Alles wird verziehen:
First, these extremists want to end American and Western influence in the broader Middle East, because we stand for democracy and peace, and stand in the way of their ambitions. Al Qaeda’s leader, Osama bin Laden, has called on Muslims to dedicate, quote, their “resources, sons and money to driving the infidels out of their lands.” Their tactic to meet this goal has been consistent for a quarter-century: They hit us, and expect us to run. They want us to repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983, and Mogadishu in 1993 — only this time on a larger scale, with greater consequences.
Second, the militant network wants to use the vacuum created by an American retreat to gain control of a country, a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments. Over the past few decades, radicals have specifically targeted Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan, and Jordan for potential takeover. They achieved their goal, for a time, in Afghanistan. Now they’ve set their sights on Iraq. Bin Laden has stated: “The whole world is watching this war and the two adversaries. It’s either victory and glory, or misery and humiliation.” The terrorists regard Iraq as the central front in their war against humanity. And we must recognize Iraq as the central front in our war on terror.
Third, the militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow all moderate governments in the region, and establish a radical Islamic empire that spans from Spain to Indonesia. With greater economic and military and political power, the terrorists would be able to advance their stated agenda: to develop weapons of mass destruction, to destroy Israel, to intimidate Europe, to assault the American people, and to blackmail our government into isolation.
Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme — and they should not be dismissed. Our enemy is utterly committed. As Zarqawi has vowed, “We will either achieve victory over the human race or we will pass to the eternal life.” And the civilized world knows very well that other fanatics in history, from Hitler to Stalin to Pol Pot, consumed whole nations in war and genocide before leaving the stage of history. Evil men, obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience, must be taken very seriously — and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
Naming names:
Some call this evil Islamic radicalism; others, militant Jihadism; still others, Islamo-fascism…
They have been sheltered by authoritarian regimes, allies of convenience like Syria and Iran, that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments, and use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West and America, and on the Jews. These radicals depend on front operations, such as corrupted charities, which direct money to terrorist activity. They’re strengthened by those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam in unstable parts of the world. The militants are aided, as well, by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, that feed conspiracy theories and speak of a so-called American “war on Islam” — with seldom a word about American action to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, and Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq.
On suffering fools:
Some have also argued that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our coalition in Iraq, claiming that our presence in that country has somehow caused or triggered the rage of radicals. I would remind them that we were not in Iraq on September the 11th, 2001 — and al Qaeda attacked us anyway. The hatred of the radicals existed before Iraq was an issue, and it will exist after Iraq is no longer an excuse. The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet the militants killed more than 180 Russian schoolchildren in Beslan….
Some observers also claim that America would be better off by cutting our losses and leaving Iraq now. This is a dangerous illusion, refuted with a simple question: Would the United States and other free nations be more safe, or less safe, with Zarqawi and bin Laden in control of Iraq, its people, and its resources? Having removed a dictator who hated free peoples, we will not stand by as a new set of killers, dedicated to the destruction of our own country, seizes control of Iraq by violence.
Ah, read it all. Do.
It is fast approaching that point where all diplomatic, political, and social compromises prove to be for naught… This enemy is fanatical, a rabid dog, and there is no hope to bring peace through “civilized means”…
“Kill them all; let God sort them out…” is becoming more attractive all the time…
I hope that they come to their senses before that point is reached.
I was lucky enough to listen to most of it live while driving to work. The President delivered it well … This line about Bin Laden stuck in my mind :
“And what this man who grew up in wealth and privilege considers good for poor Muslims is that they become killers and suicide bombers. He assures them that his — that this is the road to paradise — though he never offers to go along for the ride. “
I will be so happy on the day that our military sends him along on that ride! And Zarqawi as well. I know that won’t be the end of the war – but it will be a great milestone.
Sgt B – I’m afraid that the people doing the bombings now will never come to their senses. The rest of the population of Iraq has to come to their senses to out the bastards doing the killing. It’s happening slowly, oh-so-slowly.
How do you suppose the main stream media will choose to (mis)report the speech?
I work with a man who spent 20 years in the army. He graduated from West Point, class of ’64, and one of his best friends was Gen. Barry McCaffrey. He retired a s a LTC. Please, no Army/Navy jokes. He’s no stranger to combat, as he had a couple of tours in Vietnam, and was awarded the SS and BS(v), so he’s no coward. He was less than impressed with the speech, but he’s not a fan of President Bush, and I think his bias shows. How did other military people besides you and Sgt B. tend to view the speech?
Could it be a Vietnam/post Vietnam bias? Also, what do you think is the possibility that we will become involved with Syria, or do you think that we will have the Israelis act as a surrogate?
The bar goes higher and the man just jumped it again…
Yes, he has wonderful speechwriters but some of it if not most of it is his..because actions speak louder than words.
Not much in the MSM..they’ve taken their equipment and left the ballfield. We’re lucky GW knows how to pitch, catch and hit.
I’d like to throw out an answer to RPL (more BB cliche) but these are Lex’s electrons and he gets to throw the pitches…
ButIwillquicklysaythatgettingthe Israelistoactassurrogatesforuswouldbe likegettingacattorolloverandbeg!
B2
I know people are saying it was a good speech etc. but I didn’t see:
“Therefore, I’ve authorized military strikes against Syria and other countries who harbor the terrorists.”
I suppose the speech was for domestic consumption as an attempt to rally support on the home front, but I don’t think Syria and Iran are gonna stop their support for the various terror networks in Iraq because he mentioned them by name…
Time for the big stick, everyday without puts American, Coalition and ISF troops in more danger…
A strike package to Syria…a Rhythms subject?
Whoops! I did read it all, but got my comment in your previous post. It’s going to be a long day
From what I could see around my spaces, RPL, the speech was very favorably received by naval officers. How it went with the more encumbered services, I cannot say. It seems to me he pulled together several threads of what is going on both in Iraq and domestically, essentially answering his critics and rallying the faithful.
Now, as to Iran and Syria, it looks to me as though he has placed them on notice – I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find that there are more pointed messages being delivered through other channels, and these people are not alone in their capability to make trouble in a darkened room. I speak only hypothetically of course, having no knowlege of anything along these lines.
I doubt that using Israel to carry the mischief-making water for us in Syria would be productive either for ourselves or for Israel, even assuming they would go along, with their own domestic fish to fry these days.
As for your retired Army friend, I’m sure he has come by his opinions authentically – I also tend to presume that that there are any number of people who did their duty the best they could, lived through the slaughter of Vietnam and came home not to triumphant parades and garlands, but rather to a distracted national leadership who only wanted to change the subject and to the bitter personal enmity of a burgeoning counter-culture – one which not only reviled their service but accused them of crimes. For those folks, all of this may look all too familiar. They too were told that their sacrifices had been necessary, and that victory was critical to the stemming of a tyrannical threat. In the aftermath, many of them felt betrayed. Maybe your friend feels this way, I can’t know.
I’d also have to come down on the side of thinking that Israel won’t get involved on our behalf in the GWOT – at least not overtly. I think that for them to do so would be an extremely bad idea for all concerned. We’ve been able to get the average ‘man on the street’ in Iraq to accept our presence there, and even throw their support our way, but I think that would be much tougher if he had to swallow not just supporting the US, but actually siding with Israel.
Notice how silent Israel has been throughout. I don’t think that’s a coincidence. I don’t believe for an instant that there hasn’t been plenty of back channel communications between Washington and Tel Aviv. Along with plenty of assurances that we’ll watch out for their interests in the region, as long as they remain a ‘non player’, no doubt.
In the intelligence world, on the other hand, I’m sure that they’ve been tossing in their $0.02 plus. You’ve got to think that they have resources in the area, particularly in the area of humint, that we could only dream of having.
Hey, I can spout completely uninformed opinions with the best of them! =)