Unleashing the Dogs of War . . . Or At Least A Limited Strike

The worst kept secret on the planet right now is that the United States, and perhaps other allies as well, will launch some sort of attack on Syria in the near future.

Last summer, Obama declared that one of his "red lines" was the use of weapons of mass destruction.  Last week, someone in the Assad "administration" apparently used them to kill, among others, many hundreds of civilians.

US intelligence sources cite a strange intercepted phone call within the Syrian government camp as proof.  A Syrian defense official demanded an explanation for why chemical weapons were launched.  If one was forthcoming, the rationale has not yet been released.

This raises questions about the Syrian government.  Was the attack the work of a rogue officer?  Was it a direct order from the highest levels of government?  Is the Syrian government even a cohesive unit anymore?
In any event, Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron seem to agree that a response must occur.

Cameron plans to consult with Parliament.  At this time, however, Obama seems to have no plans to request authorization from Congress.  Although some congressional Republicans have offered muted support, Senator Rand Paul (Ky.) claimed that Syrian events had "no clear national security connection" to the United States.  Paul did not rule out action, but asked that Obama consult with Congress meaningfully before acting.

In this case, rushing to action within a few days does not seem absolutely necessary.  The repulsiveness of the attack is not likely to wear out.  Indeed the United Nations investigators will undoubtedly either uncover more evidence and details that maintain world disgust, or Syrian officials will block them entirely.  The UN has requested four days, which does not seem unreasonable.  President George W. Bush gave them much longer before launching war against Iraq.

Syria presents US policy makers considerable trouble.  The rebel targets of government chemical weapons have shown themselves no less murderous than Assad's thugs.  Islamicist rebels have slaughtered Roman Catholic clergy among many other innocents during their own reign of terror.

President Bush had some "good guys" to work with when he overturned Saddam Hussein's thugocracy.  Syria seems to have few or no credible leaders who could make a peaceful republic work.

This limits Obama's options.  Any Iraq style invasion would require a much more powerful force prepared to stay in place for much longer.  Nation building would by necessity look more like colonization.

Any boots on the ground would likely end badly for the United States.  In the mid 1980s, President Reagan deployed Marines to serve as part of a peacekeeping unit to try and bring stability to Lebanon.  Terrorists killed over 200.  After a few good-bye blasts from the USS New Jersey, American forces skedaddled.

The various Lebanese factions had no desire to play nice just because American and European soldiers showed up.  They continued killing each other and blowing up heaps of rubble until they exhausted their will to fight.  Lebanon has remained relatively peaceable ever since.

So ground based combat forces will not work.

That leaves air strikes and/or covert operations.  The CIA does need to infiltrate Syria.  To make reasonable decisions, American leaders need to have knowledge of what is going on and who makes it happen.  It needs to monitor individuals and groups as they refine terror techniques.  Covert teams can also find locations of important sites in case stronger military action is required.

Air strikes would have to be very precise and specific.  Former Representative and anti-war crusader Dennis Kucinich noted that air strikes by American planes would make them Al Qaeda's air force.  Indiscriminate targeting of Syrian government military forces would help clear the road for an even worse regime.  Conversely, firing a couple of Tomahawk missiles in the general direction of Assad makes American power look downright petty and even silly.

Take the time to identify chemical weapons facilities.  Only target them.  Use weapons capable of doing the job, like daisy cutters.  Cruise missiles may not deliver enough punch.  This will achieve a limited goal and curb WMD attacks in the future without overly involving the US or using military action as a public relations stunt.

Obama must also prepare to stand by Israel.  Attacks on Syria may provoke a response against Israel.  Specific tactical actions may be necessary against any force deployed to strike Israel.  On the other hand, it is difficult to see how effectively Syria could strike Israel while struggling in its own civil war.

Obama must make wise decisions here, stick by them, and articulate explanations.  He must have the specific goal of curbing WMD usage while rebuilding respect for American power.  If he covers his bases with Congress and the United Nations, this could help reconstruct respect for US foreign policy that has fallen greatly since Bush left office.

Many unmarked cliffs and chasms loom in the road ahead.  Obama will have to tread carefully as he acts.

Don't Jump to Conclusions?

The newest revelations concerning the Fort Hood shooter are now nothing short of outrageous.

Recent information released to the media proves that the Army psychiatrist currently held for opening fire at an Army processing center, killing several, had active and open contacts with Al Quaeda related Islamofascist groups. You remember these guys; we are at war with them. At least we were until January.

Okay so the FBI and the Army blew it on this one. It happens when you have to follow a lot of suspicious individuals. Obama's misstep is even worse. A few days after the terror attack, he told Americans to not jump to conclusions.

I believed him. Honest to goodness I believed him. The president gets the intel and the info so I assume he knows more than I do. He said to not jump to conclusions so I thought it must be an individual nut, not a terrorist conspiracy. Wrong!

You can NOT tell me that Obama did not receive a full briefing on who Hasan was and what he was doing within hours of the attack. And he STILL comes out and tells the country to not jump to conclusions. Once again the community organizer in chief wants us all to settle down regardless of the fact that a terror attack happened at a military installation and American soldiers were killed.

I am mad. You should be mad. Most importantly Obama should be mad! He isn't. He wants us to be calm and not get our feathers ruffled so he misleads the country, apparently not knowing that Republican congressmen can find out the true details on their own. I am sick of the community organizer in chief trying to run American security like a Chicago outreach program. If Obama is not a liar and he himself was not jumping to conclusions, then he is incredibly naive or deluded.

The most incredible fact is that the same US Army who will not grant an officer's commission to a recruit with a misdemeanor on their arrest record will keep a guy around with obvious sympathies for the main adversary of the United States. Stop treating Muslim fanatics any differently than Communists in the 1950s or Nazis in the 1930s. Hint, they might be working for the enemy.

Bush's Greatest Success in the War on Terror

Despite the outcry during the last campaign over the fact that Osama Bin Laden has not been captured yet, consider this.

What is the absolute best thing that could happen to that man right now?

Since 2001 American action and policy forced Bin Laden deep underground. New laws froze his assets and intelligence dogged him relentlessly for years. US action brought his organization into an Iraq war that sapped away its manpower and resources while breaking down its command structure.

Al Qua'ida, much like the Ku Klux Klan in the 20th century, went from being terrifying to near punch line status. Bin Laden's "I'm still alive guys!" tapes do not command the attention of anyone anymore. Basically the group has been reduced to firing tired old race insults at Obama.

So what is the best thing that could happen to Bin Laden?

Actually if he made his way into the United States and turned himself in at One Police Plaza, New York City, that would be about it. Imagine the attention he would bring to himself. Dying with his boots on, so to speak, would be the second best fate, capture the third.

Right now, Bush's War on Terror consigned Bin Laden to what he might consider hell. His hell is irrelevancy. No one cares what he says anymore. He has grown into another high profile fugitive who must spend more time hiding than planning his next great act of terror.

Should he turn himself in or get captured, he goes on public trial. Remember that putting Hitler on trial was one of the biggest jump starts Germany gave the National Socialist movement. Kill Bin Laden and he becomes a martyr.

Also, remember when the Democrats made a huge deal over the disbanding of the CIA unit dedicated to Bin Laden. In retrospect, this put Bin Laden on the public road to irrelevancy. Of course it also made good sense. The organization was the threat more than the man.

Let's hope that Bush's good work here does not get undone by the new administration.

Only Al Quaida Could Have Done It

Al Quaida's number two leader Al Zawahiri did something that will help Obama considerably in this country. Shoot, it even got me thinking angry thoughts on his behalf.

Al Zawahiri attacked Barack Obama in a very personal and demeaning way. He used an Arabic term to describe Obama, Rice, and Powell as what the world media has translated as "house negroes." Do not think that the media can fool Americans. We know exactly what word they meant to say and it was not "negro."

I do not like Barack Obama as my president, but at the end of the day he will soon be President of the United States. He is an American. No terrorist is allowed to say anything like that about this country's president and secretaries of state without understanding that this nation will rise in outrage.

The problem that Al Quaida faces is that a country that they have derided as being anti-Middle East and anti-Muslim has just elected a president with ties to both cultures. It undercuts all of their propaganda. They almost have to lash out in this manner to try and regain the psychological initiative.

I'll say again, Obama's ideas are destructive to our diplomacy and our economy. However, he is an American. Any terrorist who insults him in such a fashion insults me and 300 million others. I don't think they understand how much anger that kind of statement can create, or how much it will unify Americans once again to destroy their brand of hate.

War? What War?

Funny how news of the war has dropped to an almost imperceptible amount lately.

Perhaps it is because violence has dropped considerably over the past several months and US casualties occur relatively rarely these days. Iraqi forces have assumed responsibility for most of the country and absorb most of the casualties. The liberal screeching about civil war has turned into a rush to discuss anything else.

US money and resources have gone into building a strong public school system for Iraqi children. Yes our schools need money too, but many of these children are attending a secular school for the first time. They will learn about their important national traditions as well as the importance of democracy and respect for others. Investing in their education means that less children need to go to the fundamentalist Islamic school-terror brainwashing centers that would otherwise be their only alternative.

Just yesterday, American forces targeted and killed Al Qua'ida's number two leader in Iraq. The terrorists have lost there because America embraced a strategy of patient, but firm commitment. US troops tried to avoid violating sacred places while maintaining pressure. The commitment of George W. Bush to victory over political expediency ensured that the sacrifices of the US and Iraqis would not end up in vain. Democracy strengthened in the past year to the point that Iraq asked us to figure out when we could leave. Such self-confidence was lacking for a long time.

Victory in Iraq should be a crowning achievement for the Bush administration, but it will take years until he receives credit. Should his economic interventions stabilize the economy and reestablish growth, Bush may go down in history as one of our great presidents.

Meanwhile both Democrats and Republicans fear any kind of war related discussion. Republicans need to stand up and show pride that they supported democracy over tyranny, even when the situation looked grim. Their political courage helped to create an Iraq on the verge of success.

The Solution to Health Care Coverage For the Poor

You've got to hand it to Michael Moore, the man knows how to get his oversized mug into the news. Breaking the law to film his new docufalsity "Sicko" has resulted in a federal investigation and tremendous amounts of exposure for a movie that few people will watch.

I refuse to watch any of his movies because I do not want to put any money in the man's pocket or contribute to any statistics that support him. However, I have seen the previews showing him grandstanding outside of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base taunting the guards to let him and some uninsured 9/11 rescue workers in for medical treatment. After all, he says, they deserve the same quality of health care as Al Qua'ida. He then states that this was the only place in the United States where health care was guaranteed.

Moore and the left do not understand that health care is not a right. Health care is a commodity; it is also an incentive to educate oneself and to work hard. As with anything else, those that work towards a goal in the United States will generally achieve it. America provides more opportunity to its people than any other country anywhere, anytime. All an individual has to do is make the choice to succeed, then bust their tails doing it.

This does not mean that a solution does not exist to solve this issue of health insurance for the poor. As a matter of fact, Moore could represent part of a market solution if he wanted. Rich liberals could band together to form their own health insurance company. The company could operate on a sliding scale of payment determined by income. Rich fat cat liberals like Moore or Hillary Clinton could choose to join this company and pay massive premiums so that the poor could sign on and pay little or nothing. That way they could assuage their guilt over succeeding in a capitalist world while the rest of us work hard and continue to invest in the market economy.

Those that would force the productive to work hard and pay so that others can receive a free ride of benefits are the real sickos.