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Monday, June 18, 2007
Democrats will be known for Iraq surrender; Time now for homeland defense
U.S. HOPES TO DIVIDE HAMAS
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration hopes to divide Hamas and help
establish what officials believe could be a pro-Western wing of the Islamic
movement.
Officials said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice intends to promote
what she deems moderate elements in Hamas, particularly in the West Bank.
They said a would-be moderate wing could include ex-Prime Minister Ismail
Haniyeh in a coalition with Fatah, led by PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.
"So clearly there's a division of opinion, a difference of opinion,
within Hamas," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on June 14. "I
can't tell you what sort of command and control relationship there is. I'll
let others explain that to you."
Officials said the administration has decided to encourage moderate
elements in Hamas to cooperate with Abbas. They said Hamas's military wing
broke away from its political leadership in the decision to capture the Gaza
Strip.
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[On Saturday, Abbas appointed Salam Fayyad as the PA's new prime
minister. Fayyad was expected to win approval for his new Cabinet on
Sunday.]
Officials said the administration would announce several U.S. aid
projects for the Fatah-led Palestinian government in the West Bank this
week. They said Washington would also lift the embargo on the PA.
"I expect that we are going to be engaged with this government," U.S.
consul-general Jacob Walles said on Saturday. "I expect that early next
week. There will be some announcements in Washington, specifically about our
assistance and about the financial regulations."
Officials said U.S. security coordinator Lt. Gen. Keith Dayton has been
directed to assess Abbas's situation and determine new requirements in the
wake of the Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip. They said training of such PA
agencies as the Presidential Guard and National Security Forces would
continue in Egypt and the West Bank.
"We'll take a look to see what the balance might be between working with
forces on the West Bank vis-a-vis working with forces in Gaza," McCormack
said. "Right now I can't tell you what the balance might be in the future."
Officials said Ms. Rice has urged Egypt to bolster its forces along the
border with the Gaza Strip. They said the secretary has also urged Egypt and
Jordan to increase support for Abbas.
"President Abbas has exercised his lawful authority as the president of
the Palestinian Authority, as the leader of the Palestinian people," Ms.
Rice said. "We fully support him and his decision to try and end this crisis
of the Palestinian people and to give them an opportunity to return to peace
and a better future."
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Our government has similarly acceded to the refusal of the Shiite majority in the Iraqi government to share power and oil revenue with the Sunni population. It is regrettably time to leave. It makes no sense to lose any more American soldiers or spill any more American blood. This is particularly true when, according to The New York Times, not long ago the King of Saudi Arabia referred to our occupation as “an illegal foreign occupation.” The Iraqi government has not passed a resolution denouncing the King’s comment and welcoming the presence of our troops. Even more indicative of a lack of Iraqi support for our troops is the Times report dated May 12, 2007 that “A majority of Iraq’s Parliament members have signed a petition for a timetable governing a withdrawal of American troops, several legislators said Friday.”
The war in Iraq is drawing to an end. Remember the poignancy and impact of the death of the last German soldier — played by Lew Ayres in the film “All Quiet On the Western Front” — shortly before the armistice that ended World War I,
Because the Democrats are forcing an end to the struggle in Iraq, we must now prepare to fight terrorism in our homeland for the next thirty or more years. This is a war of civilizations. The Islamic terrorists worldwide want to destroy the U.S. and every other Western nation, along with moderate Muslim nations, e.g., Egypt, Jordan, etc. Our very survival as a nation is involved. Will we have the courage and will to do all that will be necessary to prevail?
What did "victory" mean in the Cold War? Did it mean invading the USSR? Did it mean bombing Moscow? No, it meant hanging tough, preventing the Soviets from expanding their base of power, until the internal contradictions and flaws in their system brought them down. The fight against terror and Islamic radicalism has the same goal... to prevent the radicals from expanding their base, which would happen if they get control of Iraq, and to maintain a tough defense until their medieval culture adapts to the modern world.
During the Cold War the pols in Washington were mostly united in support of this goal. But now the Democrats are not. There is no safety for the weak and foolish. When you seek to end a war without substantially achieving your essential goals by simply ceasing to fight, it is often a form of surrender. And that's the way the Democrat-imposed outcome in Iraq will be understood around the world, especially by our enemies.
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