SAN DIEGO. The killing of Qassem Soleimani, head of the Iran’s covert Quds force, created a global firestorm for President Trump. America is strengthened by unity and weakened by division. In particular, this counterinsurgency has revealed an even deeper fault line. When Americans start siding with terrorists, condemning our President and military’s efforts to stop them, they have lost their patriotism.
More than that – they have lost their way.
Imagine your kids under the expanding shadow of malevolent extremists. These terrorists think nothing of your children’s lives. No one wants their little girl or boy to end up wearing a suicide vest. Yet the reality of letting terror sink its malevolent roots in your home town is that you can expect atrocities.
Because terrorists take what they want and children are expendable.
There are profound consequences in the miscalculation of risk.
All Americans are part of President Trump’s family. He’s like a father to his troops. He saw increasing attacks by Solemani’s proxy militias injure and kill his ‘kids in uniform’.
The President’s hardest task: President Donald J. Trump salutes and First Lady Melania Trump places her hand over her heart during the dignified transfer ceremony for United States Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 David C. Knadle, of Tarrant, Texas, and United States Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Kirk T. Fuchigami Jr., of Keaau, Hawaii Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Del. Knadle and Fuchigami were killed Wednesday in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead)
He warned the attackers whose response was more rockets sent to more air bases before an assault on the U.S. embassy, Baghdad.
A President of Action protecting Americans.
Then Trump received credible word that attacks were far from over. So he and his advisors did something about it. General Soleimani was too powerful and influential and could kill a lot of America’s ‘kids’ trying to keep the peace.
Yet the broken thinking in this country cares more for the terrorist than his American, or Iraqi victims. Glorifying crowds of Iranians mourning the death of a murderer.
Exclusive timeline of Iran Shiite U.S. Soleimani strike: What’s next in Iraq?
Missy Ryan at the Washington Post retweeted a broken thinking picture.
A wapo natsec columnist RTing this is why media employers will soon be forced to stop all of you from tweeting anything that’s not a link to your own edited and curated work. pic.twitter.com/Z2CE7XuXJx
— Noah Rothman (@NoahCRothman) January 6, 2020
Unity against terror will save our kids.
Learn from America’s military whose strength thrives on the unity of command, unity of training and tactics, and unity of our allies and partners. Many hands leading up to the moment of strike decisions. In addition to successful military missions.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo clearly, respectfully, responds to Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation. He assures that he, Sec. of Defense Mark Esper, and other military officials in the room, agreed that they could not ignore the Intelligence threats before them. To do so would be irresponsible.
Fox News reported, “The force Soleimani led is responsible for exporting terrorism and political chaos for the Iranian regime.”
Soleimani was on a list of high profile terrorists, responsible for unwarranted death and destruction for many years. He was the mastermind behind attacks on Americans during the past two decades, says the Whitehouse. The U.S. was done with the General’s game of terror roulette.
The fury and condemnation over anything Trump does militarily.
In October 2019 BBC reported,
“[President] Trump defended his decision to keep the US Congress in the dark about the [al Baghdadi] raid, citing leak concerns.”
A Congress mired in baseless impeachment scams can not be trusted with the nation’s safety.
The New York Times (NYT) mocked Trump’s account of the raid, by depreciating his effort to inform.
The NYT also damned him for pulling troops out of northern Syria during the border clash with Kurdish Syria and Turkey. U.S. Media outlets said he abandoned his allies, was a traitor, broadcasting to the world their hate for this President.
President Trump received backlash for inviting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to the Whitehouse to diplomatically calm down ruffled feathers over Syria. As there is nothing he can do right, in their eyes, he keeps on doing what he knows is right.
Now, the President is under fire for staying in Iraq to fight with and train our allies, acting on credible threats and attacks. The NYT times calls Trump “barbaric” for issuing a counter-warning to Iran. The world’s biggest sponsor of terror first promised to take out 35 American targets as vengeance for Soleimani and vows to continue uranium enrichment. Most likely using the billions in cash from Obama to do it.
And Trump’s the criminal?
Fox News reporting that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., answers by calling the president a “monster.” Manufacturing the ridiculous lie he was out to “kill innocent families, women, and children –“ while countering any strikes from Iran.
“Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., accused Trump of “threatening to commit war crimes,” says Fox News.
If Trump and his advisors took lightly the Intel Soleimani was “actively developing plans to attack American diplomats and service members in Iraq and throughout the region,” it could have been another 9/11 or Benghazi.
If Soleimani had taken the Embassy, and the Americans within, the blame would belong to Trump.
Let’s reflect on the pre-9/11 mishaps according to History.com,
“… Lack of intel-sharing between agencies, tepid responses to earlier attacks and a failure to grasp the magnitude of the terrorists’ ambitions.”
Traditional warfighting changed on 9/11.
A whole new combat game began when terrorists attacked us on 9/11. Their tactics went urban, guerilla, no uniform, nor enemy rules of engagement. Civilians are fair terrorist game. Women and children become human shields. Remote caves serve as headquarters. The mountains are a twisted maze of hiding places and deserts become rivers of burning explosives. Networks of terror spread.
An ex-CIA operative described Soleimani as, “the single most powerful operative in the Middle East today.”
So where lays America’s weakness?
Americans who side with insurgents, terrorists, criminals, and thugs destroy unity. We hear them patronize Iran and puke all over the government who gives them their opportunities.
Those in Congress, people in Hollywood, thousands in anti-Trump lines rattle the fault lines that threaten America today. Including the counterterrorism victories of our U.S. military.
Security expert Christian Whiton from Fox News nailed it,
“Members of Congress make statements; presidents take action. And Trump’s action will make the world safer for Americans.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo addressed the Press this morning:
Do you want to know about terror, insurgency? Just ask,
The honorable men and women in uniform who serve their country and President know the meaning of ‘making the world a safer place’ from terror in its complexity, its raw power, its viciousness that knows no bounds. They can tell you first-hand what it means to live and work within the shadow of the Soleimani brand of terror. Just ask,
…Young Soldiers wearing prosthetics, from bodily loss. Their limbs claimed by myriads of IEDs.
…Families whose loved ones arrived home in a silver coffin with a flag draped over it. From Soleimani-orchestrated attacks.
You can see the pain in a military commander’s eyes when he talks about the fallen troops. The valiant who die laying down fire so others can live, as men like Soleimani, al-Baghdadi, bin Laden were swiping their sickles. That the world is better without these terrorists is inarguable.
Terror is a living, breathing, changing dragon that challenges the best at their fighting game.
Experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) where every day is a nightmare of post-combat. Families and jobs are lost. Even the confidence to go outside without looking behind you in every corner or where every loud sound makes your skin crawl.
You don’t understand counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, if…
…you side with extremist hostile monsters. Our troops are sent to keep the peace, help gain stability in terror-ridden regions at the request of governments in those countries. The shadow of terror moves across borders with the wind. Creating axis’ of power that spew widespread fear, coercion, and destruction.
Excerpts from National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States.
“National security used to be considered by studying foreign frontiers, weighing opposing groups of states, and measuring industrial might. To be dangerous, an enemy had to muster large armies. Threats emerged slowly, often visibly, as weapons were forged, armies conscripted, and units trained and moved into place.”
“Now threats emerge quickly.” Organizations like al Qaeda, ISIS, Kata’ib Hezbollah, Boko Haram, al Shabab – the list goes on, are headquartered in countries on the other side of the earth. Some are in poor regions lacking resources, yet “scheme to wield weapons of unprecedented destructive power…”
“…9/11 has taught us that terrorism against American interests “over there” should be regarded just as we regard terrorism against America “over here.” In this same sense, the American homeland is the planet.”
The land of the free and the brave is under Trump’s charge. What do we give our kids when party factions divide and conquer our own instead of uniting against terror? Those sympathetic to Islamic terrorists quit bringing your sledge-hammer down with self-professed wisdom on military correctness.
Your silver microphones broadcast your sad, sick deceptions.
Ilhan Omar (D-MN) speaks out agains the President – Screen Shot NBC News Video
Patriots unite with Trump on America and seal up the fault lines. Replace criticism with cooperation, scolding with support for those doing the dirty work no one wants to do.
Iraq at risk for a resurgence if they give up the fight.
Times of Israel reports the shocking, and some might say knee-jerk reactions of Iraqi PMs regarding the death of Soleimani.
“The majority of about 180 legislators present in the Iraqi parliament on Sunday voted in favor of the resolution to remove US troops. It was backed by most Shiite members of parliament, who hold a majority of seats. Many Sunni and Kurdish legislators did not show up for the session, apparently because they oppose abolishing the deal.”
With our troops goes the freedom they bring. Best guess is the Iraqi people don’t want to give up everything they have gained from our help. The children of the world deserve the sunshine of peace.
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