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Safety
By Oliver North
September 8, 2006
Page 2 of 2
The MOAA gave Bush a standing ovation. Leading Democrats responded by demanding that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld resign. So much for the "loyal opposition."
A day later, Bush again reminded allies and adversaries about the nature of our enemy. "The terrorists who declared war on America represent no nation, they defend no territory and they wear no uniform," he said. "They do not mass armies on borders, or flotillas of warships on the high seas. They operate in the shadows of society; they send small teams of operatives to infiltrate free nations; they live quietly among their victims; they conspire in secret, and then they strike without warning."
Then, in remarkably frank language, the president described the effectiveness of "tough" but legal "alternative interrogation procedures" used to elicit information regarding past and planned terrorist attacks from detainees. "In this new war," he said, "the most important source of information on where terrorists are hiding and what they are planning is the terrorists themselves. Captured terrorists have unique knowledge about how terrorist networks operate ... of where their operatives are deployed, and knowledge about what plots are underway ... To win the war on terror, we must be able to detain, question, and, when appropriate, prosecute terrorists captured here in America, and on the battlefields around the world."
Noting that "for the sake of our security, Congress needs to act," Bush proffered legislation to protect CIA and U.S. military interrogators from legal retribution and provide for congressionally approved military tribunals to try terror suspects.
And therein is the answer to the question "will we ever be safe again?" It all depends. It depends on whether this Congress votes to allow some of the most vicious people on the planet to be tried by military tribunals. It depends on whether the Congress we elect in November is willing to finish what was started in Iraq. It depends on NATO's resolve in Afghanistan. It depends on whether we stand up to Iranian nuclear blackmail. It depends on whether reasonable Muslims are willing to face down the Islamo-fascists.
Is all that too much to expect? It all depends.
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COPYRIGHT 2005 CREATORS SYNDICATE INC
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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. >> Back -- Page 1 2
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