Prosecuting our Protectors

The American Thinker ^ | May 07, 2009 | Vasko Kohlmayer

[Scanian]

Who would have ever thought that we would seriously debate whether to prosecute those who have kept us safe since 9/11?

Most of us can still recall the fear and uncertainty of the days and weeks that followed. Shell-shocked and frightened, we lived in imminent expectation of further attacks. Few would have bet a dime that in the next seven years we wouldn't be hit again. That it did not happened is almost difficult to believe, since the hijackers' spectacular success inspired jihadists far and wide. Every year since they would promise an even greater slaughter with blood running down the streets and American mothers veiling in despair. That those threats never materialized has surely not been due to a lack of trying on their part, but to the vigilance of George W. Bush and those in his administration who devoted themselves to protecting this country. The fact that they managed to keep us safe is a remarkable achievement and something we should all be grateful for.

Protecting America against Islamic jihadists is an enormously complex and difficult task, because this enemy is unlike any other we ever faced. For one thing, he is hard to even identify, since he has no visible armies, no firm command structures or uniformed warriors. The foe we face is a stealth one, and one that operates insidiously from within the very population it seeks to destroy.

Because of this, the most important and effective weapon against this furtive adversary is not numerical advantage or raw power but intelligence.