The American 'weakness'

Submitted by Raymond T. Kyle (United States), Apr 23, 2004 at 19:03

Saddam Hussein ruled Iraq for years as a token Muslim. The Baathist Party ruled by a type of military dictatorship, not Sharia.

It is my belief that the real reason for Jihadist opposition to coalition forces is the firmly held belief that Westerners just do not have the stomach for the type of force necessary to defeat Islamic radicals.

The United States dithered for months before liberating Iraq in order to convince its opposition in the UN and the Democratic Party that it had done all it could to avoid conflict. The air campaign dubbed "Shock & Awe" was accurate and discriminating in order to avoid civilian deaths, and the ground campaign relied on speed and maneuver instead of a sledgehammer blow against Iraqi forces.

In occupying the country, the US and its allies have absorbed attacks and humiliations that would have brought down total destruction on our foes in World War II. Our reluctance to punish, and punish severely, those responsible for the deaths of coalition forces, civilian contractors, and Iraqis working to rebuild their country are putting truth to the bin Ladin claim that the great powers of the world cannot withstand the sword of Islamofascism. Every day that we delay, every hour that we waste on warnings and empty threats emboldens our enemies and provides more time for them to organize resistance. If the United States is not prepared to defeat the radicals expeditiously and decisively, they will survive to inflict more carnage until the West surrenders.

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