Through the Misty Dawn - Editorial

A Better Road to Victory

There are two battlefields in the War on Terrorism. The first is on the streets of Baghdad and other cities in Iraq and around the world. The second is in the minds of the enemy. Adding troops to the Allied forces will help to limit the violence in Baghdad but regrettably it will not end the violence throughout Iraq and elsewhere throughout the world.

To achieve victory in WW II we were required to do more than take back the Philippines or France. The Axis Doctrine had to be punished severely and totally. As a part of that victory we were required to re-educate millions of people throughout the world to the timeless centuries long sacrifices given and the benefits of Democracy to peace loving peoples.

War is a matter of persuasion. Losers are persuaded that continuing the conflict is without benefit because of the devastating loses being suffered. The losses persuad their people to cease and desist their war making efforts. They protest their losses to their leaders.

Information also persuades the people of the war making countries to end their ambitious efforts. In our country that task falls to the USIA, CIA and Voice of America. In other words, education is a vital and absolutely essential part of civilization and Democracy. We are at war with uneducated and uncivilized peoples.

We entered Iraq because the United States was attacked not because Iraq was attacked. Therefore we should not expect Iraq security forces or newly trained soldiers to fight our war. Nor should we allow our fate to be determined by Iraqi forces, political or otherwise. Such would be contrary to historic events, premises and our real purpose. We have allowed ourselves to be lured into a false and misleading agenda that seriously deters the road to an Allied victory.

Adding troops to the Iraq war will help our purpose until the enemy chooses other venues for terrorist attacks, which is inevitable. As in WW II the United States needs to punish the insurgent doctrines until they surrender. A doctrine is a mind set, philosophy and in this case, an ambition. We need to find the core of the enemy doctrine and destroy it, regardless of popular opinion.

Quelling violence in Baghdad is not going to end a religious based war. The real war is far larger than the streets of Baghdad. We are in the midst of WW III without realizing it. We shall be required to commit far more than 20,000 more troops to win such a wide ranging conflict. It will require all the technical, engineering, electronic and intelligence capability we have to find and destroy the enemy. If a thousand bombers or fighter planes would do it we should make them available. If thousands of TV surveillance cameras and monitors are required, we should make them available (ASAP). If curfews are required they should be implemented, more than occasionally. If Iran is aiding our enemies, we must absolutely interrupt such assistance.

We are wishing this war to be smaller than it is. We are relying on another country to fight our war or determine our fate in the annuls of history for centuries to come when we alone have been attacked.

A terrorist victory will negate the historic march of Democracy throughout the world and throughout the centuries. The millions of lives lost defending freedom during WW I and WW II will be wasted as the forces of tyranny grow throughout the world.

Democracy ends conflict. Let us fervently hope and pray that conflict does not end Democracy.  It is a war far worse than any we have entered into in the past because its forces cannot readily be seen. Regardless of the cost, we must learn how to interdict the onset of terrorism.

Richard Englefield

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• #1 Comment from readmereadyou 
  1/12/07 2:57 PM | Permalink

  Amazing. You should be an advisor to the President.