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Islamic rule can be forced upon a nation with terror and military might; freedom cannot. Freedom has to be planted, nurtured, cultivated, and allowed to grow. It cannot grow where it is not protected and defended. This is what the U.S. forces are trying to do in Iraq - give freedom a chance to take root and grow. This is a bold, but costly, effort to find a long-term solution to the basic conflict.

Many, perhaps too many, Americans do not subscribe to this point of view. "America should not be the world's policeman." "America should take care of its own problems and let the rest of the world do the same." "America should stop meddling in the affairs of other nations." These ideas have merit, and in a perfect world, would be valid. This is not a perfect world.

In a perfect world, all people, and all nations would be free. People and nations could enter into agreements that are mutually beneficial - or not - as they choose. When people, or nations, consider the world to be perfect only when people, and nations, are compelled by force to fit into a common economic, political, or religious mold, freedom must be vanquished. This, of course, is the underlying conflict that has spawned wars across the ages.

No one wants war, but it may be inevitable. If the choice is to yield to Islamic domination, or to go to war to defend freedom, then war is inevitable. The evidence is mounting that Islamic extremists intend to impose Islamic rule as far as possible, using terror tactics as the primary weapon. The only unanswered question is how far it will be allowed to spread before the defenders of freedom stand up.

Islamic terror has already reached the U.S. mainland, and the threat has significantly reduced the freedom Americans have traditionally enjoyed. The threat will not be reduced by abandoning the battle in Iraq, or ignoring the growing threat in Iran. The best hope of avoiding a war is to be totally prepared - and willing - to fight it, while doing everything possible to prevent it.

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Henry Lamb is the executive vice president of the Environmental Conservation Organization (ECO), and chairman of Sovereignty International .

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Note -- The opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, views, and/or philosophy of GOPUSA.

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