If you ask me

Daesh, and all terrorist groups, must be dealt with quickly and decisively.

If you ask me, the world is becoming a sicker and sadder place to live in and no sensible person could fail but be concerned by worldwide terrorism and the descent into chaos that we witness on our TVs, in our newspapers and on the internet, everyday. The rise of Islamic extremism is, perhaps, the most worrying issue and threatens the freedom and lives of every person, both non-Muslim and Muslim, on the planet. Some of us have witnessed the horror of terrorism, first hand, and have lost friends and loved ones to it. Yet, throughout all of this, many people, and some Governments, continue to be complacent about the growing threat. They seem oblivious to the fact that we are at war with extremism and, as a result, what I see is a piecemeal and half-hearted effort to win, and end, that war.

We, the freedom loving peoples of the world must wake up, unite and fight against this evil, with all of our strength and determination, before it is too late.

This post is not a hate message, against Muslims, but a wakeup call for all of the world’s people, including moderate and peace-loving Muslims, to rise up, get out of your comfy chairs and do something, no matter how small it might seem, to oppose extremism and terrorism and to promote a lasting peace. You might think that there is little that you can do, but if everyone did something, no matter how small it might seem, the net result would be huge.

The world we presently live in is one where:

• There is a seemingly growing list of extremists and terrorists, operating under names such as ISIS, ISIL, Daesh, al Qaeda, Taliban, Boko Haram or any of dozens of other groups, who are committing heinous, inhuman and vile acts of murder, rape, genocide, slavery, torture and intimidation against innocent men, woman AND children across the globe. These are not the actions of freedom fighters or religious warriors, but those of godless animals who are doing the work of the devil, Satan, Beelzebub or any other name that you might use to describe the personification of evil,

• A handful of governments are conducting limited and disjointed military operations against these extremists, usually in response to another terrorist attack somewhere, and seemingly more to placate their own people rather than to actually end the threat of terrorism,

• Some Western governments are accepting refugees from some of the most violent areas on earth, such as Syria, without adequate safeguards to guarantee the refugee status of these people and for the continued freedom and peace of their own countries. This is also a huge disservice to legitimate refugees and threatens their future peaceful existence in their new countries, too,

• Some of the richest Muslim nations on earth, such as Saudi Arabia and who share a great deal more religious and some cultural connections to the refugees than do the people of Europe, the USA and Australia, are doing nothing to assist in the present refugee crisis and this only adds to the suspicions of many non-Muslims,

• When citizens, of those nations who are accepting refugees, voice their fears and concerns, in any manner that the government thinks is too strong, then these people are threatened with legal action which, in effect, is depriving them of the basic right of free-speech,

• Throughout this crisis, most Western leaders have shown a distinct lack of leadership towards their own people preferring, instead, to adopt a conciliatory and uninspiring approach to the threats which only encourages further violence from the extremists and suspicion and civil disobedience from their own people,

• From within the Muslim world, some Imams and clerics are voicing support and encouragement for the extremists and preaching hatred and violence against all non-Muslims.

• Even as their religious ‘brothers’ are extolling hate, some Muslim Imams and clerics are calling for peace and speaking against the violence, but their voices have been largely lost in the general ‘noise’ of this crisis, and

• Finally, sitting on the side-lines of this growing mess, are the majority of Muslims; the moderates who, in most cases, just want to live their lives in peace. Yet, they have remained virtually silent throughout this horrific chain of events which only increases suspicion of Muslims, in general, and this compounds the problem by a substantial degree.

So what is the non-Muslim world to think of all of this? Is it any wonder that there are many people who perceive a very real and imminent threat to their country, their lifestyle and their children’s future from this religion? Is it any wonder that many of these people are now starting to talk about banning symbols of the Islamic faith, such as the burqa and the removal of all mosques? Are we really surprised that these people are calling for a halt to all Muslim refugees, at least until the war on terror is won and an effective system of vetting refugees is established? Is it any wonder that their suspicion, whether founded or otherwise, of all Muslims has grown towards intolerance and is even bordering on hatred?

The vast majority of these people are not racists and they are not bigots; they are frightened people who see very disturbing trends in world events and they note that very little real action is being taken to counter the threat. These people feel abandoned by their governments and by their leaders. These people need to know that their lives, their children’s lives, their country and their future are all safeguarded; but they are not seeing it at this time. These people are looking for leadership, strong and determined leadership, which will see their families safely through the crisis while still meeting international and humanitarian obligations towards LEGITIMATE refugees. Rather than take legal action against these people, our leaders need to recognise that the fault lies with themselves and they then need to show some real leadership, or step aside.

One of the critical issues for the people of many western nations, and I would say that Australia and the USA top this list, is the total absence of effective and trustworthy leadership in this crisis. Most western leaders have been found to be totally wanting and devoid of leadership qualities and without workable solutions to the crisis. Obama and Turnbull have both spoken out against Islamophobia but this seems to be the extent of their responses in this matter. While opposing Islamophobia is a very valid point, because many Muslims are also innocent victims of both extremist atrocities and western bias, it falls far short of what is really required. Obama and Turnbull have been totally remiss in adequately addressing all of the factors of this crisis and they have failed to convince the majority of their people that they have a grand strategy to destroy extremism, to end the war, to return peace to the world, to guarantee the safety of the people and to prevent the rise of extremism in the future.

It is nowhere near enough to tell the people that you mustn’t let your fears turn to hate, the people need to know that the government is also taking swift, firm and decisive action to end the crisis in total. Listening to the speeches and press releases, by both of these leaders, has been totally underwhelming and their manner, body language and voice, seems to indicate that they don’t believe what they are saying, either. There have been no inspirational speeches, no gathering of national fervour, no sign of a decisive plan to destroy extremism, totally and completely. Militarily, we just keep seeing occasional, piecemeal forays of limited military forces that usually achieve a tactical victory, but fall way short of a strategic victory. In the end, these limited military actions only prolong the conflict and provide combat experience and intelligence gathering opportunities for the terrorists.

Why do you think that Vladimir Putin is riding a wave of popularity and almost near-hero worship in some sectors of the international community? Is it because he is an all-round good guy doing the right thing for the safety of the world and out of the goodness of his own heart? No, he has seen the gaping void left by western leaders, he has noted the total absence of true leadership and he has jumped in and filled that void. Even though his bombing campaign in Syria is aimed more at propping up the Assad regime, he has managed to manipulate the situation to his benefit because no other world leader has stood up to be truly counted.

Edmund Burke’s quote is very pertinent in today’s war on terror.

So what do we need in order to end this crisis and destroy terrorism and extremism?

Leadership

First of all, we need leaders.

We need leaders who will inspire the people by example, by selfless service to the nation and with believable plans to end the crisis and restore peace. We need leaders who can clearly identify the problems, the issues and the solutions. We need leaders who know how to motive and inspire the people to work towards national goals.  We need leaders who will recognise the concerns of the people, and not dismiss them, and who will then take appropriate actions for the benefit of all of the people. We need leaders who do not blame the people when the people, in the absence of effective leadership, have become scared and concerned (as in the reaction of many people to our Muslim neighbours). We need leaders whose response to public concerns is not to impose legislation and penalties, to force the people into silence, but who will listen and correctly interpret what is being said. We need leaders who can adapt their policies and their plans to correct any situation that has left some members of the community in doubt. We need leaders who do not put their own careers before the welfare of the people or that of the nation.

While we can never eliminate all factions, and the associated fracturing, within our societies, effective and inspiring leadership can minimize these problems and bind the majority of people together. Conversely, deficient or lackluster leadership can turn cracks in our social fabric into gaping chasms. The present leadership, of many countries, needs to recognise this point and either upgrade their performance or step aside. It has been a very long time since we have seen inspirational leadership in any country but that is what we need, most of all.

It should also be noted that a Prime Minister or a President who can do an acceptable job in peacetime, may be utterly useless in a time of crisis or war. Alternatively, a good wartime leader may be a bad peacetime one. History is full of examples of these cases and it must be realised that, for the good of the nation, changes to leadership are often required when the threats to the nation increase or decrease. I believe such changes are necessary, right now, and the only real issue is finding the right people to fill the positions.

Mutual Respect and Tolerance

To stop the rise of Islamic extremism, the world needs to seek ways of preserving peace and establishing MUTUAL respect with the Muslim world; note that the point here is MUTUAL respect. This requires a number of things but, principally, it needs:

Non-Muslims need to realise and appreciate that, to date, the worst terrorists might have all been Muslim but not all Muslims are terrorists. Indeed, the majority of Muslims are trapped in the middle between cultures and religions; in the yawning chasm of mistrust that the extremists have deliberately created between the non-Muslim world and the Muslim world. The extremist plan is for hatred from the non-Muslim world to do their recruiting, from the Muslim world, for them.

Muslims also need to speak up. While it is paramount that non-Muslims do not give in to hate, it is also paramount that moderate, non-extremist Muslims make it clear that they want peace and that they do not subscribe to the hate sermons of some of their clerics. It is not enough to expect non-Muslims to show tolerance and support for Muslims, it is also essential that Muslims demonstrate, by speech and actions, that they do NOT support extremism, that they do not hate non-believers and that they are tolerant of their Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, agnostic and atheist neighbours, and those of any other religion for that matter. Muslims, living in non-Muslim countries, also need to declare that they respect the culture, the customs and the laws of the nations where they reside. By remaining silent, or near silent, it looks like tacit support for the extremists. The old saying that you are either with us or against us, is a good guide for how this matter should be handled by the Muslim world.

The establishment and maintenance of mutual trust and respect, between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds, will have many benefits for all peoples. Not only will it allow all people to live in relative peace and free from religious war, but also to enjoy the lifestyle and religion that they choose. In addition, if the grievances between the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds could be fairly addressed, and mutual respect would be a good start, then this would also impact on the recruitment drives of the terrorist organisations. The terrorists prey on some Muslim people by playing up the inequalities between their world and the west and then imposing their religious misinterpretations over that inequality to radicalize the young and impressionable. Mutual respect will hamper such recruitment.

Military Action

All freedom loving nations need to recognise that a serious threat has arisen and it is not going away of its own accord. We cannot sit back and hope for a solution, we must band together and create a solution. This threat, from the extremists, is a threat against all people, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, and it requires a coordinated and determined response.

In the past, when evil raised its ugly head and threatened the peace of the world, countries didn’t dither about the problem, postulating and discussing it ad infinitum, they responded with decisive and clear military action. The manner in which this was done was not always the best choice but clear and decisive action is the key component of any military solution. A quick decision is not always the best decision but it is infinitely superior to a late decision, or no decision at all.

When the war against Hitler and Nazism, broke out in 1939, into soon grew into a World War that cost 40 million lives. However, if Britain and France had have moved against Hitler, at the very beginning and at the first sign of aggression (and Hitler gave the world plenty of signals of what was to come) then the war might have been a relatively limited war and Hitler might have been removed before his great tragedy unfolded fully. Instead of 40 million dead, the result might have only been in the thousands. Indeed, Hitler was encouraged by the dithering of the allies and this only assured the horrors that followed.

We are faced with a similar situation today. The extremists are striving to build a caliphate, an Islamic state based upon the Sharia law and, from which, they plan to conquer the whole world. This might not seem too likely to many people around the world but, in the 1930’s, people didn’t think Hitler would eventually occupy most of Europe, North Africa and a significant portion of the Soviet Union either; at least not until it very nearly came to pass. In the face of the current extremist threat, we dither and procrastinate at our own peril.

As with the war on Nazism, today the nations of the world must join together and form an alliance with the simple and determined goal of militarily destroying the evil of religious extremism. This shouldn’t be a limited military action, it shouldn’t be retaliatory or designed to ‘contain’ the threat, it should be total war. It should, and must, be aimed at total destruction of the threat. The extremists have made it absolutely clear and unmistakable, that they are not interested in living in peace or in sharing the planet. We should take their threats and their promises seriously and respond, not in kind, but in an overwhelming and decisive manner. Let us not, as Neville Chamberlain did, opt for appeasement; if we want peace and security, then we MUST fight for it.

The world should not wait for the United Nations before we act, either. The UN is a paper tiger which is largely little more than a debating society. You only have to look at the membership list of the UN to realise that a frightening percentage of it’s 193 members are dictatorships and autocrats who will jostle for a favourable position, for their own benefit, before they will act to prevent a tragedy or for the general wellbeing (see: IfYouAskMe – The United Nations). One only has to look at examples like the Rwandan Genocide to realise that waiting for the UN is tantamount to doing nothing. Indeed, an entirely new international organisation or alliance structure needs to be considered by all free nations. Something along the lines of NATO but far beyond the borders of Europe and with a mandate to seek out and destroy terrorist forces wherever they might be found. An organisation whose membership would be limited to democratic nations and which would provide military, law enforcement and intelligence support to all of its members to present a united front against terrorism.

Just as in WWII, we need strong and determined political leaders. These leaders need to determine the overall goal of the war, the final strategy that all military actions will be subjugated to; in other words, the primary and overarching aim of the conflict. In this case, that would be the total destruction of extremism, wherever it is found, and the prevention of it ever arising again. Once the leaders have made that determination, then they need to give the military clear direction of what is to be achieved and then step back and hand the war fighting over to the military. Once any conflict has started, the politicians need to retire to their main job of supporting the military and fostering public support and morale. History has shown us, time and time again, that when any war is run by politicians then the outcome will be in serious doubt.

This is what happened in Vietnam and in Iraq, where the military won battle after battle only to have their hands tied and the final victory negotiated away by one administration after another. The same thing happened for Nazism; when Hitler allowed his generals to conduct the war, the German war machine was almost unstoppable, but whenever Hitler intervened in the war fighting, as he did more and more as the war progressed, the results were usually good for the allies and bad for the Germans and ultimately led to the defeat of Nazi Germany. This is why the British plan to assassinate Hitler, Operation Foxley, was not carried out; Hitler was winning the war for the allies! We are seeing the same problems with the war on terror. Obama has tied the US military’s hands behind their backs, he is trying to direct and limit the war from the Oval Office and the results are turning out to be just as bad as in the past.

To date, there has been a lack of enthusiasm for committing ground troops to the war against the extremists. This is because our politicians are afraid of being dragged into another prolonged and costly ground war. However, this is only really a danger if those same politicians refuse to give up control of the war fighting to the military. Long, protracted ground wars are usually the result of political interference in the conduct of the campaign and the Vietnam War was a classic example of this. To win this present war, to put an end to extremism as a major threat (there will always be extremists of one sort or another) it is absolutely vital that we commit ground forces to the task. As important as air power is, no one has ever won a war, nor will they ever be able to do so, with air power alone. Victory requires a combined arms strategy and, in the end, ‘boots on the ground’.

Further, we must not avoid battle for fear of civilian casualties, or collateral damage as it is called today. The simple fact is that we are at war. We didn’t start this war and we certainly don’t want this war, but we are at war. In any war it is impossible not to have innocent lives lost as a result of battle. Western military forces always strive to avoid such loss of life, but if the enemy takes the war into urban areas and into regions of large civilian populations, which is precisely the main strategy of this present enemy, then we cannot avoid combat for fear of regrettable casualties. To do so would, in the end, result in greater loss of life. Long drawn-out conflicts always result in much larger casualty rates and far higher rates of collateral damage. Short, sharp and decisive conflicts might seem extreme because the fighting is so intense, and the damage and losses seem high because they are compressed in terms of time and geography, but they are almost always far less than you would experience in a long, drawn-out war. We cannot avoid all civilian casualties but we can keep such losses to a minimum through quick and clear action.

In addition, our piecemeal approach to the war simply always gives the initiative to the enemy and, generally, we continue to adopt a defensive posture, only reverting to the offensive in order to ‘contain’ the enemy or retaliate against some aggression of theirs or when our intelligence services get a lucky break. This approach is totally wrong and ultimately doomed to failure. The war against extremism is not be like any other war, that we have fought in the past, because the enemy does not always occupy an easily definable location or country, he does not wear a uniform, he rarely targets legitimate military targets, he prefers ‘soft’ targets such as non-combatants and he deliberately conceals himself in the general population, but it is imperative that we find a way to seize and retain the initiative. The choice is that we must find a way to do this or face decades more horror and terrorism at a huge cost in lives and resources.

However, when extremist groups do occupy defined territories, such as Islamic State’s occupied lands in Iraq and Syria, or the territory in north eastern Nigeria which is controlled by Boko Haram, then we must seize upon these opportunities to destroy these groups. Later when any survivors have splintered off into the bush or urban regions, we need to keep the pressure on and track them down with surveillance, intelligence gathering and ready reaction forces. In short, we need to hold the initiative and we need to take the war to them, where ever they are. Granted, the anti-terrorist activities of most western nations have not been sitting idle and many terrorist acts have been thwarted, but we have to keep increasing the pressure on the enemy to the point where they are defensive and reactionary, instead of us being so.

Yes, going after the terrorists, wherever they are to be found and with a large multinational alliance, will not be cheap and will require a huge amount of diplomacy, national cooperation and military coordination, but it is far cheaper than fighting a stronger Islamic State, and many extremist satellite states, later on.

To further emphasize the need to go after the enemy, wherever they are located, we also need to keep in mind that victory, in any war, cannot be achieved from the defensive stance we have adopted so far. Victory can only come through offensive action. We have to stop reacting to the enemy and start forcing him to fight on our terms, on the battlefields we choose and at a time of our choosing. As I said before, we didn’t start or want this war, but now that we have it, we need to embrace it and get the job done quickly. This generation and all the generations to come, will thank us if we get on with the job quickly, efficiently and with the utmost determination. However, they will curse us if we leave this mess for them to clean up.

The time for half-measures is over.

The time is now upon us when we need to “Cry ‘Havoc!’ and let slip the dogs of war”!