Cal Thomas: We're Already at War, Let's Win

Cal Thomas | Syndicated columnist | Updated: Oct 01, 2002

Cal Thomas: We're Already at War, Let's Win

People opposed to the liberation of Iraq have deceived themselves about the following: There is not sufficient proof that Saddam Hussein has weapons of mass destruction or that he is willing to use them (there is and he is); the United States will suffer large numbers of casualties (that's what they said about the Gulf War in 1991 and it didn't); America will enrage Muslims and Arabs around the world (they're already enraged, as Sept. 11 proved).

America has been at war with terrorism for at least two decades. Americans are despised for reasons that have less to do with who we are and what we have, and more to do with the dictatorial political and religious leaders who seek to shift attention away from the misery they impose on the people they control and toward the United States and others that are guilty of no more than succeeding where they have failed.

It is because we are at war, which is likely to get more intense, that we should recall Gen. Douglas MacArthur's advice: "In war there is no substitute for victory."

The American political and theological left misunderstands the doctrine of evil and the danger of unchecked humanity. It mistakenly believes that only America's actions or inactions determine what others do. The transfer of trillions of dollars (and pounds, yen and euros) to oil-producing nations should have elevated the lives of everyone on the receiving end. It hasn't, because the political and religious dictators, in order to maintain their privileged positions, keep their people in intellectual, theological and economic poverty.

After an election in Morocco last week, the Associated Press reported that a fundamentalist party wanting to impose Islamic law on the country has possibly doubled the number of its parliamentary seats. The Party of Justice and Development (PJD) thinks chopping off the hands of robbers is a proper interpretation of Islamic law. PJD leader Mustapha Ramid said his goal is an Islamic state in Morocco.

"Is this rise of an Islamic party bad for the country?" Ramid asked and then answered: "No, not at all. We are realists and moderates. There's nothing to worry about. There is nothing that is scary about us." Do any Moroccans want to bet on that?

Christianity Today (CT) magazine quotes in its Oct. 7 issue this bit of disinformation from the Saudi Gazette: "Christian fundamentalists are encouraging American militants to raise a dust of hatred about Saudi Arabia." CT responds, "Saudi Arabia was doing a pretty good job of raising that dust on their own. After all, Osama bin Laden is from the kingdom, as were 15 of the Sept. 11 hijackers. The Saudi royal family funds the madrassas where extreme and violent forms of Islam are taught and bankrolled part of the Al Qaeda terror network. This isn't the first time Christians have been the Saudis' scapegoat. Officials regularly round up believers, especially those from Ethiopia and Eritrea, beat them and deport them - all without bringing a single charge. Conversion to Christianity remains a capital offense."

Last week in Pakistan, armed Islamic gunmen tied up seven Christian charity workers and shot them, execution style. These murders are the latest in a series of attacks against Christian organizations by Muslim terrorists that has left 36 dead and 100 wounded since Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced he would oppose the terrorists.

From Islamic pulpits around the world come sermons of hate and calls for war against America, Christianity and Judaism. Al Minbar (The Pulpit), the Saudi-based Web site, labels itself "Direct from Mecca" and is "for every Muslim who seeks knowledge and more specifically for every Imam looking to improve his speech and enhance the knowledge level of his congregation."

Some of the subject matter recommended for Muslim pulpits includes: "The Christians and the Jews are infidels" (and) "Enemies of Allah"; "Jews - The Descendants of Pigs and Apes"; "It Is Impossible to Make Peace With the Jews"; "Muslims Must Educate Their Children to Jihad . and to Hatred of Jews and Christians";"Muslim Women's Rights Are a Western Ploy to Destroy Islam."

The United States did not start this war but we had better finish it. That is the only strategy that will give peace a chance. President Bush is right to be pursuing war against Iraq and anyone else who means us harm.

 

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Cal Thomas: We're Already at War, Let's Win