Identifying the Enemy

One of the biggest problems today in the war on terror is "identifying the enemy". Not in the sense of individuals found or known to be members of "terrorist" organizations. We're talking about the big picture here.

The enemy is not simply "identified" groups like Al-Qaida or Hezbollah. The enemy today is a faceless and nameless group. Commonly referred to as "Islamic Fundamentalists" or "Islamafascists" or simply "terrorists". Maybe "jihadis" or "mujihadeen". They do have a belief system based on Islam. They believe in it stringently and interpret the text of the Qu'ran literally.

Particularly the areas that refer to putting the "infidels" to the sword. "Submit or die".

The problem is that we have used far too general terms to identify this enemy of free societies. Unlike the "Nazis" or the "Communists", this enemy does not have a country you can point to and say "there is the enemy". The government does not have a campaign, like in WWII that simply told you who the enemy was and what their plan was in terms of the world. No such information program exists today. We are far too worried about offending certain elements of the population by just coming out and saying it.

I have heard more and more about how we must separate these "fundamentalist" from the "mainstream" followers of the Islamic faith. The problem is, this is just like the Saudi's trying to point us off to Afghanistan as the "home" of the terrorists and separate themselves from these men by claiming they don't support them, they only support Freedom fighters and Muslim charities. They don't specifically support these groups. While in the same breath, they are supporting mosques and universities that teach these "fundamentalist" beliefs. The same places where most of these good "terrorists" are educated and created.

Frankly, Islam is Islam. Whoever practices it. Wherever they are. That includes in the United States. The more I read the more I realize that "moderate" or "mainstream" Muslims are really "non-practicing" Muslims. These folks don't attend mosque regularly. They don't read the Qu'ran faithfully. They don't follow the rules of Islam faithfully either. Can we really refer to them as "Muslims" at all? Like calling somebody a catholic who hasn't been to church since they were confirmed, believes in abortion and thinks the Pope is a nice old guy who doesn't really have anything to say that relates to modern life.

So...While we go out of our away to insure that we don't insult our "Muslim" population and don't turn this into a war on "religion", we have equally failed to identify the enemy in any form that the American Public can relate to. This has caused what I consider an apathy in our populace. We are losing the battle of hearts and minds right here in the US. This is the danger to our future. We are still "sleeping". It is too comfortable here because we don't have direct contact with the enemy on our shores. The war on terror, or in Afghanistan or Iraq has not caused us to "feel" the impact of these wars. We still go on as we always have. Many people just want to "forget" and return to the time before 9/11 when the biggest problems were the economy and immigration and taxes and spending.

If you ask the common man or woman on the street today to name our enemy, the odds are you will get blank looks. If you ask them more pointedly who our enemy is in the war on terror, you will get "terrorists". Do you know who the "terrorists" are? Do you know where they live? Do you know why they are "terrorists"? Why do they want to kill us?

Most of these questions will result in a blank look. Maybe some comment about Al-Qaida and Afghanistan. Most don't even know why Al-Qaida attacked us. Except when the last question is asked. The media and apologists have done their jobs thoroughly in implanting the self flagellation of reasons why these people want to "kill us". Most people will get a half glazed look on their face and say something like, "because our foreign policies?" (saying this of course without knowing at all what those "foreign policies" are that might relate to this subject); "because we invaded Iraq?" (forgetting we have been bombed both domestically and in foreign lands well before the war in Iraq); "because of Abu Ghraib?" (now that one I really get a kick out of).

You will notice that I put question marks after every response. Largely because, when I talk about these subjects and ask questions, the answerees are unsure of their answer. This is the scary part. Very few in the "outside" world have taken the time to learn anything outside of what they have seen or heard on the news. Little sound bites that really don't tell you anything beyond the statistic of the day: 1 bomb in Iraq - 4 killed; 20 injured.

The arrests of terrorists over seas or in the US is barely a blip on our screen. Most people see that little sound bite and feel some self satisfaction that we are "catching" the bad guys and soon, all will be well.

Well...The enemy is not so invisible and does have a specific agenda outside of "killing us". You may legitimately ask why the government has not done more than point out some people and say "terrorist". Largely for the original reason I state, if the manifesto of these "terrorists" was widely publicized, it would cause a serious hue and cry against our law abiding Muslim citizens. Probably more so than the few "vigilante" or hate crimes committed directly after 9/11. The government states plainly that the manifesto of the enemy is a "perversion" of Islam.

I think the perversion here is really the attempt to separate the "fundamentalists" from "normal" Islam. "Fundamental" Islam is practiced in ALL of the major Muslim countries around the world AND in the US, Britain, France, Germany, etc by the majority of "practicing" Muslims. The Sharia Laws adhered to by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, United Emirates of Arabia, Jordan, Pakistan, and Yemen, just to name a few, are "fundamentalist" Islam. The tenets of which are very basic:

1) There is no other God but Allah
2) All those who do not worship Allah are non believers and will burn in hell
(think I've heard similar tenets in the Christian churches)
3) Those who do not follow the prophet are "infidels", pigs that are below contempt and can be treated in any manner, including torture, slaughter and mutilation because, after all, they are subhumans (I think I've heard this before...NAZIS anybody?)
4) Women are corrupt creatures and must be controlled by their male masters. Should be covered head to toe lest the very site of them causes a good Muslim man to lose his control and commit crimes against Allah (in which case, it is the woman's fault for causing such lust and violence and she will be punished!).
5) Women are second class citizens and have no rights
6) Women may be abused or otherwise subjugated. Murdered in the name of honor. Decided on of course by a man.
7) Islam must be spread by whatever means, either preaching or violence. Whatever is expedient at the time.
8) It is the duty of all Muslims to commit to "jihad" or the struggle to bring Islam to all heretics. Again, through ministry or violence, whichever is most expedient.
9) If you kill a non-believer you are absolved of guilt (they are subhumans)
10) If you die during "jihad" you are guaranteed entry into heaven
11) If you convert away from Islam you are an apostate (heretic) and must die
12) Islam is the greatest culture and must re-establish itself as a world power, either through conversion of non-believers or violence whichever is most expedient. (this is from reading the Qu'ran and listening to "sermons" given in the mosques and translated for us subhumans to read)

In the US, Britain, etc, there are whole sub cultures of people practicing Islam and enforcing it on it's followers (particularly women) regardless of the laws of the land giving freedom to the same. If you go to a predominantly "Muslim" neighborhood, you will find veiled and sometimes "burqa" wearing women, closed behind their homes, only going out with men, never driving, not allowed to vote, not allowed to enter the mosques or practice their religion publicly. Many don't go to school past primary (1-6) grades and the boys are sent to "madrassas" right here in the US to be taught all these lovely ideas that are mostly contrary to the laws of the US.

Our belief in freedom of religion gives these folks the perfect cover. My favorites are the Mosques where citizens and "visitors" of our country can go and listen to an imam preach against the evil United States or the horrid "Zionists" in Israel and publicly (or privately) convince these men and boys that they must commit Jihad and become martyrs for Allah. I am not kidding you. It happens right here in our back yard.

Do you know how many "Palestinian refugees" have come to America and then returned to Palestine to commit acts of terrorism? Last year, 2 of the suicide bombers were from the US.

Now...I am NOT advocating that everyone of an Arabic or Islamic heritage are "terrorists". What I am advocating is that people start educating themselves about the religion and why it hasn't so much been "hi-jacked" as the "true" believers have finally found a voice and are using it very loudly.

The enemy has one plan: to re-create the Caliphate or great Ottoman Empire that spread from China to France from 700 AD to 1569 AD and actually continued in some form to the 20th century. It had slowly lost territories over the millennia until it collapsed back upon itself through petty wars as well as being over run by imperialist European countries.

Under this plan to re-create the great Caliphate, they are planning to slowly take over those countries that, while practicing some form of "fundamental" Islam, do not meet their high standards and are in essence, corrupt. Not "corrupt" necessarily as you and I would see it (financial and legal) but corrupt against Islam. Most of these countries of course, deal with the US and many other Western AND Eastern countries that are not Islamic. This has led to the infiltration of ideas that are not "Islamic" and are therefore, a threat to the continuation of "pure" Islam. These countries are also very rich in oil or are strategically placed.

The US and the world have a reason not to want these "jihadist" to come to power. Not the least of which that these would be the most repressive regimes ever known to mankind (probably considered worse than the Nazis). Worse, is the prospect of these new "regimes" coming to power over countries that have large reserves of oil. This would give the Islamists power over the world economies and an undiluted source of income as the world would have to continue to buy some oil from these countries because we have not yet figured out how to survive without it.

With an undiluted source of income and the power to screw with the economies of "non-believer" nations, these new regimes would be able to black mail these countries or worse yet, use the income to obtain WMD.

Why would that be any scarier than the current situation of "Islamic" regimes in that region you might ask? For the original reason I stated and that is the goal of recreating the Greater Ottoman Empire that would not stop at the Oceans, but would attempt to cross them.

The US as a target is not about our "foreign policies" as the detente group would like us to believe. But, simply we are the greatest power in the world today. We are the strongest. In order for the plan of the Greater Ottoman Empire to succeed, the enemy would have to knock us off or bring us so low that we would not be able stop them.

Some may be reading this and thinking I am a "right wing" conspiracy nut. These stated goals are not really unfamiliar goals of any organization we have dealt with in the past. This is not an "unwarranted alarmist" view. If you can remember anything about Nazis, you must remember their goal was to re-create the German Reich and proceeded to invade countries it thought should return to the "German Fold" or would just be nice additions like France. These guys also knew that the only way they could create this glorious Reich was to knock of France, UK and US or make them so weak they could not interfere with the plans.

For those who don't think history repeats itself, it does. Just not always in the same location. So...It is not crazy to read these people's manifestos and believe in their intent, however foolish an endeavor on their part you might believe it to be.

Please read yourselves:

Al-Qaida Manual

And we are not just talking about one little(?) group of terrorists here. We are talking about a whole mass hypnosis of young, disenfranchised Muslims who see the establishment of the New Caliphate as their destination:

The Gospel According to Bin Laden

The Encyclopedia of Afghan Jihad
Declaration of War against the Americans

Some more anti-American gibberish:
Nida 'ul Islam printed in Australia by the way.

Real discussions by real Muslims (and non-Muslims) about the establishment of a new caliphate, when and how that might happen:

Pakistan News Message Board

Or, some college studies:
The Caliphate: Coming Soon to a Country Near You?

Let's get back to the terrorists and their plans:
Fast Facts about Al-Qaida

Words from OBL's own mouth:
Jihad against Jews and Christians

Ok...That is enough for now. I think the important part here, is that people need to educated about the enemy and start figuring out how we are going to tell them apart from all of the other "moderate" Muslims (whoever that is). Particularly, as this "silent majority" has allowed the "terrorists" to begin to run free in Saudi Arabia, killing any kafir they want and escaping with ease. Seriously smacks of duplicity on the part of the Saudi "police".

I think we are seeing the beginnings of the "Islamic" revolution in Saudi. Eventually, any "moderate" Muslim is going to have to decide what they believe in and who they will support. If the "moderates" do not stop being the lazy "silent majority" that "silently" thinks about the reform they would like to have, they will find out what it is like to be the persecuted "silenced" majority in a world that is 10 X worse than they live in, now. I will find myself hard pressed in feeling sorry for these folks as they will have gotten exactly what they deserve.

Worse...For the rest of the world, this will be the beginning of the establishment of the New Caliphate and will definitely see us at war more intense than any we are currently undertaking. With the military weakness of our allies in Europe, I can see a possible alliance with Russia and China as the only countries able to stand with us. Talk about a repeat of history. Can you see a new "Yalta" meeting between US, Russia and China to meet the new "fascist" threat?

I hope...I really do, that I am just ranting here and that everything I say does not come to pass. I would not wish this on my grandchildren.