I believe that this war is lost.... I believe myself that the secretary of state (and) secretary of defense know this war is lost.
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada
If the U.S. leaves Iraq in shame - the essence of most Democratic proposals - the simmering dispute between the Kurds in northern Iraq and Turkey will erupt into violence; Iraqi Shiites will fall under the control of Muqtada al-Sadr, who, in turn, will be supported by Iran in his attempt to establish a theocracy in Iraq; and Iraqi Sunnis, in an effort to avoid being overrun by the majority Shiites, will call upon the loyalties of fellow Sunnis in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere (most of Arabia), which will lead to God-knows-what.
Hamas and Hezbollah will become bolder as America retreats and as Iran, their supporter, becomes more powerful. The troubles in Israel and Lebanon will accordingly multiply.
Al-Qaida will use Iraq to re-establish terrorist camps, and radical Muslims throughout the world will celebrate and grow bolder. Violent incidents in Europe and the United States will increase. Armageddon will beckon.
Why? Because the U.S. stands alone for the first time in modern history against an international threat.
Western European nations like France and Germany have substantial and troublesome Muslim populations, and their resources for self-defense have been milked dry by their welfare programs. England, America's strongest ally, is weakening by the minute. Canada is toothless. Japan has enough problems of its own. Russia is reverting to dictatorship. And China is seeking superpower military status for itself.
Radical Muslims, who control most Muslim nations and activist groups, know this. No large nation except the United States has the stomach or the forces to resist their will. The core of the civilized world is in retreat; its sole remaining giant is tottering. The barbarians are at the gates.
There is disagreement in the United States about the current war. How it was started, how it is being managed and where it is going are issues of debate. But a more fundamental question looms. Faced with the existing situation, what should Americans do?
The maximum response, of course, is to serve in the armed forces. The minimum response could be to do nothing that assists or emboldens the enemy.
- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada
If the U.S. leaves Iraq in shame - the essence of most Democratic proposals - the simmering dispute between the Kurds in northern Iraq and Turkey will erupt into violence; Iraqi Shiites will fall under the control of Muqtada al-Sadr, who, in turn, will be supported by Iran in his attempt to establish a theocracy in Iraq; and Iraqi Sunnis, in an effort to avoid being overrun by the majority Shiites, will call upon the loyalties of fellow Sunnis in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere (most of Arabia), which will lead to God-knows-what.
Hamas and Hezbollah will become bolder as America retreats and as Iran, their supporter, becomes more powerful. The troubles in Israel and Lebanon will accordingly multiply.
Al-Qaida will use Iraq to re-establish terrorist camps, and radical Muslims throughout the world will celebrate and grow bolder. Violent incidents in Europe and the United States will increase. Armageddon will beckon.
Why? Because the U.S. stands alone for the first time in modern history against an international threat.
Western European nations like France and Germany have substantial and troublesome Muslim populations, and their resources for self-defense have been milked dry by their welfare programs. England, America's strongest ally, is weakening by the minute. Canada is toothless. Japan has enough problems of its own. Russia is reverting to dictatorship. And China is seeking superpower military status for itself.
Radical Muslims, who control most Muslim nations and activist groups, know this. No large nation except the United States has the stomach or the forces to resist their will. The core of the civilized world is in retreat; its sole remaining giant is tottering. The barbarians are at the gates.
There is disagreement in the United States about the current war. How it was started, how it is being managed and where it is going are issues of debate. But a more fundamental question looms. Faced with the existing situation, what should Americans do?
The maximum response, of course, is to serve in the armed forces. The minimum response could be to do nothing that assists or emboldens the enemy.
This latter duty especially extends to public discourse, which prompts us to consider the remarks made by political leaders like Sen. Harry Reid.
When one of the most powerful leaders in America declares an ongoing war to be lost, and when the party he represents adopts his views through silence, or by the failure to repudiate them, they both do a grave disservice to the nation and bequeath a gift of immeasurable value to the enemy.
The world now knows this for certain: America will cut and run when and if Democrats gain control of the White House. Meanwhile, Reid has become the poster boy of the Muslim world - their most valuable ally and their most effective saboteur. Considering the competition from fellow Democrats, that's quite an accomplishment.
nnn
Robert Kelly writes regularly for the opinion pages of the Eagle-Tribune newspapers. His e-mail address is robert.kelly5@verizon.net.
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