Issue Position: War on Terror

Issue Position

Issue Position: War on Terror

* Fight the global war against Radical Islamic Fundamentalists (the RIF).

* Stay the course in Iraq. The surge is working.

* Implement phased withdrawal from Iraq based on success, not pre-planned timetables.

* Bring Osama Bin Laden to justice.

A Global War
September 11, 2001 seems to fading from the national awareness. Pearl Harbor is even less of a memory. Both of these events remind us that we must protect ourselves from those who would do us harm.

. Only a very small fringe group disagrees that we need to keep America safe. Most Americans want a strong safe America with the only disagreement on how to do it.

What differentiated September 11 from Pearl Harbor was that it took time for us to fully realize the nature of our enemy in 2001. The enemy in 1941 was clear; the enemy in 2001 was not. It took us a while, but we are slowly recognizing Radical Islamic Fundamentalism, as portrayed by Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden, is the enemy. This enemy is nebulous and not well defined. Its fundamental beliefs and tactics were unfamiliar to us.

Because we did not really know who or what we were fighting, many mistakes were made. We went in with too few troops in the beginning, not to win against the Republican Guard, but we needed them to prevent looting and provide security for the innocent civilians after the fighting phase was complete. Now, we have a much better concept of who the enemy is and how to defeat them.

We know that in order to defeat this enemy, there will be many battles in this war on many different fronts. One was in Afghanistan. I have always thought that the war in Iraq was a misnomer; it should have been the battle of Iraq. Other secret and semi-secret battles are being fought right now. There are battles here in the United States, Europe, Pakistan, Chechnya, Palestine, and Indonesia to name a few. Radical Islamists must be confronted in all of these areas. These confrontations consist not only of military force by the entire world, but we must implement strategies that teach the people the benefits of a free and democratic society.

It would be tragic if we surrendered the battle of Iraq when we are at the verge of a complete victory. The surge is working. The good news is that if you review the position of all the major candidates, none advocates an outright surrender. They all have a plan of phased reduction; the only difference is how fast and whether or not the reduction is based on results in Iraq or a pre-planned timetable.

Regardless of who is elected President, the congress must support the President in this fight. We must show a solid front against this enemy or risk losing the war.

Source