Defeating Radical Islam

I am absolutely perplexed by candidates and people in general on both sides of the political divide who feel that overt military action is the cure for fighting radical Islam. These are generally the same people who think isolationism and non-interventionism are synonymous. It does not make the United States isolationist if we do not invade every country on the planet.

Do we understand that people should be free to choose their own religion?

Do we understand that the war on terror is to prevent terrorist attacks against Americans?

Do we understand that attempting to impose any beliefs by force, no matter how strongly we may believe in them, will never succeed?

The only logical conclusion to our policy is the one that radical Muslims are suggesting that the West is practicing: (a) we are out to destroy Islam and convert everyone to Christianity; (b) we are intent on permanently occupying all Muslim countries. How could Muslims perceive the case to be otherwise?

For those of you who don't remember history, here is a quick timeline showing cause and effect:

657 Islam Founded

1604-1983 No attacks by Muslim fundamentalists against Americans

1983 U.S. deploys troops to Lebanon to intervene in civil war there

1983 U.S. compound destroyed by Muslim fundamentalist suicide bomber

1984 U.S. troops withdraw 100% from Lebanon

1984-1993 No attacks by Muslim fundamentalists against Americans

1991 U.S. deploys troops permanently to Saudi Arabia and engages in repeated bombing of Iraq

1993 Attack by Muslim fundamentalists against World Trade Center

1993-2001 Numerous attacks by Muslim fundamentalists against U.S. military stationed in the Middle East

2001 2nd Attack by Muslim fundamentalists against World Trade Center; attackers are predominantly from Saudi Arabia used their real names on all documents, entered the country legally on U.S. granted visas, and planned their attacks in secret for years

2002 U.S. Attacks Afghanistan

2003 U.S. WITHDRAWS all forces from Saudi Arabia

2003 U.S. invades Iraq because [insert your reason for invasion here].

So did you notice that there were no attacks against American citizens during the time we were outside of the Middle East. Did you notice that President Bush withdrew our forces from Saudi Arabia AFTER the 9/11 attacks: the country where nearly all of the suicide bombers came from? Why are we not stationing troops there if soldiers on the ground can prevent terrorist attacks against Americans? The answer is that they don't.

Putting U.S. soldiers anywhere they are not welcome simply makes them targets for whoever doesn't want them there. The government spins this as being attacks from Al Qaeda and terrorists, but the reality is that often we have no idea if U.S. soldiers are being attacked by local warlords, organized terrorists, or just people angry at the U.S. presence. In the meantime, the next likely terrorist attack against the U.S. is being planned in secret in potentially just about every other country except Iraq.