The Real Weapons of Mass Distraction

The Real Weapons of Mass Distraction

So, the Democrats were right after all. Those really were Weapons of Mass Distraction. Judging from his performance on “Meet The Press,” these weapons have become so distracting that even President George W. Bush seems to have forgotten why we invaded Iraq. To review: We invaded Iraq because Iraq was a front in the war against terror.
For entirely too long the press and the presidential campaign has focused eagerly upon the fruitless search for weapons. The search was highlighted as Democrats and their press parrots focused upon an imaginary, but often repeated quote from the president declaring that Saddam’s weapons were an imminent threat. In truth, the president specifically said that Saddam’s weapons were not an imminent threat and that it was precisely because the threat was not yet imminent that we had to act when we did.
So focused has the press and the political debate grown on the hunt for weapons of mass destruction that we’ve forgotten what we’re up to. And, if we don’t regain our focus, it will cost us dearly.
We are fighting an entirely new kind of war. Previously, we fought wars against specific countries. Now, we are fighting an amorphous movement that crosses international boundaries and often recruits its soldiers from the citizens of the country it attacks. Fighting a war against terrorism requires that we not only attack the terrorists themselves, but their sanctuaries and their sources of succor.
Afghanistan was a sanctuary for the terrorists, where they could plan and train in relative security. The Al Quaida terrorist network ran the country through its surrogates.
Iraq under Saddam Hussein also needed to be dumped into history’s waste bin for many of the same reasons. Liberals point out that there was no direct connection between Saddam Hussein and the September 11, 2001 attacks. Again, Democrats and their water bearers in the press have assigned claims to the administration that it did not make. The Bush Administration has gone to rather extraordinary lengths to excuse Iraq from complicity in the attacks. Nevertheless, Bush is often accused of invading Iraq on the false pretense that Iraq was involved. But, we are not fighting a war of retaliation. We are fighting a war of suppression, or if you prefer, preemption. It’s ludicrous to claim that Saddam Hussein did not underwrite and encourage terrorism. Saddam Hussein openly financed suicide bombings in Israel. And, before anyone ever heard of Osama Bin Laden, Abu Nidal and Abu Abbas were the faces of terror. Until the war, both lived and operated openly in Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s protection.
Liberals have attempted to distract our attention from Iraq by demanding to know why we have not dealt with Iran and North Korea as we did with Iraq.
Those are different situations. In the case of North Korea, the Clinton Administration allowed Kim Jong Il to become an imminent threat and that changes the calculus entirely. A military solution would undoubtedly result in the nuclear incineration of millions. Additionally, North Korea is so economically unstable that it may collapse on its own, just as the Soviet Union did, without a shot being fired.
Iran is politically unstable. Its young are pro-American and very much opposed to the theocracy. Unrest is growing and becoming bolder. No nation can be ruled forever without the consent of its people and the mullahs are losing control there. Again, the country is likely to fall without military intervention.
And, another front in the war on terror is attitude. It should be remembered that until recently, terrorism was somewhat chic in this country. I can remember Ted Kennedy raising funds for the Irish Republican Army. Mark Steyn pointed out that, until recently, in Canada, donations to foreign terrorists were tax deductible. Since such easy funding has dried up as we win the war on the financial front, the Tamil Tigers, a particularly vicious Sri Lankan terrorist group, has sued for peace.
It’s also worth remembering that our success in Iraq tipped over the Libyan domino. On the day the Iraq War began, Libya started asking for terms. The vision of Saddam being pulled out of his hole inspired Libyan dictator and former state sponsor of terrorism, Moammar Gaddafi, to surrender.
All this can be squandered if we lose our focus. The terrorists can still win, but only if we allow ourselves to be distracted.