Monday, September 27, 2004

Winning the war on Terrorism?

From The Belmont Club comes this revelation:

"Experts believe the retraction came about because Hamas does not want to be seen as another al-Qaida.

"Hamas' hesitation is evidence that the cellular structure of militant Islamism, meant to provide immunity against counterintelligence is also exacting a high strategic price. The decentralized command and control structure which freed cells to choose their own targets also allowed them to make their own enemies. And make enemies they did. Attacking the United States, seizing the Indian Parlaiment House, blowing up discos in Bali, smashing trains in Madrid and beheading people of every nationality has had the practical effect of multiplying the foes of radical Islam and enabled President Bush to build a global coalition against it. While it has arrogated to itself the power to ignore every civilized limit, Islamic terrorism itself is ironically dependent on their maintenance. Asymmetric warfare relies on being able to do what your enemy is forbidden. Terrorism, being militarily weak, relied upon legal restraints, inviolate borders and traditional respect for noncombatants and holy places to provide the shelter that concrete could not. Khalil lived in an unguarded compound in Damascus, in an ordinary residential neighborhood, free to plot the deaths of Jewish civilians. His armor was neither neither Kevlar nor steel but the certainty -- until now -- that Israel would not attack him across an "international" border. Hama's eagerness to limit the response to Israel proper betrays a growing fear that borders no longer provide sanctuaries."

It seems to me from this passage that the Bush Doctrine has struck fear into the hearts of terrorists, forcing them to be very careful not attack or appear to attack the U.S. directly. Now you might respond that the U.S. has flouted International Law to achieve this. Let's face it, we didn't take over Germany or Japan after WWII and the U.S. is not interested in becoming an empire. We just want to stop another 9-11, or Beslan, or Bali, or you name the murderous Islamo-fascist terror horror of the month. And it seems like Bush's willingness to strike out at terrorists and those who aid them has made even Hamas think twice about even the appearance of terror against the United States. All I can say is, "4 more years".

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