A Necessary Response to the Attacks of Sept 11th

The worst mistake that the United States could now commit is an insufficient retaliation against the Islamic terrorist world. This is a real concern because Americans have a sorry history of failing to commit to the destruction of our enemies. Indeed thousands of Americans died on September 11th because we have let our enemies get away with countless acts of terrorism against us, such as the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, and the attacks on the US embassies in Africa and the USS Cole in Yemen. Shamefully, rhetoric, court trials, and half-hearted cruise missile attacks have been our government's pathetic responses. Better late than never: we must accept that until the entire Islamic terror network is mercilessly destroyed, America will forever be victimized by the ongoing war that we have been evading.

As our leaders are saying, we must hold responsible the states who sponsor terrorism, and not just the terrorists themselves. However, what they must realize is that we cannot parse one state sponsor from another. It is irrelevant which countries were directly involved in this recent attack. As with all conspiracists, they are masters of denial of complicity. It is well known that all of these countries share leadership, intelligence, training facilities, and financing. Despite their differences within the Arab world, they are all united against the Great Satan, against the USA. If we retaliate only against a country or two who are most closely tied to this attack, we will not end this war. Rather we must attack every known Arab terrorist state, including: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Afghanistan, and the Palestinian Authority.

Specifically we must:

* Officially declare war against each of these countries by name. This act would prove our resolve, it would empower the President as needed, and it would allow for the government to use its power against war-time traitors as prescribed in the Constitution, so we can rid this country of our internal enemies.

* Destroy the entire governments, militaries, and infrastructures of each and every one of these countries, deprive them of the Western World's twenty-first century technology, and leave them in a state of technological primitivism equivalent to their medievalist ideology. Leave them to their tents and camels, as they would still be had they not been allowed to steal the oil fields that Westerners discovered and made valuable.

* Announce to the world that the USA will no longer pressure Israel to participate in the sham "peace talks" with the Palestinians, and encourage them to take over the disputed territories and put an end to Arafat's dictatorial, terrorist-farming regime. Regrettably, New Yorkers are now experiencing what the Israelis have long had to deal with: their society being besieged by murderous savages. Israel is not their prime enemy: Israel is hated mainly because it is the sole outpost of American values in the Middle East.

* Deport or arrest those in this country who are suspected of sympathy or complicity with these enemies of America. We know they exist.

* Continue this fight against terrorism as long as it is necessary, and to use any and all means necessary -- including nuclear weapons. The fact is that masses of people will die; the question is whether it will be Americans -- or our enemies. (And do not wince for a moment over the thought of innocent casualties: wars just do not allow for it, and such blood is on the hands of the instigators, not the defenders.)

* Demand cooperation from all other countries, including access to their intelligence, airspace, or whatever else is necessary for us to conduct this war. If any country refuses, we must condemn them for being accomplices and enemies, as well.

The question is not whether America can win this war. The question is: Are we willing?

Chip Joyce writes about cultural and political events from an Objectivist perspective. He is the editor of AboutTheWar.com, a critique of America's so-called "war on terrorism."