Writing about the latest attack by al-Qaeda where their hostages were killed during counter attack by the Algerian authorities, Melanie Phillips writes Until we learn to be as single-minded as the fanatics - at home and abroad - we're ALL hostages:
Only a display of uncompromising strength — including, most importantly, strength of resolve — has any chance of being a deterrent. The Algerians understand this very well. The West does not — instead
assuming that everyone on the planet thinks like it does and is thus similarly governed by self-interest.
But in dealing with Islamist fanatics who regard themselves as the army of God, and for whom death is the highest calling, this is a catastrophic mistake.
The most devastating consequence has been the West’s refusal to acknowledge that it is not fighting a series of brush fires based on local political grievances, but a war of religion being conducted against the
free world in order to destroy it.
Among the mistakes made so far:
o Because of the overly generous supply of arms to anyone labeled as being in opposition to Gaddafi, advanced weapons are now in the hands of terrorists in Mali and elsewhere.
o After the US and Great Britain helped oust Mubarak, he was replaced by Morsi, whose Muslim Brotherhood opposes the US as well as Israel -- and has designs beyond Egypt.
o The West continues to allow Iran to lead it by the nose as it gets ever closer to building a nuclear bomb.
Now, in another mis-judgement of events in the Middle East, Obama is committing the US to major defense reductions. After buying into the myth of the Arab Spring, the Obama administration, led in part by its new appointees will try to convince itself -- and us -- that groups like the Muslim Brotherhood are moderate and that terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas can be talked to.
Unfortunately, the failure of talk so far only whets the US appetite for more.
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