Boston Bombings: Why We Must Extend the War On Terror Even Further

As an American, it’s difficult for me not to have a sour attitude about the influx of certain individuals to the United States, considering the Boston massacre and other horrific events in recent years.

As predicted, the president beseeched Americans not to indict any groups based upon the actions of a few. But honestly, we can no longer disregard the hatred that emanates from the Middle East towards America. Some apologists say these feelings are justified based upon American aggression in the region. But the reasons for violence are much more complex and include the U.S. support of the State of Israel and religious intolerance.

The U.S. must become more aggressive as it roots out terrorists contemplating jihads that could result in more attacks on America. All of the rhetoric about melting pots and the benefits of relatively unregulated immigration rings empty. More security and tightened immigration policies is a wise choice. The danger to our own citizenry created by certain people entering our country is frightful, and fully disclosing the myriad of conspiracies being investigated by the authorities would cause most Americans to adopt this more conservative perspective.

U.S. efforts to quash terrorist activities abroad, which ultimately sponsor and finance attacks on our soil and on our embassies, should be redoubled. This must include more intense intelligence gathering and overt aggression against terrorist cells in other countries. For years, the U.S. has supported regimes around the world that were simultaneously endorsing or turning a blind eye to those who would do harm to America.

There are many among us who proudly say, “Give me liberty, or give me death.” Unfortunately, more liberty in the current environment may result in more American deaths. Policymakers in both the Bush and Obama administrations have essentially agreed that greater surveillance is beneficial in our efforts to thwart future attacks.

Meanwhile, our nation still grants access to many who hate America. Open immigration is a primary reason for the level of violence perpetrated on Americans in recent years. Terrorists come to our country after being brainwashed and financed and try to kill us. This phenomenon should be compelling to all Americans, not just to those whose lives have already been ruined.

Bob Beckel, a liberal commentator on the very conservative talk show The Five, indicated that visas for Arab students should be suspended until all previous visas are reevaluated and holders vetted by the authorities. Beckel believes that young Arabs are being taught to hate westerners by their families and their clergy. He thinks the outcry of American Arabs against violence has been insufficient. Would this action be a violation of anyone’s civil rights? Not really. The targets are not U.S. citizens, and they are in our country as guests. We have a right to determine whether students are abiding by our laws.

Great diligence should also be used to root out suspected terrorists regardless of their countries of origin. In these cases, the issue of civil liberty is much more profound as some suspects may be Americans. Surveillance with cameras, drones, and wiretaps is a legitimate tool in this deadly game of cat and mouse. This is not to suggest that existing protocols should be abandoned. Probable cause should be a minimum standard for a court to approve aggressive surveillance techniques.

Overseas, the U.S. must continue to search out terrorist organizations and attack them with impunity. The cost of not doing so could be horrendous. Hopefully, our allies will support drone strikes against the most dangerous terrorist groups. If not, our country must go it alone.

Ever since the second Iraq War, I have considered the pros and cons of targeted political assassinations. Whenever this subject arises, the self-proclaimed defenders of righteousness blather about trite reasons why assassination is unkind, immoral, and illegal. What other choice do we have to stop tyranny, cruelty, and injustice?

Consider Iraq. We opted to invade and occupy instead of assassinating the leader. Saddam Hussein was the head of the snake, so wouldn’t it have been a more efficient and humane plan to kill the perpetrator-in-chief? Why did the Bush administration opt to start a war that ultimately cost the lives of so many and trillions of dollars? A paltry amount, relatively speaking, would have financed a surgical elimination of Hussein.

Whether we want to admit it or not, America is at war with radical political, religious, and cultural groups around the world. Sadly, many of them are Arabs. Terrorism is a way of life in certain places where hopelessness is predominant. Americans should not feel guilty about their successes and lifestyles, and we must unapologetically protect ourselves from those who try to destroy our way of life.