Sun Tzu and Mohammad agree upon the primary nature of warfare: “War is deception.” Sadly, our media, pundits and Republican candidates all fail to understand this lesson, assuming they are even aware of it.
If they were aware of this millennia-old admonition, they would all understand ISIS is not the point.
Even were ISIS to spread terror across the U.S. in ten or one hundred more San Bernardino’s, ISIS would still not be the point.
Yet, the media never tires of asking candidates, “what is your plan to defeat ISIS?,” as if defeating ISIS would manifest any appreciable effect upon worldwide terror attacks or atrocities. To be clear, ISIS is a stain upon the post-modern world, with its beheadings, torture, rape, sex slaves and slave-trading. It is an affront to any and every civilized nation.
Nevertheless ISIS presents us the same mirage we misperceived in Iraq, when in that conflict we suffered so long, suffered so many casualties, and for what? The effect: No matter what we did our efforts came to naught. In the end we handed a country over to ISIS on one side and Iran on the other.
Certainly, Obama’s abysmal lack of judgment in failing to reach a status of forces agreement, failing to leave at minimum a garrison force in place, is responsible for much of the extant turmoil in the region, responsible for ISIS. But this is not so much a testament to Obama’s fecklessness as it is to inadequacies in the processes leading the U.S. to war and keeping it at war.
Many, now most, agree Iraq was a mistake – even before Obama. The war accomplished nothing. It cost the U.S. dearly. It likely worsened the stability of the entire region, working entirely against U.S. interests in any case.
So why did we go to Iraq? Because Saddam Hussein presented a cartoon character villainy? Because we couldn’t invade our ally, Saudi Arabia, the actual origin of most of the hijackers, because they were our ally? Because after 9/11 the U.S. ruling class believed we must do something?
Who knows?
The problem we face with ISIS is the “whack-a-mole” problem. No matter where we whack the mole, another pops up to take its place
Yet, we must know, not why we invaded Iraq, but why we missed the point entirely.
What did we miss? We missed the opportunity to understand what was “really” going on. And we’re missing that same opportunity now.
Now, ISIS is not the point. The point is we must do as The Donald demands, “our leaders need to figure out what the hell is going on!” ISIS is horrible, but it is not the point. Our leaders need to figure this out – without delay.
Every terror company throughout the world is horrible, cutting off heads, raping, slaughtering, selling young children into sex slavery, etc. ISIS merely claims actual territory (admittedly larger than Great Britain), yet in many respects this means ISIS has made a much larger and more visible target of itself. At least these terrorists are finally revealing themselves – in actual geography. So, in many respects, ISIS poses less a threat than its brethren terrorist organizations. We actually know where they are!
The problem we face with ISIS is the “whack-a-mole” problem. No matter where we whack the mole, another pops up to take its place. Perhaps “hydra” would be more apt because when one cuts off one of the hydra’s many heads, two more grow in its place.
What is the overarching threat from which we’re being distracted, about which we’re being deceived (if only by our own poor vision)?
First, while ISIS and its acolytes threaten us with violence in every place and at any time, they do not and will not possess the capacity Iran will soon possess: The ability to use one of their increasingly effective ICBM’s (missiles that can reach the U.S.), and their newly produced or purchased nuclear bombs, to explode a nuclear weapon over a major American city (New York most likely).
One might wonder, “Why ponder such possibilities? We can’t do anything about them anyway. Obama’s already done that, screwed that up.” But what else can we do but focus on the Iranian nuclear threat as our first priority, and second and third and fourth?
Consider: Iran nearly has the missile technology and missiles to reach New York City. The U.S. is releasing 150 billion dollars to Iran, and with mickey-mouse monitoring in place. Iran will have a nuclear weapon in the very near future, despite the pronouncements of Obama and Kerry. Perhaps Iran might even purchase one or more nuclear bombs from Pakistan, which already has them, but has no delivery (ICBM) capacity of its own.
Iran’s leaders and its parliament have documented, ceaselessly, their intention to destroy Israel, which it refers to the little Satan, and the U.S., to which it refers as the great Satan. These people are the leaders of Iran – not raggedy ISIS fighters in the desert. They are doctrinaire. Because of this, many thought leaders believe Iran would be willing to absorb the loss of millions of its citizens (in a retaliatory strike by the U.S.), in order to ignite a Hiroshima-sized device (17kt or so) over Manhattan. One must keep in mind the Qur’an is very clear: There is only one guaranteed path to paradise, martyrdom in “slaying and being slain.”
Is it not clear that ISIS is not the point, that this or that “plan to defeat ISIS” is not the point? In fact, the ISIS issue is quite laughably not the point. Boots on the ground, coalition forces, whether the Arab states lead or don’t lead, and so forth: Not the point.
The point is: We need to be focusing upon figuring out “what the hell is going on” about the Iranian nuclear threat, ad infinitum. What our candidates need to be asked is, “What is your plan to defeat the Iranian nuclear threat – now that Obama has greatly increased it?”
Clearly “figuring this out,” figuring out how to remain safe from Iran is far more difficult than figuring out how to “defeat ISIS.” Clearly, we are being distracted (deceived) by the Administration, and the foolish across the political spectrum, who fail to understand the genuine threat.
ISIS is not the point, or at minimum it is not the most important point. The most important point is the increasing likelihood that Iran will ignite a 17kt warhead over Manhattan, vaporizing 100,000 New Yorkers in mere seconds, and destroying the heart of our nation’s largest city.
Regardless, everyone keeps talking about “defeating ISIS.”
Not the point.
