Islamic Violence

Our nation is confronted with a conflict that must be fought whether we want to or not. It is on a battlefield less than ideal yet more to be desired than the one preferred by the enemy. The war in Iraq is not one of our choosing. The combat was initiated by our President but the conflict was envisioned long before in palaces and desert tents.

Trying to link various factions is complex. Understanding their common goal is simple. The common objective is the destruction of the United States, the Great Satan. Our opponents had chosen the battlefield of our streets. Our President chose the sands of their desert.

To be casual about casualties is to be calloused. Every one changes the world of those related to the one killed. That brings sadness to the nation.

When considering casualties contemplate this. At the rate we are losing personnel in Iraq the conflict would have to last fifteen years for us to lose as many as died in the World Trade Center. What this is basically about is preventing other such events. That is plural, not just another, but many more. There are those who desire such devastation.

If we pull out of Iraq that will be perceived as weakness and they will come into the United States to continue to conflict.

It is my good fortune to have contact with civilian personnel working in Iraq who share interesting insights. Our media reports we have approximately 133,000 military personnel in Iraq. These civilians say our dedicated troops are actually 133,000 social miracle workers befriending the masses of citizens who are thrilled they are there.

Well, if that is true why all the shooting and bombing? This is where the plot thickens according to my friends inside Iraq.

When the Ottoman Turks were run out of the region around 1870 it became the Protectorate of France and England. England sought a strong tribe in the region to support which could help control all others. The cunning and forceful Saud family was chosen. Out of the Saud family, who were Sunni Muslims, developed two schools of thought. One was the Wahabi faction.

After Desert Storm in 1991 they became Muslim evangelists and spread their militant philosophy throughout the Muslim world into Indonesia, the Philippines, and other areas. Through the International Islamic Relief Organization (IIRO) they funded their movement and built mosques in Arab cities where even the smallest Christian work existed.

Keep in mind this is only a faction of Islam, but a large and energetic segment. They promised suppressed impoverished people Islam would bring them blessings. This attracted many. When the plight of these persons didn’t improve they complained to their spiritual leaders who told them blessings were not in this life but in the after life. Many of these became candidates for suicidal attacks in an effort to receive higher blessings. It is this element that has infiltrated Iraq since the end of the major conflict.

There are over 5,000 Saudi princesses today. Many of them are more moderate than the Wahabi element. This however is how the Royal Family became involved in the current conflict.