Terrorists Winning The War On The West

Brutal massacres of innocent victims in Brussels are grim reminders of the utter failure of western countries to defeat radical Islamic terrorism.  This most recent slaughter comes on the heels of deadly terrorist ambushes in Paris and in San Bernadino, California.

In fact, since the start of the new year there have been 22 terrorist attacks worldwide.  Much of the savagery has been done in the damnable name of ISIS, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.  World leaders have thundered in moral outrage about the carnage, but have done little to halt terrorism.  

America and its European allies have lobbed a few bombs over ISIS-held territory with minor impact. For his part, the U.S.Commander-in-Chief Barrack Obama has struggled to articulate a coherent strategy for dismantling the terror network.  He also has consistently underestimated ISIS.

It is difficult to understand how an enemy with a rag-tag army and unsophisticated weaponry can render impotent the world's powers. Europe and America appear unwilling to stop the bloodthirsty rampage committed in the name of Islamic jihad.  They preach patience without solutions.

Meanwhile, scores of recruits from the west are heading overseas to join this growing menace.  The director of Europol, the European Union's law enforcement arm, recently estimated that as many as 5,000 Europeans left to join ISIS in just the month of February.

Last year the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) surmised there were up to 31,500 jihadists in Iraq and Syria. Recently a Kurdish leader in Iraq put the number at 200,000, labeling the CIA figure rubbish. In actuality, both are guesses.  No one really knows, underscoring the lack of intelligence.

The tentacles of this terrorist organization have spread to 20 countries. In Syria and Iraq, ISIS now controls an area about the size of Great Britain and rules a population roughly between 10 and 12 million. The thugs behead, rape and pillage with impunity in their self-proclaimed caliphate.

Every leader on the world stage calls for a coalition to destroy ISIS.  But no nation, including the U.S., appears willing to accept the command role.  Leadership dawdles, procrastinates and finger points.  The foot-dragging is allowing ISIS to win a battle no one wants to fight but the enemy.

How many more killings will it take to finally awaken the world to this threat to civilization?

No leader wants to say aloud that ISIS can only be wiped off the face of the Earth with a targeted ground and air war.  But that is the truth. Half-hearted measures such as random bombing raids and drone strikes will not deter ISIS one iota.  If it would, the enemy would be defeated by now.

Leadership must convince a skeptical public, especially in the United States. Most Americans (53%) oppose sending U.S. ground troops into Iraq and Syria even as a part of a coalition to annihilate the Islamic scourge.  Mr. Obama also has made it clear he wants no part of a ground campaign.

Despite the reticence, Americans overwhelmingly (84%) view ISIS as a critical threat to security, according to the latest Gallup Poll.  But the public has no appetite for a protracted military clash with ISIS.   Americans want peace and protection without sacrifice.  

Public opinion has wilted the resolve of America's politicians.  They cower at the thought of rallying a suspicious public of the need for military action. Weak-kneed politicians including the president are emboldening Islamic assassins to wage terror without fear of reprisal.  

Strong leadership is needed to convince the world that anything short of a full-scale offensive will not be effective against a determined foe. Great leaders have risen to the task in World Wars I and II. Yet no one on the world stage today appears willing to lead a crusade to eradicate Islamic jidhadists.

It certainly won't be Barrack Obama, who refuses to even identify the butchers as Islamic terrorists. He kowtows to political correctness while lecturing Americans on religious tolerance and ignoring the ISIS genocide against Christians. The man is detached from reality when it comes to terrorism.  

If the world wants to see what good leadership looks like, it needs to gaze no further than ISIS. These monsters have terrorized entire countries, massacred thousands and grabbed bloody headlines all over the world.  Their band of followers are motivated and willing to die for their Islamic cause.

The world can no longer afford to dither in the face of an evil that will never go away unless it is exterminated. Words are no substitute for military action.  War is never a painless undertaking, but in this case, it is the only option if the world wants to rid itself of the radical Islamic beast. 

The alternative is to hunker down and wait for the next terrorist attack. Perhaps, that will become the default policy of the United States, a once great nation that no longer wants to accept the mantle of world leader.