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2-15-2003
Something unique and wonderful has taken place in the Middle East lately,
yet I've found no stories in the media about it, which leaves me to wonder if it has even been noticed. Where are the incessant
terrorist attacks that were peppering the region practically everyday?
I'm not saying that all incidents of terror
have ceased to occur, just that most of them seem to have stopped. Recently there was one that involved the attempted homicide
bombing of an Israeli bus using an explosive laden donkey. Which brought the ire of PETA down on them because of the destruction
of an animal. The Middle Eastern terrorist groups don't stand a chance against our own terrorist organizations!
Many
in the anti-Bush crowd claim that our presence in the region alone has not only caused terrorist attacks to happen but will
generate even more in the future, especially if we topple Hussein's dictatorial regime. Yet just the opposite seems to be
happening. Does anyone honestly believe that the presence of UN inspectors in Iraq has provided the blanket necessary to quell
the violence so suddenly?
It's a safe bet to figure that the presence of American and British troops in the region
along with the support of almost forty other nations has been the effective tool in easing the activities of terrorist groups.
They know they run the risk of exposing themselves in the process of committing their crimes if they maintained their constant
assaults.
This alone is enough to give credence for the necessity to end the dictatorship in Iraq. Stabilization of
the region is paramount to the security of our allied nations who've had to live with the daily threat of attack and enduring
the assaults that have led to the destruction of families who wanted little more than to enjoy the freedom we take for granted
everyday. Of course with the new terror alerts and the incident on 9-11, we all should have a better understanding of what
they have to live through.
The reality is that the world's largest current terrorist threat is being generated in
the Middle East and was allowed to build its stronghold on the region during the Nineties when the UN was playing patty cake
with Saddam through useless resolutions and sanctions that only hurt the Iraqi people. Saddam proved to the world when he
invaded Kuwait and had to be forced out, that force is the only thing he understands. Enforcement of the cease-fire treaty
was left in our hands at the end of the Gulf War and at some point a show of force was going to have to be used if for no
other reason than to protect our allies from invasion by Hussein.
That show of force has already slowed terrorist
activity in the region and could be argued has lead to Palestinian leader and suspected terrorist Yasser Arafat to announce
his appointment of a new leader which had been demanded by the US and European Union. It's hoped that his choice will be someone
who is reform-minded and would ease the hostilities there which would be another sign of stabilization generated by American
foreign policy.
Those who rail against war seem to care very little for peace in the Middle East among those countries
neighboring Iraq, many of which we consider allies and live in fear every day. They may want peace, they just don't want America;
especially not President Bush, being the one to bring about the stabilization that has already began to create peace and will
eventually lead to the abolishment of terrorism everywhere!
Lee P. Butler
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