Our Failing Strategy to Combat Terrorism
Every American leader, from a municipal clerk, to a congressman, to the President of the United States, is dedicated to winning the war against terrorists. Americans give their wealth, and many have given their lives, to protect the innocent. The need to fight is not a subject of debate. How we should fight is a whole different question. We have two distinct problems with the question of how we should fight the war. The first problem is that the mere mention of the need to discuss strategy is viewed by the republicans and the Bush Administration as a desire to crawl into bed with al-Qaeda. How revolting can politics get? It is our duty as Americans to discuss strategy. The good news is that we can ignore the moronic politics of the “stay the course marionettes” and stick to the debate.
The second problem is more disconcerting, we really do need to change strategy; for what we are doing now is weakening our long-term position. The president is finally accepting the fact that the internal conflict in Iraq is starting to mirror Viet Nam; he has yet to accept the fact that groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, and even the Taliban are actually getting stronger as a result of our approach to the war on terrorism.
From the day the atom bomb fell a whole new strategy for victory in war emerged. The strategy is called wining the hearts and minds of the people. We actually got off to a good start in the new world of warfare. The Marshall Plan in Europe and the leadership of General Macarthur in Japan were brilliant. In these two locales we implemented a strategy of standing for justice, listening to people, and winning their allegiance. Unfortunately, our flirtation with true power was short lived. We still articulate the need to win the hearts and minds of the people, but the civilian arm of the Pentagon is much better suited to Mach 3, smart bombs, laser beams, and satellites.
Our strategy has to be based on listening to the people throughout the world. Ignoring the interests of other people does not build allegiance, and without the allegiance of people we won’t win the war on terrorism. Terrorists hide among the innocent and wear no uniform. There is no industrial infrastructure that serves their capacity to make war that we can attack and eliminate. Terrorists thrive in the company of corrupt governments, international business deals that benefit only the upper echelons of a society, and where rank and file people have no power. When our policies feed any of these three allies of terrorists we lose. Terrorism makes our strengths – Mach 3, smart bombs, laser beams, and satellites – impotent.
Since terrorists won’t fight in a manner that that plays to our strengths we will never ferret out the bad guys and put an end to terrorism on our own. We need allies in the war on terrorism, and I don’t mean we need to make France, Germany, or Russia happy. We need to make the Islamic world happy, for the Islamic world is the primary target of the terrorists. For every westerner that dies at the hands of terrorist, thousands of people of the Islamic faith die. The Islamic world has to rise up against terrorism and they need our help. But we don’t act in a manner that says “lets partner” .We have some allies such as Jordan, Turkey, and Morocco, among a few others, but I am not talking about being aligned with leaders - we need their people. There are 60 completely Islamic to mostly Islamic nations in the world. Most all are not terrorists, they are the principal victims of terrorism. Our policies alienate the people of these countries to where the leaders cannot openly endorse the U.S and rally with us against the scourge that affects them more than any other people.
Israel’s tryst with Hezbollah resulted in bombed out shopkeepers and dead fathers and children. And what is the outcome – Hezbollah becomes the champion of bombed out shopkeepers. Hamas retaliated against the corruption of the Palestinian Authority and builds allegiance in the streets by pointing to their incredible poverty and naming Israel and the U.S as the cause. It does not matter whether terrorist are right or wrong, allegiance is a powerful weapon. Allegiance of people is becoming the strategy and weapon of choice of terrorists. The allegiance of people could make what we call terrorist organizations legitimate freedom fighters in the eyes of other people.
Does any of this matter when we have smart bombs, laser sights, and satellites? If we want to lose we won’t seek the allegiance of people over the alliances of leaders, many of whom are little better than the terrorists in the eyes of their people. When we appeal to the rank and file Muslim with our justice, charity, and righteous goodwill, terrorist won’t have a chance.
Copyright: American-Ideal.com - 2007