Pointing fingers

The Associated Press article published in today's Washington Times outlines a report by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which states that Osama bin Laden was "within our grasp" but escaped because inadequate forces were deployed in the effort to capture or kill him. Committee Chairman, Senator John Kerry, liberal/socialist/Democrat (LSD) from Massachusetts, said that bin Laden's escape "laid the foundation for today's reinvigorated Afghan insurgency (LSD's nice term for terrorists) and inflamed internal strife now endangering Pakistan."  

With Mr. Kerry as Committee Chairman, the report smacks of yet another partisan attack upon the Bush administration. It seeks to tar Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld in particular, along with General Tommy Franks, as to blame for failing to capture or kill bin Laden. The report makes it crystal clear that bin Laden was cornered in the mountains of Tora Bora. But instead of deploying a few thousand troops to run him down, only about 100 American troops supported by Afghan forces were sent into action.

None of this is news to anyone who has followed the progress of the war even casually. Could bin Laden have been taken out? Probably. But the report would carry more weight were it not the product of John Kerry and his cohorts on the committee. The LSDs constantly debate the wisdom of funding the troops in harm's way, whether or not the troops should be reinforced, or repeatedly demand a "timeline" for ending American involvement in the war in order to pacify their anti-war base. It is Congress and the administration which places restrictive "rules of engagement" upon the troops. It is they who would prosecute Navy Seals for  "brutally" inflicting a bloody nose upon a captured terrorist. It is they who would try terrorists as common criminals, in American courts, granting to them the same rights enjoyed by American citizens accused of a crime. 

Secretary Rumsfeld expressed concern, at the time, that a large American presence could fuel a "backlash." He was concerned that, had bin Laden been killed or captured, that the worst nightmare of the LSD's fevered imaginations would have materialized. The LSDs imagine that either scenario would have inspired jihadist recruits to flood the ranks of al Qaeda and our troops would have been overwhelmed. As always with the LSDs, it's a question of what they could do to us, never of what we would do to them.

The LSDs are not fans of the military, in spite of their lip service to the contrary. Today, it is politically expedient to at least offer the appearance of support for the military. The longer the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan drag on, the less expedient that support will become. It won't be long before those on the left start labeling the troops as "pigs" and "baby-killers." Kerry famously accused the troops of kicking in doors and terrorizing Iraqi civilians. Disgraceful, but not surprising  given Kerry's past.

John Kerry is a decorated veteran of the Vietnam War. Ask him. He'll tell you. During the 2004 Presidential Campaign, there was much debate as to whether or not he deserved his decorations. I don't know whether he deserved them or not. I wasn't there. I do know what he did after he came home. His actions then should have disqualified him from serving in any elected office, let alone allowed his nomination to serve as Commander-in-Chief!  

On April 22, 1971, Kerry testified before Congress. He condemned the honorable service of his comrades in arms, accusing them of war crimes. He accused his own country, in his moral superiority, of having a lack of "moral indignation" about the war. He lectured the Congress on the history of American involvement in Vietnam, and offered his oh so insightful solutions as to how the U.S. should end its committment. Congress was already listening to proposals to end the war, shamelessly preparing leave our South Vietnamese allies to the tender mercies of the North Vietnamese communists.

Were mistakes made during the Tora Bora campaign? No doubt there were. Americans were on pins and needles in those days, waiting for confirmation that bin Laden had been captured, or that nothing was left of him but a greasy red spot. There was speculation that he was trapped in a cave, the mouth of which was blocked by tons of rock. Rumors that he had been grievously wounded or had escaped were everywhere. It is disappointing that he escaped into Pakistan, but his escape does not signify defeat. 

John Kerry is a partisan, anti-military, anti-Republican, anti-Conservative, anti-George W. Bush, LSD whose opinion should be taken with a grain of salt. He was not present at Tora Bora. We are at war. In war, mistakes happen. Osama bin Laden is still out there, still a shadowy threat to America. In a perfect world, he would be dead. Even if he were dead, however, given the fact that the heads of our Islamic jihadist enemies are every one screwed on wrong, he would still be a figure of inspiration to them. Either dead or alive, bin Laden will attract weak minded morons willing to die for 72 virgins and rivers of honey.

That is the dilemma, not that mistakes were made. How do we convince a jihadist bent on becoming a martyr that the state of martyrdom isn't all that it's cracked up to be? If it's such a wonderful thing, why hasn't bin Laden martyred himself? Or any of his lieutenants? Name even one Islamic jihadist "leader" who took voluntary advantage of the opportunity. I can't. Can you?

My respect for Kerry, and LSDs in general, would go up if they would stop casting blame in their incessant pursuit of political power. We should present a united front against the enemy. America belongs to all Americans, no matter their ideology. All of us are equally responsible to insure the survival of America and what she stands for. Now is the time. Our troops are placed in harm's way. We should first win the war, as in win the war. There is plenty of time to assign blame after we have defeated the forces of militant Islamic terrorism.

To that end, we should wage ruthless, total war against the terrorists. It is they who have taken the choice that we are enemies. It must be made plain to them that it is better to be our friends. Islamic jihadists desire martyrdom? We should grant that wish to as many of them as desire it. Sooner or later, martyrdom will lose its appeal. As the Japanese ran out of kamikaze pilots toward the end of WWII, so will the jihadists run out of suicidal morons. The suicidal morons cannot be reasoned with. Once they are gone, perhaps real ground for true peace will be established. There is no other way.