“I was wrong.”
We don’t hear that statement often enough, do we? However, although I was wrong, I’m not sorry,
and I don’t apologize.
What was I
wrong about? I was wrong about the War
in Iraq.
My admission,
as refreshing as it may be to some people, is not made for the reasons one may
think: that we should not have gone into Iraq or that it has become a
“quagmire,” as in Vietnam.
I’m not
convinced that Iraq and Vietnam are analogous.
The constant drumbeat of “quagmire” by those who oppose the War in Iraq
is really more of a slogan that’s being used to invoke images of the Vietnam
failure for political purposes and is not necessarily a valid comparison.
So, if I was
wrong and I don’t think Iraq is a quagmire, what was my mistake?
The answer:
misjudging the staying power of the American people.
The attack on
the World Trade Center (WTC) was one of those defining moments in our lives
that we never forget.
I remember
quite clearly exactly where I was, what I was doing and what my reaction was at
the time, much the same as my recollections of other defining moments that have
occurred during my lifetime: the attack on Pearl Harbor, the death of FDR,
General MacArthur’s final speech before Congress, the assassination of JFK,
watching Neil Armstrong walk on the moon, the Berlin wall coming down, the
death of my father. All are etched in my
memory.
Watching the
WTC attack on TV, I remember telling my wife that we had just been plunged into
WWIII and that it would last long beyond our lifetimes, probably for
generations.
Later, when
our President stood atop the ruins at the WTC and pledged to the world that we
would find those who were responsible for the deaths of almost 3,000 people,
like most Americans, my initial reaction was, “go get ‘em.”
Then came Afghanistan, where we saw the Taliban fighters
decimated and their government quickly driven from power. The bad guys were handily defeated and a
democratic government was elected.
Afghan women were finally freed from the tyrannical bonds of the Islamic
religion and male dominance, schools were quickly opened, and the economy was
jump-started. The future looked bright,
in spite of the continuing resistance of the remnants of the Taliban and the
fact that Osama bin Laden had escaped. And, like most Americans, I suspect, it
eventually became something of a case of out of sight, out of mind, not really
understanding how little we actually know about Islam and the Muslin culture.
When we went
into Iraq, it seemed like a repeat of the campaign in Afghanistan: a short
battle that we won easily. And again, I
suspect like most Americans, I thought order would be quickly restored, a
democratic government elected, and that the country would be rapidly rebuilt
after more than 30 years of neglect.
As time
passed and Islamic terrorists poured into Iraq from outside the country, I
became more attentive to the mounting death and destruction being visited on
our troops and the Iraqi people. At
first, it was puzzling to me: people who are willing to deliberately kill
themselves or be killed in the name of their religion, their irrational and
unyielding hatred of infidels in general and the Jews in particular, Israel,
America and the West.
The
unrelenting anti-war coverage of our media was troubling, and the continuous
rant of those on the left offended me.
My view was, and is, that they don’t understand or believe the stark
reality of Islamic fundamentalism, that many Muslims believe all infidels must
be either killed or subjugated.
The attack on
the World Trade Center was just the latest assault in a war against the West
that was started by Islamic-fascist Muslims almost 30 years ago and has
continued unabated to this day. Liberals
just haven’t been willing to recognize the situation for what it is, that we
are in a war for our very survival.
When I told
my wife on September 11, 2001 that we were now in WWIII and that it would
probably last for generations, I thought most Americans would see it the same
way. It seemed so obvious. The desire for retribution was white hot and
patriotism surfaced as we had not seen since WWII. It was both disturbing and a source of pride
at the same time.
American
flags were displayed everywhere: on lapel pins, homes, stores, automobiles,
draped over the sides of buildings, anywhere they could be unfurled. And, I allowed myself to think that the
American people would support our involvement in another war that we hadn’t
started and didn’t want, but that we would be willing to see it through to the
end. In my mind, it was and has
continued to be a fight to the finish, no less than the war against Japan and
Germany was in the 40s.
We are at
risk of losing everything: our way of life, our freedoms, our very lives. If we back down, we will become just another
footnote in history, assuming there will be any history to tell, other than
that of the Muslims and Islam.
Unfortunately, not enough people seem to agree, yet.
What I didn’t
think about was the short attention spans of Americans, who have grown
accustomed to seeing wars begin and end in the time span of a TV show or a
movie. That’s where I went wrong.
In the five
plus years since 9/11 too many Americans have grown tired and perhaps a little
bored with it all. As a society, we are
too focused on personal pleasures, the abundance of goodies that are available
to us, our vacations and holidays, the many social benefits (entitlements) we
enjoy, while our enemies have just one goal, and only one: to destroy our
society and the infidels – us.
Americans
have not yet accepted the reality of our situation. It’s going to take more trauma
before we will be willing to face up to the personal hardship and sacrifices
that are necessary to fight and win a war.
How much more, I don’t know.
Everyone
seems to agree that there will be another 9/11-type attack. But, no one knows when, where or how,
although most people believe it will happen.
I do. And, I’m sure it will be a
major event.
When that
happens, there will be the usual round of complaining and finger pointing, but
perhaps then we will wake up to the reality of the potential destruction that
faces us and be willing to fight this war as we must, with no quarter given and
no holds barred. To do that, we must be
willing to put aside our self-destructive ideas of political correctness and
the notion that we can fight a major war without killing people and breaking
things or without suffering any personal inconvenience.
Another
attack is certain, but our willingness to accept reality and adjust our
thinking is not. But, that’s just my
opinion.
© 2007 Harris R.
Sherline, All Rights Reserved