Why the War Is Coming Home
Faisal Shahzad sought to massacre scores of fellow Americans in Times Square with a bomb made of M-88 firecrackers, non-explosive fertilizer, gasoline and alarm clocks.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a U.S. airliner over Detroit with a firebomb concealed in his underpants. Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan shot dead 13 fellow soldiers at Fort Hood and wounded 29.
Why did these men attempt the mass murder of Americans who did no harm to them? What impelled them to seek martyrdom amid a pile of American corpses?
Though all were Muslims, none seems to have been a longtime America-hater or natural-born killer. Hasan was proud to wear Army fatigues to mosque. Shahzad had become a U.S. citizen. Abdulmutallab was the privileged son of a prominent Nigerian banker.
The New York Times ties all three to the Internet sermons of Anwar al-Awlaki, a Yemen-based imam born and educated in the United States who inspires Muslims worldwide to jihad against America. But, following Sept. 11, al-Awlaki had been seen as a bridge between Islam and the West.
Now President Obama has authorized his assassination.
What do the four have in common?
All were converted in manhood into haters of America willing to kill and die in a jihad against America. And the probability is high that there are many more like them living amongst us who wish to bring the war in the Af-Pak here to America.
But what radicalized them? And why do they hate us?
Taking a cue from George W. Bush, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the Times Square bomber, “We will not be intimidated by those who hate the freedoms that make … this country so great.”
This was the mantra after Sept. 11. We are hated not because of what we do in the Middle East, but because of who we are: people who love freedom and stand for women’s rights.
And that is why they hate us — and why they come to kill us.
In a way this is a comforting thought, because it absolves us of the need to think. For no patriotic American is going to demand we surrender our freedom to prevent fanatics from attacking us.
The Wall Street Journal‘s Bret Stephens advances a parallel view. We are hated, he says, because of our popular culture.
We are loathed in the Islamic world, Stephens writes, because of “Lady Gaga — or, if you prefer, Madonna, Farrah Fawcett, Marilyn Monroe, Josephine Baker or any other American woman who has … personified what the Egyptian Islamist writer Sayyid Qutb once called ‘the American Temptress.’”
This hatred is at least 60 years old, says Stephens, for Qutb wrote even before “Elvis, Playboy, the pill, women’s lib, acid tabs, gay rights, Studio 54, Jersey shore and … Lady Gaga.”
Qutb’s revulsion at American degeneracy is why his legion of Islamic followers hate us.
Again, a comforting thought. For, if Lady Gaga is the problem, there is nothing we Americans can do about it.
Yet, this is as self-delusional as saying the FLN set off bombs in movie theaters and cafes in Algiers to kill the French because of what Brigitte Bardot was doing on screen in “And God Created Woman.”
American’s toxic culture may be a reason devout Muslims detest us. It is not why they come here to kill us. Mohammed Atta’s friends did not target Hollywood, but centers and symbols of U.S. military and political power.
U.S. Marines were not attacked by Hezbollah until we inserted those Marines into Lebanon’s civil war. No Iraqi committed an act of terror against us before we invaded Iraq. And if the Sept. 11 killers were motivated by hatred of the immorality of our society, what were they doing getting lap dances in Delray Beach?
Osama bin Laden declared war on us, first and foremost, to end the massive U.S. presence on sacred Saudi soil that is home to Mecca and Medina.
Some may insist this was not his real motive. But, apparently, the Saudis believed him, for they quickly kicked us out of Prince Sultan Air Base.
As for the Taliban, they would surely make short work of Lady Gaga. But their stated grievance is the same as Gen. Washington’s in our war with the British: If you want this war to end, get out of our country.
By Occam’s razor, the simplest explanation is usually the right one. Looking at America’s wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Maj. Hasan, Abdulmutallab and Shahzad decided that what we call the war on terror was in reality a war on Islam.
All decided to use their access to exact retribution for our killing of their fellow Muslims.
We are being attacked over here because we are over there.
Nor is it a good sign that U.S. intelligence is reporting that rising numbers of U.S. Muslims are making Internet inquiries about how and where to get training to bring the war home to America.
Patrick J. Buchanan is founding editor of The American Conservative and author, most recently, of Churchill, Hitler, and the “Unnecessary War”.
COPYRIGHT 2010 CREATORS.COM
Could we try throwing Lady GaGa into a volcano or something first?
If we really loved freedom, we would not have the TSA. We would be saying:
“You might be able to blow up this airplane, but I’m not going to make it easy. Liberty is dangerous but it is what Americans hold as more precious than even their lives. And I’m willing to pay the price. I will not be patted down, x-rayed, or scanned. I paid for the seat and I will sit in it. I will enjoy the ride. Tens of thousands will travel safely today, tomorrow, for a long time – and if you choose to do a horrendous criminal and evil act, you might kill me, but I say with one of the founding fathers, ‘Give me liberty or give me death’”.
Instead we attempt to nation-build while Osama laughs, and act like sheep or cattle being loaded on the trains.
“American’s toxic culture may be a reason devout Muslims detest us. It is not why they come here to kill us. Mohammed Atta’s friends did not target Hollywood, but centers and symbols of U.S. military and political power.”
All I can say is “Bravo Pat!”
Sadly, the circle is becoming all too predictable. The longer we stay there to kill more ‘terrorists’ (along with anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby), the more fuel we pour on the Islamic fire. In return, the more they try to attack us, the more ‘justification’ the War Party claims for its military presence in the ME. Meanwhile, it is the citizens of both countries who pay the real price, both in lost countrymen and increased taxes. I pray we learn the lesson before it is too late.
Peace be with you,
Chris
[...] aside from Ron Paul, to discredit the “they hate us for our freedoms” rhetoric. Exhibit A is his latest syndicated column: Taking a cue from George W. Bush, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said of the Times Square bomber, “We [...]
“Osama bin Laden declared war on us, first and foremost, to end the massive U.S. presence on sacred Saudi soil that is home to Mecca and Medina. Some may insist this was not his real motive. But, apparently, the Saudis believed him, for they quickly kicked us out of Prince Sultan Air Base. As for the Taliban, they would surely make short work of Lady Gaga. But their stated grievance is the same as Gen. Washington’s in our war with the British: If you want this war to end, get out of our country.”
An American non-interventionist foreign policy would definitely dampen the drive to jihad among all the Shahzad-types who would never be impelled to terrorism through Koranic injunctions alone. A Paulite/Buchananite policy would reduce the present flood of jihadist recruits to a trickle and the groups would then become so marginalized as to constitute no threat. Remaining, however, are a couple more grievances that Bin Laden could still hype up and will have to be addressed. One is that America deserves to be attacked is that we prop up dictators and support corrupt regimes in the Islamic world.
This charge can only be countered by pointing out that corrupt despots in the Middle East is nothing new nor was it the upshot of Western intervention. As Jon Basil Utley explains, it was not “”considered ‘corrupt’ to use government power to profit one’s family, clan, or tribe. Everybody did it! Look at Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or Afghanistan today. Profiting oneself, one’s clan, and one’s tribe is a tradition stretching back thousands of years. What America calls “corruption” has been the world’s way of life until relatively recently.” Anyone serious in undermining the aims of the Islamists would do well to maintain that corruption and kleptocracy would prevail regardless. Looks like Bin Laden and Al Qaeda have their work cut out for them.
And I just read on the Fox News website of a “documentary” which claims that Osama bin Laden is living comfortably in—you guessed it—Iran!
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/03/usama-bin-laden-living-comfortably-iran-documentary-asserts/
Yes, sirree, America, time to get them war drums a beatin’ again!
I believe it was David Brooks on Meet the Press this Sunday who cited the Pakistani Taliban connection with the Times Square bomber wannabe as a reason for our waging war against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Finally, a justification for waging war against an entity, the Taliban, that did not attack us on 9/11: the fact that they are retaliating for all the Taliban we are killing in their own countries. I knew the war proponents would finally come up with a good reason for continuing the war in Afghanistan if we gave them enough time.
What should be truly depressing and embarassing for Americans is that when Mr Buchanan comes out with this kind of thing – the easy first stage of analysing foreign policy issues – he comes out sounding like a genius of insight next to the US mainstream of political commentary. That’s not intended as any disrespect to Mr Buchanan – quite the contrary.
The portrayal of the US as a bumbling, idiotic but immensely strong thug is an apt one.
A society of people who fears death as profoundly and neurotically as we do can only be so free. Baby Boomers grew up insulated from the fact of their own mortality, partially due to the Church falling down on the job, and now they’re tearing the world apart (cf: health care “reform”) trying to alter the fact that they could go at any time, for any reason.
It could be argued that the Cold War was what kept us sane for so long.
Hi Pons,
Your points are well taken. My only counter would be that while, yes there have always been corrupt regimes, we have not always felt the need to support them. Saddam would still be corrupt, but we chose to help him. Israel would still be a source of contention in the area, but our direct support is what brings us into the firing range. But I’m sure that I am not telling you anything you don’t already know.
Peace be with you.
[...] with a bomb made of M-88 firecrackers, non-explosive fertilizer, gasoline and alarm clocks. – Patrick J. Buchanan The concept of “sowing and reaping” is a core biblical truth. It is also a fundamental part of [...]
This article is ridiculous the Islamic world does not hate America because of its advanced freedom (of which gays are exclouded) but because of atrocities commited against them by western countries over the last century and to be more precise the last 1000 years.
Islam has every right to hate the west the crusades the many turkish wars the destruction of the ottoman empire colonialism afghanastan and now iraq and afghanistan again.
If america wonts people to stop hating them they need to stop f*******g countries up without fixing them just because their communist. After ww1 the ottoman empire the last of the safe havens of non europeans in the world was destroyed and divided up between Britain and France which exploited and destroyed these areas for their own profit. In Afghanistan america created a mass proliferation of weapons among peoples but once the russians withdrew so did american support you destroyed the country then abandoned it.
In the middle east you backed the militarist Israelys while claiming to support freedom you backed opressive governments all over the world you gave weapons to iraq and medled with hundreds of countries every where the USA is an imperialist empire you may not want to admit but it was worse than the USSR the only differenc between the two was America had more money and better industry and became more succesful while the USSR was decemated by the germans losing around 25million people and its entire industry.
But thats off the point as to the reference to the bombing of french cinemas in Algiers. Algeria used to be a stable regular area absorgbed into the ottoman empire and protected by morroco and the ottomans it was perfectly fin however a succession of european rulers raped country and completly destroyed it no one has ever been held accountabl;e for this especially not europe Algeria is still in a tentative state only having just pulled out of a civil war.
This is the case all over the world europe and america became rich exploiting there empires destroying whole countries nay continents yet no reposibility even now european companies take the place of their empire exlpoiting bribing and destroying many african asian and south american nations. The reason Africa is so bad the europeans followed by the cold war which america was a part of the reason the middle east is so bad the europeans followed by the USA the reason parts of asia are so bad you guesed it the euopeans folowed by the USA in their mad communist paranoia.
If you look for a reason for all the hate within islam at the moment one but need look at history for 1500 years islam greeted christians Jews and sikhs as brothers they welcomed there different views of the same god yet the europeans kept hating so empires grew and pushed back yet still no matter how much land the ottoamns took it was still a fair empire
Its taken 1500 years but muslims are fed up!!! after being kind to the jews they now opress the arabs the christians destroyed the great islamic empires and the most educated places in the world are now war zones youve done this to yourselves and what your doing now is just agravating them.
PS Adam Rurik fox news is owned by the noted conservative republican rupert murdoch nothing they say on fox is anything but conservative republican opinions nothing as for Osama bin laden in iran ludicrous iran is a Sunni nation Osama bin Laden is a shiite plus iran is a stable country with fairly good political freedom (more than say an american backed country with similar problems ie the philippines)
Mr “a person”,
With all due respect, I think you need to read the article and comments again with a friend who speaks English as their primary language.
[...] Read the whole thing here: Why the War Is Coming Home [...]
Was that before or after the Muslim hordes invaded Europe and Europe was saved only after the Muslims were defeated in the Battle of Tours in 732 A.D.? Give me a break, you need to learn your history. Is it really so hard to figure out why Europe would be so distrustful of Muslims? Islam tried to CONQUER Europe, long before Christian Europe did anything to the Middle East. And, by the way, Iran is a shiite nation and Osama sunni. Yeah, where did you get your education again?
“Islam tried to CONQUER Europe, long before Christian Europe did anything to the Middle East. ”
Even before Islam reached Europe, Islam had conquered parts of the Near East and North Africa that were largely Christian under the rule of the Byzantine Empire. While the Arab advance was repulsed at Tours in 732 A.D., the Moslems continued to occupy Spain in whole or in part until they were finally expelled in 1492.
Of course, the later conquerors, the Ottoman Turks, who had come from central Asia, invaded the Arab areas of the Near East, conquered Constantinople, converted the Agia Sophia (the greatest Christian church in the world for close to a thousand years) into a mosque, and proceeded to conquer the Christian lands of the Balkans.
I believe the Greeks owe a profound apology to the Ottoman Turks for revolting from their rule in 1821, as do the Serbs, Bugarians and Romanians for their subsequent revolts. And the Austrians must apologize for resisting the seige of Vienna by the Ottoman armies in 1683, thus forestalling the Ottoman advance into central Europe.
Why even the Arabs must apologize for seeking to overthrow their Ottoman rulers during WWI under the instigation of the Brits. There is so much to apologize for. The “Moslem world’s” list of grievances is long indeed. And, then, there are those cartoons. . . .
Pat,you make sense to me. Those who claim that many in the Islamic world despise us for using our freedom to pursue and glorify a decadent culture are correct in that assertion, however it seems to me that you are correct as to the reasons why many Islamic radicals are willing to die to kill us. Neither Lady Gaga, Madonna nor any of the other role models for secular Western youth would inspire one to give up their life [unless you had to live with her]or raise their children to become murdering suicide bombs. That said it does seem to me that we are stuck over. If a local politician arose who while protecting our interests worked for the good of the native folks maybe it could work. A difficulty is that the locals are rarely unified themselves so if any gov’t is seen as helping some they are viewed as hurting others. The world’s economy is dependent on a steady oil supply from the region. While it is tempting to try it with the hope that they could work it out I suspect that if we just left the regional powers Israel, Iran and Al Kydah to battle it out for control the resulting bloodshed and destruction of the oil fields would make us long for the mess we have now.
“The portrayal of the US as a bumbling, idiotic but immensely strong thug is an apt one.”
Randal, I believe you are displaying your envy over the fact that we have a sitting President who is the most recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, something you Brits can’t claim. (Why, you Brits don’t even have a President, and I have heard that, gasp, you don’t even have a written constitution.) His peaceful intentions are so manifest that he was awarded the prize even before he actually accomplished anything to deserve it. He has greatly expanded our military presence in Afghanistan and launched a few drone missiles, but he has done so only with the purpose of bringing peace to the area. So, eat your heart out.
While a thorough look at history will tell you who did what to whom first, one must look at the reasons. The one most obvious is that they want what we have.
Reading the Bible vs the Quran, the Bible teaches tolerance while the Quran teaches deceit and destruction. Jesus taught to turn the other cheek. Mohammed taught to “make a treaty with ones enemies until you are strong enough to defeat them”.
We are the enemy. They are in the process of infiltrating us with the intent of our ultimate destruction.
Who did what to whom? How far should we go? Maybe to the Macedonian? Or further back to Persia?
I love FlyRn, really love him/her. Assuring us that the bible, unlike the Koran, teaches tolerance. Let’s just ignore the centuries of Christian intolerance to jews, pagans or, most especially Christian heretics. I mean seriously, has there ever been 1000+ years of one religion preaching so much hate towards others?
But i suppose that has nothing to do with the Christian bible, which is all filled with peace and tolerance – both testaments!like this gem:
“‘You are my battle-ax and sword,’ says the LORD. ‘With you I will shatter nations and destroy many kingdoms. With you I will shatter armies, destroying the horse and rider, the chariot and charioteer. With you I will shatter men and women, old people and children, young men and maidens. With you I will shatter shepherds and flocks, farmers and oxen, captains and rulers. ‘ [etc] says the LORD. (Jeremiah 51:20-26)”
Want more?
Ok, let’s talk about the real world. We’re over there because we want their resources. They’re over here because we have a tendancy to occupy their lands and drop bombs on their heads.
carry on.
You say… ” For no patriotic American is going to demand we surrender our freedom to prevent fanatics from attacking us.”
I say why not? America wants the jews to do it for the Palistinians in giving up land they fought for in 67. put America under presure and the people will give up freedom. After all we turning to socialism and we give up freedom every year. I say yes, we will give up our freedom for peace with Islam.
where to start with this so much historical idiocy but suprisingly a few (kind of) smart people ok ill go from the top.
Jack Tracey
Oh i see i am deeply sorry I’m afraid I must confess to have just skimmed through this article i did not see the authors critical tone on such things as the American way of life causing these problems and therefore i must withdraw several of my comments
djeskey
while yes what you say is true a better example would have been to have used the military campaigns of Muhammeds i think it was father in laws conquests he built vast empires through egypt and up to syria but the locals in byzantine controlled areas greated them and the conquerers left people who believed in a single god alone it was only when they reached persia did they start converting people.
But even so at the time europe was in the dark ages people lived in squalor and filth with a tiny aristocracy and a church ruling over their surfs. How was the morrocans invasion any different from th USA invading afghanistan; morrocan spain was the most educated place in the world cordoba had street lights and paper and sewage disposal the locals loved the moors they were far better off. Invading france would have seemed like liberating the locals from an opressive rule.
Just a few more things 1 correct me if im wrong but the byzantine empire counted as christian europe now where was it they controlled where was it oh yes they controlled the middle east.
2 Morroco isnt part of the middle east (but i state it should be as continents go asia should be split into three seperate areas as well as africa so the new continent includes north africa and the middle east in a newly defined area there would no real change) and are you going to base your opinions on an entire religion on the act of a single country within that religion because if you wont acts of cruelty : the inquisition, the crusades the expulsion of the Jews spain and england, the witchhunts i could go on oh every country in europe partcipated icluding the USA 100 years after it had pretty much stopped in europe. As for womens rights its only recently that the west has exceeded the east in womens rights i mean hell the USA only gave women proper working right 50 years ago its ludicrous you call yoursleves the leaders of the free world pfft more like the followers.
ps im sorry i got osama bin landens afialiations and irans affialitions mixed up i did write an awful lot thank you for informing me that i had got it wrong unfortunatley like many others insecure about their own intelligence you turned a simple mistake into something belittling my inteligence. Showing just how petty and desperate you are
(Oh actually just one more thing long before they tried less then 100 years later)
tbraton
Even though i strongly suspect Tbraton is being sarcvastic in his comments i would have to agree. The Ottomans brought education, safety, tolerance and equality (for its time)
However your last point
“Why even the Arabs must apologize for seeking to overthrow their Ottoman rulers during WWI under the instigation of the Brits. There is so much to apologize for. The “Moslem world’s” list of grievances is long indeed. And, then, there are those cartoons. . . .”
Is one bred by the western propganda after the World wars and one t\many in the western world believe as gospel.
The story of laurence of arabia a brave liberator of the arabs who rallied around him to fight the opressive Ottoman turks was completley fabricated the majority of arabs were content living in the last non european empire for you forget the arabs are all over the middle east it is similar to the way if you look in old history books it will tell you about the british victory in mesopotamia and how as the brit soldiers marched into baghdad cheering crowds lined the street to greet their liberators. Iv eseen pictures of their libertion the people line the but angrily glaring at their conqueres i have actually found pictures where people are shouting or throwing objects at the brits. As fo the cartoons what do you expect christians should be like that as well but their to stupid and set in their ways to realise that you worship idols which god in all three religions forbade.
Andy
True the resulting fighting would lead to chaos what started that but Americas involvement in the first place now you mst stay their for decades until you fix the area or look at the possibilty of another say bosnia (since it will probably be the israelies who win in “self defence” and then start intiating genocides against muslims as they did when the state was first derived maybe not genocide but discrimnation certainly)
tbraton,
How do you know randal is british?
Also Obama received the nobel prize for being the first black president well anywhere in the first world by giving the nobel peace prize to obama europe attempts to seek amends for the hundred s of years of slavery they put africa through and the complete destruction of africa.
Next Britain doesnt need a written constutuition as the magna carta works as a form of constituition and the queen only has very limited power left so the tittle of prime minister is the same as president.
Obama does not have peace in m ind he has his political career in mind as all politicians do. He may personally believe in peace but as one man even as president it is hard for him to achieve that and if you truly wanted peace you would use my three generational plan for solving poverty and things like womens rights instead of just shoving it on them.
FlyRN13
You are a moron
hankest
you are completly correct
Besides what either one says is irrelevant its how countries followed them that matters and if you use an 1500 year calculation (since islam started) you will find that christianity despit the new testaments peaceful intentions has been used in so many genocides and hate crimes in fact the worst being things like Hitler. While Islam has only in the last 100 years really been radicalised so 1350 years of christian intolerance vs about 100 years of Muslim intolerance ding ding ding christianinty is the worst religion in the world
Besides the bible has been altered so much over the last 2000 years that you cant take anything in there at face value
[...] Why the War Is Coming Home May 12th, 2010 Posted by Anthony Gregory Why the War Is Coming Home [...]
[...] Why the War Is Coming Home Why the War Is Coming Home [...]
tbraton: “Randal, I believe you are displaying your envy over the fact that we have a sitting President who is the most recent recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, something you Brits can’t claim.”
Damn! You got me. I just hate you Americans out of envy for your politicians.
“His peaceful intentions are so manifest that he was awarded the prize even before he actually accomplished anything to deserve it.”
Well I expect the committee that awarded the prize foresaw all His good works killing bad guys with remote controlled missiles (they know they are bad guys because US “intelligence” thinks they probably are, and US “intelligence” doesn’t make mistakes on important stuff).
[...] Oригинaл публикaции: Why the War Is Coming Home [...]
First off, America was attacked long before Lady GaGa became popular. Islam has been trying to conquer the world since 700AD; they don’t like America, because as Bush said, they hate our freedom. America stands for freedom and therefore we get in their way. Where America isn’t present, such as Darfur (or any of the other countries that have faced genocide in recent years) the jihadists are much worse. We now live in a global economy and terrorists can take a quick plane ride from the otherside of the world and be inside American within a day. The answer is not to abandon the rest of the world in order to delay our own destruction. The answer is to assist the rest of the world — that is being attacked by our mutual enemies — in order to prevent the world from being destroyed.