November 28, 2006
What’s the difference between the PLO, Islamic Jihad, Hamas, Hezbollah and numerous other groups over the years that have gone by different names? Answer: none. They all hate Jews and Israel and America and want us all dead.
What’s the difference between Vietnam and Iraq? Plenty. Vietnam is run by communists. Yes, they are flirting with capitalism and doing better economically because of it. But during the Vietnam war, these atheists were not trying to export or impose their atheism on other nations. They weren’t establishing atheist schools to undermine other nations. Neither were the Vietnamese trying to take over the world.
A New York Times magazine editor wrote Sunday that maybe Iraq could be like Vietnam is today once we pull out. Not likely. Not with Iran and Syria in the neighborhood. Not with a radical and fanatical Islamic cause for existing. That’s the difference between Iraq and Vietnam. Instead of pretending all will be well if we leave with finishing the job, we had better consider the deadly consequences if we don’t kill this international snake, because it is coming to bite us.
Cal Thomas is a nationally syndicated columnist based in Washington, D.C.
