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Like many of you, I read the cover story, “Why Do The Best Soldiers in the World Keep Losing?” in an issue of The Atlantic with great interest. Reading that article combined with some other discussions, research, and internal dialogue has led me to something that seems obvious in regards to our post 9/11 Middle East actions.
I came to this conclusion: for the past 14 years we have been fighting a kinetic war in the Middle East and avoiding the war we need to fight – the ideological one.
I would argue our political correctness has gotten the better of us and hampered our defense strategy and foreign policy. At the very least, it has prevented us from having the open conversation necessary to define the strategy we need in the war of ideology and how we intend to act on that strategy.
To get the discussion going, I offer up Thomas Jefferson and pirates...
Before Thomas Jefferson was the President of the United States, he was the Ambassador to France (following Benjamin Franklin). Roughly a year into his term, he faced a problem with U.S. ships being captured and their crews sold into slavery by Islamic states along the Barbary Coast.
In the spring of 1786, Thomas Jefferson asked the Ambassador of Tripoli why the Barbary Coast Islamic pirates were attacking U.S. ships when the U.S. had never warred on Tripoli. The Ambassador replied:
“It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every Mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.”
The Ambassador went on to describe how the Barbary Coast states used terror to force the enemy to surrender quickly without much of a fight. This concept of attacking the soul of the enemy is still in use today by the terrorist organizations that threaten our national security.
My point in bringing up a 229-year-old story is to point out that 229 years ago, Americans were targets of an ideology and 229 years later, that ideological strategy has not changed.
One of the most significant ideological texts on Jihad, written in 1979 by a former Pakistani General, expands on the belief of attacking the soul of the enemy through acts of terror:
'Kill the enemy or convert them by raging an individual war of terror against non-believers, only this will bring back the greatness of the Caliphate [Empire of Islam] and the sovereignty of Allah on Earth.'
Once you connect the 229 years together and realize we are facing an ideological war where bullets alone cannot win, the sooner we can actually make progress.
I came to this conclusion: for the past 14 years we have been fighting a kinetic war in the Middle East and avoiding the war we need to fight – the ideological one.
I would argue our political correctness has gotten the better of us and hampered our defense strategy and foreign policy. At the very least, it has prevented us from having the open conversation necessary to define the strategy we need in the war of ideology and how we intend to act on that strategy.
To get the discussion going, I offer up Thomas Jefferson and pirates...
Before Thomas Jefferson was the President of the United States, he was the Ambassador to France (following Benjamin Franklin). Roughly a year into his term, he faced a problem with U.S. ships being captured and their crews sold into slavery by Islamic states along the Barbary Coast.
In the spring of 1786, Thomas Jefferson asked the Ambassador of Tripoli why the Barbary Coast Islamic pirates were attacking U.S. ships when the U.S. had never warred on Tripoli. The Ambassador replied:
“It was written in their Koran, that all nations which had not acknowledged the Prophet were sinners, whom it was the right and duty of the faithful to plunder and enslave; and that every Mussulman who was slain in this warfare was sure to go to paradise.”
The Ambassador went on to describe how the Barbary Coast states used terror to force the enemy to surrender quickly without much of a fight. This concept of attacking the soul of the enemy is still in use today by the terrorist organizations that threaten our national security.
My point in bringing up a 229-year-old story is to point out that 229 years ago, Americans were targets of an ideology and 229 years later, that ideological strategy has not changed.
One of the most significant ideological texts on Jihad, written in 1979 by a former Pakistani General, expands on the belief of attacking the soul of the enemy through acts of terror:
'Kill the enemy or convert them by raging an individual war of terror against non-believers, only this will bring back the greatness of the Caliphate [Empire of Islam] and the sovereignty of Allah on Earth.'
Once you connect the 229 years together and realize we are facing an ideological war where bullets alone cannot win, the sooner we can actually make progress.
Strategy
Military History
Command Post
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 23
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Agree with you, but I think the leaders of our nation know this, but our citizens may not.
That said, discussing possible solutions to this would be key, such as providing education not just supplies in refugee camps in areas where radicalism is prevalent... not taking over countries and leaving large economic vacuums, what else?
I think it's easier to identify a problem than establish a solution, or possible routes to success.
That said, discussing possible solutions to this would be key, such as providing education not just supplies in refugee camps in areas where radicalism is prevalent... not taking over countries and leaving large economic vacuums, what else?
I think it's easier to identify a problem than establish a solution, or possible routes to success.
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1SG Kenneth Talkington Sr
Unfortunately our political leaders, state department, intelligence services and several other agencies all think we can buy loyalty and friendship. In the process we keep propping up leaders like those in Vietnam whose major commitment was to see how much money they can acquire through graft. It has to stop but I have no idea how to do it.
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Can you imagine FDR or Truman or IKE refusing to defend the Christians in danger around the middle east...IS would be a sad memory nothing more. Yet we allow them to fester and grow because we are no longer a "Christian Nation" and Islam is "at the very core of our founding"? What utter nonsense! We cannot say we are at war with Islam...but Islam is at war with us! Have you seen a moderate Islamic cleric stand up and denounce IS? They are petrified to do so AND they agree with the final outcome of the methodology, the Caliphate.
Our founding fathers WERE Christians whose ideals and beliefs created our most important documents - which are becoming endangered by this new movement in government and in attitudes... The most important document is the one we swear to uphold and defend from ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. How do we live up to that oath?
Our founding fathers WERE Christians whose ideals and beliefs created our most important documents - which are becoming endangered by this new movement in government and in attitudes... The most important document is the one we swear to uphold and defend from ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. How do we live up to that oath?
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PO1 William "Chip" Nagel
"We are a Christian Nation" "Ours is a Christian Movement" "We will not accept anyone that is not a Christian in our Ranks" Adolf Hitler. "We are not a Christian Nation" John Adams Treaty of Tripoli. I like John Adams better.
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MAJ Anthony DeStefano
All I am saying or trying to say is that most of our population especially at the time of our founding was Christian...that is undeniable... You cannot change history even if you want to.
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but it can actually be ignored, once we stomped on them for piracy, we were good for a couple hundred years. The thing is that we have made that location important, i.e. oil. Once we get past that we are golden
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LTC J. Lee Mudd
To an extent, I agree with you, SPC Declan Jones. Our MAIN interest in the Middle East is oil, and when we figure out how to reduce/eliminate our dependence on it, our large-scale involvement in that part of the world will also shrink.
However, transportation and communication since the late 18th century have changed so significantly that we can't just walk away and expect no further interaction. There is still a significant expansionist movement within certain Islamic circles. Currently, the "re-Islamization" of the Middle East (to reestablish the Caliphate) is the priority of the Islamic State. Islamization of Europe and North America is also a goal.
However, transportation and communication since the late 18th century have changed so significantly that we can't just walk away and expect no further interaction. There is still a significant expansionist movement within certain Islamic circles. Currently, the "re-Islamization" of the Middle East (to reestablish the Caliphate) is the priority of the Islamic State. Islamization of Europe and North America is also a goal.
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SPC (Join to see)
LTC J. Lee Mudd
Yes , sir that does seem to be a problem. In that case I think we need to follow the example of Pershing dealing with the Philippine Insurrection.
Yes , sir that does seem to be a problem. In that case I think we need to follow the example of Pershing dealing with the Philippine Insurrection.
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MAJ Matthew Arnold
Oil is the problem. The enormously rich, oil rich Islamic princes see it as their divine duty to spend billions of dollars per year spreading Islam. I have seen parts of Africa go from no mosque, no call to prayer, no Islam, to mosques everywhere, beards and head scarves everywhere, Islam everywhere in 3 years, all because of the billions spent by oil-rich princes to spread Islam. They set up free medical clinics, free schools (Koran reading schools), free welfare, free mosques, free low income housing, free social services, free colleges and universities, and as we all know, free military training just in case you want to join the the Jihad. Which comes with free weapons, ammunition, grenades, communications, vehicles, etc.
Follow the money. The oil-rich Islamic princes must be stopped. If for the good of the US and our allies, we must take over and rule these countries and their oil fields, so be it. The oil-rich Islamic princes must be cut out of the system and sent back to the desert.
Follow the money. The oil-rich Islamic princes must be stopped. If for the good of the US and our allies, we must take over and rule these countries and their oil fields, so be it. The oil-rich Islamic princes must be cut out of the system and sent back to the desert.
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