The opinions expressed on the Rants and Raves of Mac McIntyre are solely those of its author and are shared for the purpose of encouraging dialogue about life and issues in DeKalb County, Illinois.

Bush's Mistake

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My perspective on the war in Iraq is not widely shared. I believe Saddam
Hussein made himself a threat to world security, America inclusive. He had twice formally declared war on the United States and at least once attempted to assassinate a former U.S. President. His personal signature appeared on checks written to families of Palestinian suicide bombers. He was a murderer of members of his immediate family and of his citizens. He would without hesitation use chemical or biological weapons against any country or army he believed he had equal or greater firepower to.

Hussein was the undisputed leader of Iraq and therefore had the resources and authority that made it necessary to respond to those threats, especially due to our lack of accurate intelligence on the various networks of the wahabi and qutbit movements of extremist Islam, combined with the scope, success and surprise of the 9-11 attacks.

President Bush's mistake was and is trying to be politically correct. His
intelligence included public opinion poll sampling to determine what
phraseology would gain the most support among registered voters. His
invasion plan included media accommodation designed for public relations. The damage was semantic inaccuracy of the threat Hussein posed that now serves the enemy in their efforts to wage public relations as a weapon in this war.

Osama bin Laden started a war with his version of the Islamic State as his objective. Others share his vision even if some hate him for starting this war prematurely, according to them. Their version of the Islamic State, in its utopia (of which they would rule), has no border or room for infidels. It is global. The infidels must convert to Islam by surrendering their freedom to the law of Sharia, as of course interpreted by Bin Laden and Company.

Wahabism has its roots in Saudi Arabia. Qutbitsm originated in Egypt. Bin
Laden's religious mentor and right hand man is an Egyptian, Ayman al-Zawahri. These are sects of Sunni Islam. The Sunni are a minority to the Shi'ite sect in Iraq but it is the religion of Hussein's family and strongholds. Bin Laden fancies himself as the Khalifah of the Islamic State. Hussein, the secular-religionist, thought he could be both Khalifah and the second coming of Stalin.

To attempt to fight a war while being politically correct puts the United
States at a decided disadvantage to an enemy who could care less what the majority of people think as long as they can scare the hell out of them.

By stating that, "America will employ the world's greatest technology and
most powerful military to use precision weaponry that will minimize
collateral damage," we subject ourselves to propaganda each time the media reports civilian casualties. The enemy gets to use mosques to launch attacks from. They bomb Christian churches in Iraq. They behead captives. They blow up schools full of children. And we try to maintain our image?

War is inhuman. Once it is engaged it must be fought until one side or the other gives. What is required for the American people (and all other
infidels) to give is our freedom.

Bush should have stuck to his guns. His initial statement in response to
9-11 was, "you (other nations) are either with us or against us." When the recognized leader of any nation made statements such as Saddam Hussein did: "If the attacks of September 11 cost the lives of 3,000 civilians, how much will the size of losses in 50 states within 100 cities if it were attacked in the same way in which New York and Washington were? What would happen if hundreds of planes attacked American cities?" --- (Al-Rafidayn, Iraqi State-controlled newspaper); and "[I]t is possible to turn to biological attack, where a small can, not bigger than the size of a hand, can be used to release viruses that affect everything..." (Babil, September 20, 2001 Iraqi State-controlled newspaper), then a formal congressional declaration
of war should have followed.

The United Nations consistently proves itself to be inept. Darfur is one
more sad example -- 50,000 confirmed dead while they sit with their heads in their hands. The United States could not allow such a weak organization to determine the defense of the entire free world.

Unfortunately, Senator Kerry has not shown the leadership qualities needed to assume command of this situation. Even among Democrats he loses to Bush. 51% of likely democrat voters say they are voting against Bush, 44% say they are voting for John Kerry. His morphing on how to handle the war in Iraq is an indication that he too, will seek politically correct solutions to a war based in insanity.

It is time to mobilize America and whatever allies we have to a greater
degree than the so-called Greatest Generation. It is time to realize that we are indeed at war with a resourceful enemy whose goal is our destruction.