The War on Terror and the Power of Preparation

Advocates for strong national defense and aggressive foreign policy like to distinguish between what it means to have a pre and post-9/11 mentality. They seek to highlight the sense of preparedness for conflict which Americans ought to have as a result of the deaths of 3,000 people on our nation's soil. In addition, the distinction is indicative of how terrorism has changed the way war is fought. Enemies are no longer engaged on battlefields under a single banner, but in caves and hills of the remotest deserts. Those fighting in the war on terror do so largely without the guidance of past precedent, for it is a wholly modern war. Recent events have called into question the ability of American leadership to deter the grave threat represented by Islamic extremism. Indeed, many wonder whether national defense has taken a back seat to political correctness. Consider that several months ago the phrase "war on terror" was banned from government usage by the Obama administration in favor of the more benign "overseas contingency operations." As a whole, there seems to be a hesitance on the part of the American government to treat terrorists as terrorists. Just last Friday, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced that Khalid Sheik Mohammed, along with four other masterminds behind the attacks of 9/11, will be taken from their current holding place at Guantanamo Bay and brought to New York City. There, they will stand trial in a civilian federal court just a few blocks from where the Twin Towers collapsed. Attorney General Holder explained the rationale behind the decision: "For over 200 years our nation has relied on a faithful adherence to the rule of law to bring criminals to justice and to provide accountability to victims. Once again we will ask our legal system…to rise to that challenge. I am confident that it will answer the call with fairness and with justice." That the worst attack perpetrated on our nation's soil is being treated in a manner similar to that of a common crime has elicited a harsh response. Sen. Joe Liebermann (I-Conn.) notes, "The terrorists who planned, participated in, and aided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks are war criminals, not common criminals. Not only are these individuals not common criminals but war criminals, they are also not American citizens entitled to all the constitutional rights American citizens have in our federal courts." It is a tragic irony that the announcement of Khalid Sheik Mohammed's civilian trial came just a week after Army Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan brutally murdered 13 of his fellow servicemen at Fort Hood in Texas. All evidence now points to the fact that Hasan committed his attack as an act of terrorism. ABC News reports, "U.S. intelligence agencies were aware months ago that Hasan was attempting to make contact with an individual associated with al Qaeda…[T]he Army was informed of Hasan's contact, but it is unclear what, if anything, the Army did in response." The UK Telegraph notes, "Federal law enforcement officials have said Maj Hasan had come to their attention at least six months ago because of internet postings that discussed suicide bombings and other threats." Finally, a former Army colleague of Hasan's related that he had heard Hasan say that, "Muslims should 'rise up' and attack Americans in retaliation for the U.S. war in Iraq." Prior to opening pistol-fire on his victims, Hasan yelled "Allahu Akbar," Arabic for "God is great." In his history of the Second World War, English Prime Minister Winston Churchill relates how President Roosevelt once asked for suggestions as to what name the war could be given. Churchill quickly responded that World War II should be termed "The Unnecessary War." The leaders of the free world, thought Churchill, had been given sufficient warning against Hitler. Had the West acted in time, the war's long and bitter conflict might have been avoided. Churchill's comment is expressive of the irony that often, to have peace, a country must prepare for war. As the recent tragedy at Fort Hood makes clear, when we ignore the warning signs with which Islamic fascism presents us, we do so at the cost of American lives.