US President Trump was right to kill Soleimani who was the world’s most dangerous terrorist
Being an Afghanistan War veteran myself, I could feel his struggle with the guilt many service members suffer upon returning from war. Combining his internal battle with a fundamental misunderstanding of U.S. military strategy and an unsophisticated progressive worldview gives way to hateful rhetoric such as Weissman’s. I seriously doubt his claim to have been conservative in the past, due to his incoherent and false political characterizations.
The threat of radical Islamic terrorism worldwide is profound and persistent. Regrettably, our political leaders have done a poor job explaining what it means to wage a global war on terrorism to the American people.
The radical demagogues in charge of these terrorist groups know the vulnerabilities in our rules of engagement and culture. Terrorists exploit our following of the Geneva Conventions and understand how our national media reports the news. Terrorists do not hold public office; they do not wear uniforms; they kill their own people; they hide in civilian populations, and they are sometimes both women and children. They believe our politicians are weak since the use of fear and brute force is not employed to rule our citizens.
To combat this non-traditional warfare, the U.S. Army employs counterinsurgency doctrine. Lethal and nonlethal measures are utilized to influence local national populations’ support for their governments and coalition forces. Our war on terrorism is global — terrorists make use of asymmetrical tactics across national borders; that is why lethally targeting of high-value individuals such as Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani is essential for success.
As Weissman pointed out, Soleimani lead the Iranian Quds Force. What Weissman left out is the fact that the Pentagon says Soleimani’s Quds Force killed hundreds of American soldiers in Iraq with explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), a type of improvised explosive device (IED).
While fighting the Taliban and Haqqani Network in southeast Afghanistan, I saw reports noting the use of EFPs on American forces. There were times when children were used to conduct suicide bomb attacks as well. These types of tactics are worldwide phenomena. Of the 434 suicide bombers employed by Boko Haram between April 2011 and June 2017, over 56% were female.
President Trump’s authorizing of the mission that killed Soleimani was not only justified and legal but necessary for victory over terrorism. While anti-war activists from both parties foolishly decry all military operations as acts of war, sensible Americans recognize Soliemani’s death for what it is: a crucial act of deterrence. The real fascists are those regimes, such as the Islamic Republic of Iran, which support terrorist groups like ISIS, al Qaeda, and the Taliban. To describe fellow Americans as fascists, or their use of rhetoric as fascistic is unpatriotic. Being anti-war is not unpatriotic, but unwise when confronted with radical Islamic terrorism.
President Trump is unique in his use of both rhetoric and lethal targeting as tools of deterrence. Whether it is a tweet calling Kim Jong-un “little rocket man” or the killing of Solimani in Iraq, the President is guiding an effective style of deterrence.
His leadership is in stark contrast to the Bush and Obama administrations, which brought us the failures outlined in the recently published Afghanistan Papers. Our national defense does not end at the border, and removing forces from our bases around the world will not bring about peace. Sensible counterinsurgent strategy implemented where terrorists recruit, train, and plan their attacks is not only wise but will save lives.
Source: Florida Today
