A 200-year-old lesson on 9/11

A 200-year-old lesson on 9/11
wnd …for complete article
by Chuck Norris
With the 6th anniversary of 9/11 among us, as well as the imminent report on the status of the war from Gen. David Petraeus, the commander of U.S. troops in Iraq, America continues to face the fallout and frontlines of the war on terror.
Despite debates over the success of surges and the truths behind 9/11, one of the most significant deliberations remains how many Americans are still in denial about the depth and breath of extremists’ hatred for our nation, liberties and way of life. Do people really think ceasing a war in Iraq will quench their fire to destroy our country?
Radical Muslims’ guile existed far before 9/11, and it will be there far after an Iraqi war. In fact, it was apparent from the beginning of our nation, as seen in the Barbary Powers Conflict, a confrontation between the five Barbary nations (Tripoli, Turkey, Tunis, Algiers and Morocco) and what they considered the “Christian nations” (England, Denmark, France, Spain and the new United States).
Though I am not a historian or a military strategist, I believe now is a good time to recall this 200 year-old lesson on extremist Muslim-American relations.
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Diplomacy lessons from long ago
While I am neither an alarmist nor a pessimist, I do believe we need to hear the voice of our Forefathers before it is too late. They cry out from the Barbary Powers Conflict in hope of imparting some wisdom to us. As the adage goes, we will either learn from history’s mistakes or be doomed to repeat them.
1. Muslim extremists have always had a disdain for America. Before America was a new nation, Muslim extremists hated the West. When America was born, she was aligned with the Western (“Christian”) countries and therefore became an enemy of them as well.
2. Negotiations and treaties don’t work with extremists and terrorists. Our primary problem today, again like back then, is not our lack of international relations or communications. Seeking to clear misperceptions about America might work with some, but not radicals and terrorists. Tribute and treaties are only a temporary temperance at best; they didn’t stop them from declaring war against us, and they won’t stop them now. In the Barbary Conflict we caved into their demands and empowered them in so doing. Paying them only encouraged further attacks. Negotiating with extremists and those who harbor and support them is still bad international business.
3. Once a religious war, always a religious war. Whether justified as vengeful sentiment for the Crusades or not, Islamo-fascism cannot see any argument or altercation with the West outside the lens of a religious one.
4. The best defense is a good offense. For 30 years, from roughly 1785 through 1815, America fought by sea and land Muslim extremists in the form of pirate slave traders. Today, that fight continues with Muslim pirates who capture our planes and use them as weapons.
In a post-9/11 age of globalization, multi-ethnic societies and possible suitcase nukes, containment is impossible. Pre-emption is still our best solution. Our offense must be as strong as our defense. It took military might, leadership ingenuity and fortitude, and national perseverance to win the day against those Muslim extremists 200 years ago. And it will take the same today. If it took our Forefathers 30 years to resolve the Muslim-American conflict then, do we think we can settle it in six?
Nothing new under the sun
Years before 9/11, we tragically forgot these and other similar history lessons, dropping our guard to a monumentally shocking end. When 3,000 innocent American citizens were brutally murdered by parasitic pirate counterparts, we were delivered a devastating wakeup call. We relearned the same lessons from the Barbary Powers Conflict: that despite negotiations and even bribes, Muslim extremists are still engaged with America in a jihad or holy war.
Islamo-facism continues to seek to rob us of our liberties, cripple us by fear and destroy our country. Proof is found by simply asking how many of us will still not fly on 9/11. They’ve stolen a day of liberty from our calendar. Let’s not allow them to seize another.
And they won’t – as long as we stay resilient, learn from the lessons of history and remember the God of 911, Psalm 91:1 that is, for “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”
Above all, this truth still stands, “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord” (Psalm 33:12).

Wild Thing’s comment…….
I thought this good, I didn’t know that Chuck Norris wrote a column. Anyway I hope you find it interesting as I did.