they have, blowing themselves up next to innocents in the name of the religion, begs a few small questions….What are they thinking; Why is that being encouraged by their society? It requires a firm and dedicated conviction to keep that out of our world. In the eyes of this enemy, we are the infidels and literally seen as “The Great Satan.” On several occasions recently, thousands have chanted in the streets, “Death to America.” They hate us and the lives of peace, diversity, and equality that our system promotes. It is the ultimate objective to have us all dead, and at this very moment, they are training thousands of toddlers to do it. Hopefully soon enough, our enemies will run out of those willing to sacrifice their lives as “martyrs,” and if we keep the pressure applied, will deplete their financial support network. If we let up on the pressure, it will only embolden them, giving our enemy time to gain strength and numbers. They will think we can be beaten, then follow us home to do it. Without the absolute unwavering conviction from which we were forged, we will fall…. crumbling to dust, and into the stories of history alongside every other great empire before us.
In addition to the global, wide-spread common feeling of a life in fear, the cumulative sacrifice, and exponential losses of both sides is grave, and ultimately affects the entire World’s peace and prosperity. We, the citizens United States, are losing our feeling of security at home and abroad, along with the guarantee of prosperous economic relations with several countries across the world. Public opinion holds us accountable for the current troubles. Somebody has to be held accountable, and that burden usually falls on us. It is our Global War Against Terror; It belongs to us, and we shall remain responsible. “U.S. forces too, continue to tally loses at the hands of extremists despite signs of more successful raids against bases and weapon stockpiles. The military said nine soldiers were killed Monday [05 Mar. 2007] in two separate road side bombings north of Baghdad, making it the deadliest day for U.S. troops in Iraq in nearly a month” (At Least) Our intentions do absolutely come with a sacrifice. The countries that do harbor desperate Muslim Insurgencies are sacrificing trust throughout the world, and are also taking away the ability of more pacified nations to claim that the religion of Islam…. is one of peace. In The Crisis of Islam, the current and general economic situations of nations harboring terrorists and Muslim extremists is of notable importance, described “A Failure of Modernity”:
Almost the entire Muslim world is affected by poverty and tyranny. Both of these problems are attributed, especially by those with an interest in diverting attention from themselves, to America- the first to American economic dominance and exploitation, now thinly disguised as “globalization”; the second to America’s support for the many so-called Muslim tyrants who serve its purposes. Globalization has become a major theme in the Arab media, and it is almost always raised in connection with American economic penetration. The increasingly wretched economic situation in most of the Muslim world, compared not only with the West but also with the rapidly rising economies of East Asia, fuels these frustrations. American paramountcy, as Middle Easterners see it, indicates where to direct the blame and resulting hostility. The combination of low productivity and high birth rate in the Middle East makes for an unstable mix, with a large and rapidly growing population of unemployed, uneducated, and frustrated young men. By all indicators from the United Nations, World Bank, and other authorities, the Arab countries- in matters such as job creation, education, technology, and productivity- lag even further behind the West. Even worse, the Arab nations also lag behind the more recent recruits to Western style modernity such as Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore. The comparative figures on the performance of Muslim countries as reflected in these statistics, are devastating. (Lewis 113-114)
The peaceful Muslims may not, in fear of their lives, stand up to renounce those with radical intentions; The weak, uneducated majority has little resistance, and convert to extremism easily. Seemingly too far out of hand to quell, time will show that Radical Islam be commonplace….and the majority. “However, Kimmett was careful not to leave the impression that all is lost. This enemy is not ten feet tall. He can be, he must be, and he will be defeated.”(Naylor) Our enemy is not ten feet tall, but the children of America still face a long and grave situation indeed.
To be successful, we must first work together in congress, and prioritize our objectives. Americans must first understand the enemy, and then by necessity formulate immediate action and policies for the defeat and prevention of the volatile spread of their regimes and influence. Be one for it or against it, each American needs to take a stand in recognizing our dilemma, and just be…. anything with conviction. The political head-butting needs to stop; it emboldens our enemy and ensures them that they are exactly where they wish to be…. lying embedded in our skin. They way our country disputes policy disagreements is pathetic, and even worse that we broadcast it for the world to see. The continuous course of political bickering undermines our viewed authority, and makes us appear as incompetent fools to the world. This will strip us of dignity and respect across the globe, and be the beginning of our downfall. Our political process should be conducted behind closed doors, with very strict regulations on what leaves the room to enter the vicarious world of international media. Allowing others to discredit policy should not be allowed, unless the objector has a plan of action. Current leaders must take a positive direction to stress applications of political unity and cooperation. If a party, or individual wishes to address a problem, they had better come to the table with a legitimate idea for the solution. America has to get used to the fact that leaders sometimes make unpopular decisions, because followers remain too cowardice to do so. The trusted one must take a stand, and most will follow. We must immediately do everything in our power to stabilize the Middle East, and right now the best solution is presence with ability of force and to support the Iraq Army, as bitter as it may seem. Freedom is a virtue and a luxury, but is certainly not free. It seems unfortunate, but remains necessary that we buy it with the blood of our youth, instead of using diplomacy. We did here, and always continue to stress diplomacy. Some countries are too primitive to have a successful process of diplomatic relations in place. We must do our best to promote peace, but also ensure that innocent violence not be tolerated, and we must also address, bring to light, and deal with intentions to destroy the West…. preemptively. “Al-Qaeda and its allies are trying to obtain weapons of mass destruction, [Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East] Kimmitt said-chemical weapons, biological weapons, and probable fissile material for a dirty bomb. One should be absolutely certain that if Al -Qaeda head Osama bin Laden gets his hands on them that he will use them.”(Naylor) The countries of our enemies are run by a near-prehistoric faction and network of militia-men, where the most diabolical and tyrannical individuals are elevated to power by force. Should we really let them alone? A lone child will always kick over an ant pile, and the ignorant, oblivious adult will do the same. The educated leader of a family will destroy the pests quickly with purpose and conviction, seeing ahead the threat they pose.
Promoting and maintaining world stability will continue to prove a difficulty. The Global War on Terror should be an active, important part of every democratic country, and it is our duty to alert and encourage other nations by showing them the importance of a convicted initiative. The networks we seek attempt to lay low and gain strength in the shadows. “A top Iranian cleric accused Pakistan on Friday of becoming a terrorist sanctuary, following an upsurge of violence on the two nation’s border area that Tehran blames on plots by arch foe the United States and on Pakistan’s ability to control its border.”(Iran) Our country has some of the greatest minds, and the finest cutting-edge technology. Our near-infinite resources are of course, being used to cripple terrorist networks at the knees and to root and destroy networks, but we certainly could add needed pressure to one other area of dire importance…. that being, education. Education of the foreign youth is essential to future stability of the region. Targeting young leaders, teachers and more importantly – children, is our best bet at success. “The situation is getting more and more confused,” Powell told a Purdue University audience “Thursday night, I hope the Iraqis will seize the opportunity we have given them.”(Powell) They are now being raised in the Middle East as terrorists, racists, and oppressors of women. It is unfathomable how far the Radical Islamists go to train young children in ways of hatred and terror. Developing peaceful education counsels, head by responsible dignitaries of Middle eastern decent would prove immensely successful and a large amount of funding should be allocated to this initiative. Inspiration of the young minds within this part of the world is detrimental to a successful future in the troubled region, and a general passion for the development of professionalism and individuality needs to be developed with careful attention.
At the sake of departing from political corrective injected by the sensitive majority of our passive and oblivious society, we have become so liberal that it has weakened our structure as a country, twisted our ideals, and departed ways from what our country was founded on. Those same liberal accommodations are eating America from the inside out. Will we stand for nothing, and will our coins soon read, “In whatever God you choose?” We need to go back to the basics, and state what this country stands for within guidelines, adhering to respected boundaries. We should never allow the actions of enemies like that of our current, to determine the future and policy of this great nation. Americans need to bind together, and take a united stand against those that wish us harm.