The Militant Threat And The Importance Of Winning The War On Terror

The Terrorists Serve A Clear And Focused Ideology. The ideology known as Islamic radicalism, militant Jihadism, or Islamo-fascism - different from the religion of Islam - exploits Islam to serve a violent political vision that calls for the murder of all those who do not share it. The followers of Islamic radicalism are bound together by their shared ideology, not by any centralized command structure. Although they fight on scattered battlefields, these terrorists share a similar ideology and vision for the world openly stated in videos, audiotapes, letters, declarations, and websites.
First, These Extremists Are Determined To End American And Western Influence In The Middle East. Because the United States is spreading democracy and peace, we stand in the way of their radical ambitions. Al-Qaida's leader Osama Bin Laden has called on Muslims to dedicate their "resources, sons and money to driving the infidels out of their lands." To meet this goal, they hit us and expect us to run in the hope that we will repeat the sad history of Beirut in 1983 and Mogadishu in 1993 - only this time on a larger scale and with greater consequences.
Second, The Militant Network Wants to Use The Vacuum Created By Retreat To Expand Its Power. As they once did in Afghanistan and are trying to do now in Iraq, they will seek to gain control of an entire country - a base from which to launch attacks and conduct their war against non-radical Muslim governments.
Third, From Their New Base, These Militants Will Seek To Establish A Radical Islamic Empire. The militants believe that controlling one country will rally the Muslim masses, enabling them to overthrow moderate governments in the Middle East and establish a radical Islamic empire that spreads from Spain to Indonesia.
To Accomplish Their Extremist Agenda, The Militants Thrive On The Suffering And Frustrations Of Others. The radicals exploit local conflicts to build a culture of victimization, exploit resentful and disillusioned young men and women, and use modern technology to multiply their destructive power.
In Pursuit Of Their Goals, Islamic Radicals Are Empowered By Helpers And Enablers. They are sheltered and supported by authoritarian regimes - allies of convenience like Syria and Iran - that share the goal of hurting America and moderate Muslim governments, and that use terrorist propaganda to blame their own failures on the West, America, and Jews. They are strengthened by front operations - such as corrupted charities - and those who aggressively fund the spread of radical, intolerant versions of Islam. The militants are aided by elements of the Arab news media that incite hatred and anti-Semitism, feed conspiracy theories, and speak of a so-called American "war on Islam" - with seldom a word about American action to protect Muslims in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Somalia, Kosovo, Kuwait, and Iraq.
This Extremism Cannot Be Given Concessions, Bribed, Or Appeased. We Must Never Accept Anything Less Than Victory. To those who argue that extremism has been strengthened by the actions of our Coalition in Iraq, we must remember that we were not in Iraq on September 11, 2001. The radicals' hatred existed before Iraq was an issue, and it will exist after Iraq is an excuse. The government of Russia did not support Operation Iraqi Freedom, and yet the Islamic militants killed more than 180 Russian schoolchildren in Beslan.