3 Pronged Attack

Today I read three very interesting opinion pieces in three different newspapers. The subject of each piece was the upcoming mid-term election.

First, the Ithaca Journal:

Here is something to think about and give some serious thought! If the terrorists were allowed to vote in the U.S.A, who do you think they would vote for, Republicans or Democrats?

Robert H. Gessner
Trumansburg

Second, the New York Times:

A total withdrawal from Iraq would play into the hands of the jihadist terrorists. As Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, made clear shortly after 9/11 in his book "Knights Under the Prophet’s Banner," Al Qaeda's most important short-term strategic goal is to seize control of a state, or part of a state, somewhere in the Muslim world. "Confronting the enemies of Islam and launching jihad against them require a Muslim authority, established on a Muslim land," he wrote. "Without achieving this goal our actions will mean nothing." Such a jihadist state would be the ideal launching pad for future attacks on the West...

...Another problem with a total American withdrawal is that it would fit all too neatly into Osama bin Laden's master narrative about American foreign policy. His theme is that America is a paper tiger that cannot tolerate body bags coming home; to back it up, he cites President Ronald Reagan's 1984 withdrawal of United States troops from Lebanon and President Bill Clinton’s decision nearly a decade later to pull troops from Somalia. A unilateral pullout from Iraq would only confirm this analysis of American weakness among his jihadist allies.

Third, The Washington Times:

If Americans vote for what sounds like sweet reason from the Democrats, bin Laden and company will rejoice. What they will hear is the death knell for any prospect of effective U.S. military resistance to militant Islam. With the Republicans out, the Islamists will be confident that Democrats will deliver the best of both worlds: less emphasis on military force and a rigid maintenance of U.S. foreign policies that are hated with passion and near-unanimity by 1.3 billion Muslims. If Osama approved of music, he would be whistling "Happy Days Are Here Again!"

The first piece is remarkable for the fact that it was published at all in my opinion. I'm stunned that the journal put it in their paper. Or, maybe impressed is a better word? Either way, kudos to Robert!

The second two pieces are remarkable, in my opinion, because of who wrote them. Peter Bergen is CNN's Terrorism Correspondent. I believe he actually interviewed Bin Laden...anyway, I wonder how his career at CNN is going nowadays? I actually haven't seen him on air in a while. Michael Scheuer is a former CIA official. He actually created the Bin Laden unit. He is no fan of Republican or Bush administration strategies or tactics. He wrote a rather controversial book, Imperial Hubris, which is critical of both on several key issues.

The underlying theme in each of these letters, I believe, is that when we confront Radical Islam on the battlefield, we cannot yield.