Less Than Helpful to US War Efforts

Splashed across the headlines of my morning paper, this past Monday morning was a headline stating that America is holding 1,400 prisoners... in prisons, somewhere, as a result of the war on terror.

My first reaction was to smile and say… to no one in particular… “Now, throw away the key!” And that, dear reader, is the reaction of most Americans, not the "limp wristed Left" who have so bought into the theory of Moral Relativity that they refuse to see the evil right in front of their eyes. No, they want these evil persons released into society so they can blow up more innocent people. Well, I don’t, and neither do the majority of American citizens. We want a safe America, or at least, an America as safe as we are able to make it.

Let me see if I can clarify the Right’s position on prisoners being held as enemy detainees. Our position is, simply put, they’re not citizens of the US, therefore, they are not entitled to the rights and privileges of the US Constitution.

I know, I know, the US Supreme Court has said otherwise. Well, the US Supreme court is wrong! The Congress should have the intestinal fortitude to correct the Supreme Court’s error with a 28th amendment to the constitution specifying that only natural born citizens, and naturalized citizens, of the US are covered by the US Constitution… and nobody else, period!

I have to tell you, this is getting ridiculous! If we continue to cheapen the Constitution, very soon it will be no better than the paper if was written on.

Now, don’t try to muddy the waters by insisting that the Geneva conventions cover these enemy fighters. They do not. The Geneva conventions cover UNIFORMED PERSONEL, only!

We have a number of Senators, and even a former Secretary of State saying those Geneva Convention’s accords DO cover the terrorists we have captured and are currently holding in various prisons all over the world. Simply put… they are absolutely wrong.

Why are they insisting this is so when… it clearly is not? Well, they have agenda’s of their own. It is obvious that one of them is hoping to be elected President of the US and a couple of others may want a shot at the vice-presidential candidate’s slot. One, I suspect, is just PO’ed at the administration for being far more hawkish, than was suspected, early on in the first Bush term. A political grudge is an ugly thing and lasts for years… some last, as in the case of founding fathers Adams and Jefferson, ‘til death.

The thing is: This is petty, or it would be, except that it is bound to cost US lives, both civilian and military, and it needs to be brought to an end NOW!

Senator McCain will never be elected President of the US. Period. Senator Lindsey Graham… well, as a native South Carolinian, all I can say is that I am embarrassed to have him represent my home state in the US Senate. As for former Secretary of State Powell, this whole thing seems so petty. My wing of the party always saw Gen. Powell as the liberal that he is and let it be known, early on in the first candidacy of the current President, that we would not support Mr. Powell for Vice president. We accepted his positioning as Secretary of State, but only JUST! We were never happy with that, and we were glad when he departed. Now, we see that our concerns over Mr. Powell’s “leanings” toward the left were justified.

Somehow, we have to get the host of Americans who seem to think we have a law enforcement problem with the terrorists to understand that we really are at war with them. They have to be made aware that their lives, and the lives of their families, are at stake.

What is it going to take to bring the huge number of Americans laboring under the misconception that the people we are fighting can be reasoned with, to the realization that negotiations with someone who is not interested, is not possible.

Just look at the reaction toward the Pope who only quoted a 14th century emperor’s words.

The Islamofacists are interested in one thing, and one thing only, and that is world domination under an Islamic theocracy, or a worldwide caliphate. Proclaiming ourselves to be the “good guys” will not win this war. In fact, if we are not prepared to do whatever it takes, to beat back the threat from the Islamofacists, then we WILL lose this war and our country. It is just that simple.

If we are serious about winning this war we will kill the enemy as often, as efficiently, and in the greatest numbers possible, and… at every opportunity. When we allow a hundred, or more, terrorists to attend graveside services at a cemetery, as we watch from a high altitude (armed) drone (A UAV), and not pull the trigger… because it would look bad, that is a surefire way to lose this war. That is not a serious attempt at war.

My disagreement with the Administrations prosecution of the war in Iraq has been, from day one, in my view, we are not being aggressive enough.

OK, OK, call me an “armchair general”. That’s fair. I can accept that. But, even a stopped clock is correct twice a day! From this armchair general’s point of view, “war fighting” is killing the enemy and breaking his things. You are not fighting a war if you are trying to win friends and influence people… ie: “winning hearts and minds”.

I can only believe that winning the war in Iraq is only a part of the strategy in the Middle East. The US has long wanted a base for military operations in the Middle East Theatre. Now we have one. Is that why we are trying to play nice with the Iraqis? Maybe.

In the meantime, all the prisoners we have, scattered, as they may be, around the world, are simple neutralized fighters who will not hesitate to re-arm and come after us as soon as we free them. So, as long as we keep them incarcerated they are off the playing board and are no longer a threat. Besides, we may learn something from them, or… we may not. It really isn’t that important.

The bottom line in all this is that the United State must be protected from those who would destroy us. The politicians who, for one reason or another, seem to come down on the side of the enemies of the US are not helpful, at all, to the cause of National Security. That is unacceptable in national leaders.

Longstreet