Ten years after the tragic events of 9-11, it's time for America to declare victory in the War on Terror. With Osama bin Laden dead, Al Qaeda destroyed, and our objectives accomplished, it's time to bring America's brave young men and women home to a hero's welcome-- not because we have lost, but because we have won, not because we are weak, but because we have shown the world our resolve and our strength.The mission creep and other difficulties in the Middle East over recent years are not an indication of American defeat, but a clear sign that our military is struggling to find new objectives after successfully accomplishing the mission Congress gave our President in the aftermath of 9-11:
"...to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001..."
It has been done. Osama bin Laden and Al-Qaeda's leadership have been captured or killed, their funds have been frozen, their cells have been disrupted, their network has been destroyed, and their numbers have been erased, leaving only a haggard and defeated remnant, hiding in the hills and caves of Pakistan.
Many patriotic Americans believe that to cut and run by withdrawing from the Middle East in shame and defeat would be cowardly, irresponsible, and negligent of our government's duty to protect the American people from foreign enemies.
But to leave our troops in harm's way overseas after soundly defeating our enemies as America has clearly done, would certainly also be cowardly, irresponsible, and negligent of the sacrifices our brave soldiers have made to keep us safe.
Remaining overseas to fight foreign civil wars, quell insurrections, and direct the affairs of a foreign people does not serve America's interests nor make us more safe. Instead, such a policy would play right into the hands of the terrorists who attacked us on 9-11.
The method of cowards like Osama bin Laden is not to win a conventional war by honorable means in direct conflict with their adversary's military, but to use civilian deaths to terrorize a militarily superior nation into fighting a protracted overseas conflict that will demoralize and bankrupt it.
Thanks to our brave troops, Osama bin Laden and his organization will never be able to terrorize the American people again.
But our victory will ring hollow if we give him exactly what he wanted, and leave our troops overseas in harm's way for another decade, while treating our own citizens at home like terrorists every time they want to fly a plane, meanwhile spending our struggling economy into deeper debt, recession, and bankruptcy.
In order to make America's victory complete and final, let us declare it openly and suit action to words, bringing our military home to defend America's borders instead of foreign borders, to protect our people instead of policing another people's streets, and to go to work again in private sector jobs to produce wealth and grow our economy at home using the discipline and skills they learned in their nation's service overseas.
We have let the terrorists monopolize our thoughts, energies, and fears for too long. Now that they are gone, it is time to live our lives free of terror. We can lose no time in relegating them to the history books as villains where they belong, and turning our attention back to building our great nation and prospering again. America has won the War on Terror.
Wes Messamore,
Editor in Chief, THL
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