Posted by
NavyWife on Saturday, July 15, 2006 10:06:29 AM
Bill Kristol
thinks President Bush should drop the G-8 and do a surprize visit to
Jerusalem. I would applaud that move. But I really don't think thats
going to happen. This regional war in the Middle East is part of a
bigger problem, Radical Islamic Fascists. Israel is fighting the same
war we are fighting against in Iraq and Afganistain.
The war against radical Islamism is likely to be a long one. Radical
Islamism isn't going away anytime soon. But it will make a big
difference how strong the state sponsors, harborers, and financiers of
radical Islamism are. Thus, our focus should be less on Hamas and
Hezbollah, and more on their paymasters and real commanders--Syria and
Iran. And our focus should be not only on the regional war in the
Middle East, but also on the global struggle against radical Islamism.
Iran is supporting this "Proxy War." It is better for Israel to fight
it now then to wait for Iran to develop Nukes to launch stage. We have
to be supportive of Israel and fight the global war of Terror. Iran
needs to be taken out. We have to be strong and do the job right.
For while Syria and Iran are enemies of Israel, they are also enemies
of the United States. We have done a poor job of standing up to them
and weakening them. They are now testing us more boldly than one would
have thought possible a few years ago. Weakness is provocative. We have
been too weak, and have allowed ourselves to be perceived as weak.
The right response is renewed strength--in supporting the
governments of Iraq and Afghanistan, in standing with Israel, and in
pursuing regime change in Syria and Iran. For that matter, we might
consider countering this act of Iranian aggression with a military
strike against Iranian nuclear facilities. Why wait? Does anyone think
a nuclear Iran can be contained? That the current regime will negotiate
in good faith? It would be easier to act sooner rather than later. Yes,
there would be repercussions--and they would be healthy ones, showing a
strong America that has rejected further appeasement.