Aug
14
How to Defeat Terrorism
“If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” — Sun Tzu
One of the biggest issues in national security today is what to do — what can be done? — about the rise in terrorism. Specifically, the terrorism that is perpetrated and supported by those who hold to a “radical”, “extremist”, “fundamentalist” form of Islam. Can it be defeated? If so, how? If not, can it at least be “contained”?
It’s a complicated issue, and I don’t know the answers. But, I definitely think the international community needs to marshal its resources and cooperate to root out and eradicate this brutal enemy as much as is possible. It may be an ongoing “war” for the forseeable future, but it is necessary in order to protect and defend the world from what is for many an existential threat — i.e., Islamists’ “global domination through a violent Islamic caliphate.” The United States can and should lead this fight, but we need clear vision and leadership that is up to the task.
Lt. Gen. Michael T. Flynn has a few ideas on how to defeat terrorism. If the name sounds familiar, it may be because he has been making radio & TV appearances lately, commenting on current issues and promoting his new book (with Michael Ledeen), The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies. I wrote a post about him a couple years ago, shortly after the Obama administration pressured him to take an early retirement, resigning as chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency. I also recommended Flynn as a potential Secretary of Defense in a (near?) future Republican administration.
I haven’t read Flynn’s book, yet, though it’s on my list. But, he recently co-authored an opinion piece for Fox News with the NCPA’s Lt. Col. Allen West and Dr. David Grantham which addresses this topic. It isn’t a long or detailed plan. But, it lays out what both experience and, perhaps, common sense tells us are some foundational things to be recognized and acknowledged before we even have a chance at beating this enemy of all that we hold dear.
“The president refuses to know that our current adversary in radical Islam lives by an apocalyptic worldview — one that relies on unconscionable levels of slaughter to bring about its final caliphate…. This willful ignorance has prompted a dangerous mismatch in priorities….
One should never be so intransigent as to deny the truth of the enemy. That only concedes the initiative and gives the enemy an ability to outmaneuver you strategically….
Instead, we must get into the head of the enemy. All three of us have been there. It’s not pretty. There exists an unparalleled devotion to their cause; a fanatical adherence to Islamic conventions….
They are resolute in their convictions. They are dedicated to the slaughter of any who do not share their warped vision for the future. That’s the enemy.
But America must also know itself. Jihadists do not distinguish between black and white, young or old, poor or rich.
Our enemy sees us all as Americans, and we should do the same. It is essential that we champion American exceptionalism — defined not as a pompous view of self, but as the beacon of light for individual freedom in a world lacking it….
The government must also know its responsibilities. The next administration and each one thereafter must embrace its constitutional obligation to provide for the common defense, and must never put the interests of others above those they serve. Those leaders should clearly and correctly define the enemy, and articulate an unambiguous national and international strategy to defeat it….
From the Barbary Wars to Nazism, Imperial Japan to communism, America chose sacrifice over compliancy, bravery over fear. The American people squared their collective shoulders and faced the threat head-on.
All of this can be done. And we will do so with unwavering integrity, renewed strength and unapologetic resolve. Knowing ourselves and our enemy will ensure victory.”
Makes sense to me.
But, this will never get any traction under Obama or Clinton or any other globalist/multiculturalist “progressive” who refuses to recognize the enemy for what it is, nor with a majority of such people in the House and Senate. We must use our voting privilege this election season to make sure this is not the case. We must elect clear-eyed leaders who will not require that intel supports a pre-determined, positive narrative but will instead identify the real enemy — both the physical and ideological aspects — and dedicate the requisite resources to its ultimate and decisive defeat.
