Mike Rosen

August 6, 2004

A signal contribution of the 9/11 commission report was to identify the enemy bluntly. More specifically than generic terrorism, the commission declared we are under attack from "Islamist terrorism." This is an enemy unlike our former adversary, the Soviet Union, during the half-century of the Cold War. The Soviets were ideologically committed, powerful and ruthless, but they were also rational. The nuclear weapons standoff never escalated to all-out war because neither side was suicidal.

Today, the delivery systems of weapons of mass (as well as smaller scale) destruction are fanatical, irrational, embittered, disenfranchised, psychotic, suicidal religious zealots, many of whom perceive that they have little to lose in this ephemeral world, and hope for eternal rewards in the hereafter. These aren't the kind of people who respond to negotiations.

Call it what you will - radical Islam, Wahhabism, Jihadism - it's a cancer on civilization that must be forcefully removed, just as Nazism had to be eliminated in the last century. Until we come to grips with that reality, we will not devote the will, the resources and the sacrifice necessary to win this latest world war. After 9/11, many Americans have come to understand this.

The next 9/11 might persuade some more. The French, among others, are still pathetically in denial.

Lest you think I exaggerate the threat, listen to the sentiments of Fawwaz bin Muhammad Al-Nashami, commander of the Al Quds Brigade, which took "credit" for the recent May 29 massacre in Khobar, Saudi Arabia.

Translated from Arabic by the Middle East Media Research Institute, the original interview was posted on Sawt Al-Jihad, a Web site with ties to al-Qaida.

"We tied the infidel [a Briton] by one leg [behind the car] . . . Everyone watched the infidel being dragged . . . The infidel's clothing was torn to shreds, and he was naked in the street. The street was full of people, as this was during work hours, and everyone watched the infidel being dragged, praise and gratitude be to Allah . . . We entered one of the companies' [offices], and found there an American infidel who looked like a director of one of the companies. I went into is office and called him. When he turned to me, I shot him in the head, and his head exploded. We entered another office and found one infidel from South Africa, and our brother Hussein cut his throat. We asked Allah to accept [these acts of devotion] from us, and from him.

"We went from the company [offices] and found our brother, Nimr the hero, standing at the entrance to the company and guarding us, drinking a little water as though he were on a hike. [He acted this way] because of his great courage - may Allah have mercy on him . . .

"At the same time, we found a Swedish infidel. Brother Nimr cut off his head, and put it at the gate so that it would be seen by all those entering and exiting. We continued in the search for infidels, and we slit the throats of those we found among them . . .

"We found Filipino Christians. We cut their throats and dedicated them to our brothers in the Mujahideen in the Philippines. [Likewise], we found Hindu engineers and we cut their throats too, Allah be praised.

" That same day we purged Muhammad's land of many Christians and polytheists . . .

"Afterward, we turned to the hotel. We entered and found a restaurant where we ate breakfast and rested a while. Then we went to the next floor, found several Hindu dogs, and cut their throats . . . brother Hussein was on the stairs and noticed an Italian infidel. He aimed his gun at him and told him to come closer. The infidel came closer. We saw his identifying documents . . . afterward we would cut his throat and dedicate him to the idiotic Italian president who wants to confront the lions of Islam."

As you can see, these heroic "lions of Islam" don't just murder Americans. They're equal-opportunity butchers of all "infidels."

In Khobar, that meant innocent, unarmed civilians whose primary sin was having a different religious belief from theirs. If this cancer is ever to be effectively eradicated, it would best be done by civilized Muslims, their own countrymen. One wonders if there are enough of them and if they're up to the task?

With thanks to The Rocky Mountain News