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Gifts for all occasions in the Galleria! Subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list. March 21, 2004 What is the Deal with the War on Terrorism? By Jan A. Larson Much has been said and written in the past week about the terrorist bombings and election in Spain. Critics have accused the Spanish electorate of voting for the appeasement of the terrorists by tossing out the incumbent Popular Party in favor of the anti-war Socialist Party. There is a prevailing attitude in Europe that the fight is between the terrorists and the United States. The bombings in Spain sent a message to Spaniards. But what message? Apparently most Spaniards believe the terrorists will leave their country alone if they no longer support the United States. The reality is the terrorists have shown all of Europe that they are targets too. Many Americans believe that if we only disengaged from the Middle East and withdrew our support of Israel, the terrorists would leave us alone. Some don't believe the war on terrorism is a war at all. As Mary Mostert wrote in an American Daily article, the goal of Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda is the total destruction of America and the western way of life. There can be no appeasement of Al Qaeda and Al Qaeda will not negotiate. We're in a war for our survival and for the survival of our civilization. There can be no compromise. The Spanish may have bought some time. It is not inconceivable that Al Qaeda may not target innocent civilians in Spain in the near future, part of a plan to encourage others to also withdraw support of "America's" war. A classic divide and conquer strategy. Make no mistake, Spain remains on Al Qaeda's hit list, just as do the other nations of Western Europe. Should Al Qaeda succeed in moving the front of the war on terrorism from Afghanistan and Iraq to the United States, we will all find out how serious this fight really is. As President Bush stated in his remarks noting the one-year anniversary of the start of the Iraq war, "We know that this way of life is worth defending, there's no neutral ground." "Any sign of weakness or retreat simply validates terrorist violence and invites more violence on all nations." [2] Americans have short attention spans. It seems that the many have become complacent in the months since September 11, 2001 and seem to think such attacks won't happen again. We cannot afford such complacence. Al Qaeda is patient. American complacency plays into their strategy. Allowed to regroup or remain unchallenged, Al Qaeda will routinely plan and carry out attacks on the scale of the Spanish train bombing or, if given access to weapons of greater destructive force, will not hesitate to use them here or in Europe, Spanish appeasement notwithstanding. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have weakened Al Qaeda and put them on the defensive, but as was seen in Madrid, they still possess the capability of wreaking destruction on a large scale. A retreat from the war on terrorism, apparently the course chosen by the Spanish, is a losing strategy, not a strategy that Americans can afford to pursue. Our President is 100% committed to winning this war. His opponent in the upcoming election does not appear to share that commitment. The Spanish people have chosen their course. Which course will Americans choose this November? -- Send feedback to the author. The "What is the Deal?" column will appears weekly on the Pie of Knowledge website. Guest submissions are welcome and encouraged. To submit an article to "What is the Deal?" click here. To subscribe to the "What is the Deal?" mailing list and receive early notification when a new column is available, click here. The Pie of Knowledge will never, ever divulge email addresses to any third party for any reason unless so ordered by a court of law. Contributions to the Pie of Knowledge are greatly appreciated. 
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