Failure Is Not An Option
There is no question that the war in Iraq is a very contentious issue to say the least. The level of violence in that country has skyrocketed to a level that is almost unprecedented in modern society. The takeover of Congress by the Democrats combined with the Presidential aspirations of some has turned the war in Iraq into a political football.
It is completely understandable that many are just tired of seeing our brave soldiers being killed, and simply want this war to end now. However, it is important to study the broader implications of a defeat in that part of the world or even a perceived defeat. We would undoubtedly be confirming the suspicions of Osama & Co. that the U.S. is a “paper tiger” that doesn’t have the stomach for any type of sustained conflict.
In 1998 Osama Bin Laden was asked by ABC report John Miller about the “Black Hawk Down” incident and the role of Al Qaeda in that attack. Bin Laden said this, “The youth were surprised at the low morale of the American soldiers and realized more than before that the American soldier was a paper tiger and after a few blows ran in defeat. And America forgot all the hoopla and media propaganda … about being the world leader and the leader of the New World Order, and after a few blows they forgot about this title and left, dragging their corpses and their shameful defeat.”
A precipitous withdrawal from Iraq would send a clear message to Al Qaeda and the rest of our enemies that the U.S. is indeed weak, and all it takes is 3,344 dead soldiers to make America fold like a cheap suit. The loss of every last one of those soldiers is a tragedy and they will be missed, but do you think they would have wanted to die for something we couldn’t even finish?
Date: April 27, 2007
Reference: Frontline: Hunting Bin Laden
This entry was contributed by Chris Jones.
May 10th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
We should never have gone into Iraq in the first place. That’s what is so frustrating about htis mess.
May 13th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
It almost makes their deaths seem to be in vain, if we cannot finish what was begun. However, this, too, is a great source of debate and deliberation needed. I just don’t see things improving. Where do we draw the line? How do we draw the line? My heart breaks for the families who have lost loved ones, so very sad.