The U.S. has no option other than total war

Submitted by Vincent Racaniello (United States), Aug 25, 2002 at 23:20

The U.S. has no other option. Given the clear and ongoing nuclear/chemical/biological threat posed by radicalized neo-fascists, the U.S. has no other option other than total war. The more I think about the chess board and all the players and potential moves, the more I realize that the U.S. must change the political landscape in the Middle East. In short, it must control the board and all of the pieces. If we simply pursue the "terrorists" then all we will have accomplished is the removal of certain key players; the game, however, will continue until the U.S. is capable of declaring the game over. I do not believe that such a war would take decades. The war needs to be fought now and it needs to be won quickly and it needs to be won on U.S terms. It is my opinion that a change in thinking has occured in the ranks of the executive branch and within the military brass. What began as war against terror and a vendetta against the 9/11 accompliances has by necessity evolved into something much larger. For nothing other than a realignment and re-ordering of the political landscape in the Middle East can secure an end to the threat possed by radicalized islamists. In the coming weeks I predict a continued build up of U.S. forces in the region. The Saudi and Iraqi oil fields will be seized under the pretext of protecting them from terrorists. Hussein will flee or be ushered out as he is nothing more than a paper tiger surrounded by sychophants and rivals. Saudi Arabia, which is no doubt hiding Bin Laden and his cohorts, will be hit by U.S. special forces when the time is right. Green lights will be given to the Israelis to move against Hamas and Hezbullah. (I believe these groups are aware of the coming war are regrouping and rearming) Iraq will be staging ground for the real strategic prize: Tehran. I believe new alliances have been formed with Turkey and India, two countries which also have problems with radicalized Islamists. The terror perpatrated against the U.S. cannot stand for strategic and political reasons. If the U.S. is to remain a superpower, it must show the world, both friend and foe alike, that it is a force not to be trifled with.

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".