The Half Hearted War On Terrorism Can’t Be Won
Posted on 10/27/2001 5:11:23 PM PDT by Mr.E
The Half Hearted War On Terrorism Can’t Be Won
By Joe Sansone
The war on terrorism can’t be won in its current form. It is impossible. We are fighting an abstraction. Terror has existed as long as man and my guess is that it will last as long as man does. Listening to some talk about getting the evildoers and eliminating terrorism is as silly as it is sad. We may as well wage war against evil everywhere it surfaces in human nature. Good luck.
The U.S. was attacked by a foreign power. The initial reaction was that this was an act of war. The logical response would be a declaration of war against Afghanistan and any other nations involved. Somewhere along the way the war changed into a police action with more emphasis being placed on the success of the international coalition than on the war effort itself.
Police actions are doomed to failure. They are plagued by half measures and half hearted efforts. They are not designed to destroy, or conquer. Their purpose is reactive in nature, always on the defensive.
To win a war we need to have a clear outcome and a definiteness of purpose. There needs to be a clearly defined idea of what victory is. More importantly we need to decide whom we are at war with. How can you aim properly if you don’t know where the target is? We are still debating who the enemy is. This war is open ended with no victory in sight. If the war continues to be prosecuted with an open end there is no telling how many nations may become involved. Wars that are gradually escalated seem to grow larger than originally intended. It has been said that the war on terrorism may last a decade. It is starting to sound like the war on drugs.
A declaration of war is needed and would be seen as a symbol of U.S. commitment to winning the conflict. We were attacked. Doesn’t that mandate a full-scale war on our part? If this is the beginning of a war shouldn’t there be a massive military buildup? Instead of food drops in Afghanistan we should be cutting off supply lines and starving them into submission.
The strongest actions taken so far have been to attack American civil liberties. The government has been doing such a good job of protecting us that it has now been empowered to monitor our emails, listen to our phone conversations, and break into our homes. If I didn’t know any better I’d think congress has declared war on us. If anything, these increased police powers should have been limited to recent immigrants from the countries on the State Departments list of states that sponsor terrorism.
If this were a war, wouldn’t we protect our borders and deport aliens that have invaded our homeland? The National Guard should be rounding up the 11 million illegal aliens. Pentagon briefings have yet to address the lack of a military response with regard toward national defense. Isn’t that why we have a military?
Members of the half hearted international coalition seem even less committed to our war effort. Moscow is saying that our mission has failed in Afghanistan and is calling for the U.N. to be a unifying factor in the war against terrorism. Russia also has a military accord with Iran, a country that is listed on our state department list of state sponsors of terrorism. Russia ironically has stated support for our war on terrorism.
President Bush met with communist dictator Jiang Zemin to get China to come on board with the international coalition to fight terrorism. While he was doing that Chinese soldiers were assisting the Taliban government in Afghanistan. This is the type of ambiguity that will plague this war. There needs to be a clear line between friends and enemies, between victory and defeat.
Thousands of Americans have been killed on our own soil. The U.S. response should be focused and overwhelming. The world may hate us, but it is more important that they fear us. Keep it simple, decide on war, determine the enemy, and annihilate them. So far the purpose and scope of this war have not been clear. There is still a debate over what nations to fight, who should be part of the coalition, and who are our friends or our enemies. How can a war be won with such confusion?
Joe Sansone is a columnist and the Vice-Chairman of the American Reformation Project. Joe has previously hosted a Central Jersey Talk Radio Show and is the former chairman of the Reform Party of New Jersey. Mr. Sansone is currently active as a consultant for conservative Republican candidates.
For that matter, how will we know we have won?
The author is making the mistake of fighting the
last war(s). This war will only be won when
the obvious and inevitable consequences of
terrorist activity are too horrific to contemplate.
That means we have to drop our morality over
the side and fight this war with the viciousness,
ingenuity, and precision the terrorists displayed
aganist the WTC and the Pentagon.
Pussyfooters need not apply.
Leni
Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Somalia, North Korea, Arafat and the PA, Sudan, Yemen, minor Arab States, Cuba, and other states on the terrorism-sponsor list. Then, get with the business of leveling, with conventional and special weaponry, each and every person that stands in our way.
Kill every Muslim that resists; kill every terrorist that resists the USA and be done with it.
I'm glad nobody asked you.:)
WarHawk42
I really want to have faith in our political leadership, I really really do. But if we're staging demonstration attacks just for show - then something is seriously wrong.
I would hope that our political leaders would come clean. If our military isn't capable of fighting a major global conflict then say so - ask for volunteers or spend what's necessary to make our military what it should be. Don't make grand speeches and follow it up with nothing of substance.
I agree, we are going at this thing half heartedly like a limited police action, rather than in full force to destroy Al Quaeda and the Taliban supporters.
Instead of food drops in Afghanistan we should be cutting off supply lines and starving them into submission. Bullshit, this is pure bullshit. It would make us no better than the terrorists. We should go after who is responsible for Sept. 11th, wherever they are, and their direct supporters. Killing civilians on purpose is the cowards way out of war. The author of this tripe is no hero, he is a coward.
Pearls of wisdom! Patience we need, but overpowering force is what Islamic extremists need..;)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.