Why We Fight: The War Against Radical Islam

The war against radical Islam isn't just a bumper sticker, as wannabe presidential candidate John Edwards likes to say. Yes, the phrase "war on terror" is very misleading because it doesn't define the enemy in a clear and cogent way. The enemy is radical Islam and we must be strong enough and speak with enough moral clarity to identify this enemy without equivocation. But why? Why does it matter if we say "war on terror" or the war against radical Islam? It matters because the American people have to understand who we're fighting, and why we're fighting. Without a clearly defined enemy the country can't effectively be rallied to support the war effort, which we're seeing right now as the support for the war against al-Qaeda in Iraq wanes. And make no mistake: we are fighting al-Qaeda in Iraq.

President Bush was clear when the war came to our shores that this would be a different kind of conflict against a different kind of enemy. This enemy is patient, brutal and relentless and we're trying to fight it with one hand tied behind our backs. We've restricted our rules of engagement and at every turn the Democrat party undermines the effort, calls for surrender and discloses national security secrets to the New York Times: wiretapping of terrorist suspects; financial monitoring and tracking of terrorist-linked transactions. In light of these things it's easy to see why support for the war is sagging among the American people. But reminders aren't far away about who our enemy is if we're paying attention.

Recently, Michael Yon reported a story about al-Qaeda in Iraq. In order to gain support among the locals, Qaeda terrorists invited local families to dinner. The family profiles were similar: husband, wife and children, with one of the children being a young boy approximately 11 years old. The boy was taken out of the room, the Qaeda terrorists spoke to the husband and wife, and when dinner was to be served the boy was brought back in with his mouth stuffed. The terrorists had baked the young boy and served him to his parents. Read that again: the terrorists had baked the young boy and served him to his parents.

All around the world and right here in America, children are at risk of being brutalized and murdered in the most incomprehensible fashions the world has ever known. The enemy seeks to break our will and edges ever closer to fulfilling their goal with every casualty reported on the 10 o'clock news. But before you decide to throw in the towel on our efforts in Iraq and the war against radical Islam, think about the story Michael Yon reported and understand the reality of what we're up against. Try to imagine for just one moment what it would feel like to be that Iraqi family, struggling to breathe the sweet air of liberty that we take for granted here, having your murdered child served to you on a platter. Think about what it will mean to America and the world over if we forsake our allies for cheap political expediency. And then remember why it is we fight.