Commentary

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9-11 Panel's Triumph
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claimed; rather it emerges from a "long
finally, an official body of the
tradition of extreme intolerance" within
U.S. government has come out
Islam, one going back centuries and in
and said what needs to be said:
recent times associated with
that the enemy is "Islamist terrorism —
Wahhabism, the Muslim Brethren and
not just 'terrorism,' some generic evil."
the Egyptian writer Sayyid Qutb.
The 9-11 Commission in its final report
The commission then does something
even declares that Islamist terrorism is
almost unheard of in U.S. government
the "catastrophic threat" facing the
circles; it offers a goal for the war, the
United States.
isolation or destruction of Islamism.
As Thomas Donnelly
The commission carefully
points out in the New York
distinguishes between the
Sun, the commission has
enemy's twofold nature: 'Al
called the enemy "by its true
Qaida, a stateless network of
name, something that politi-
terrorists" and the "radical ide-
ological movement in the
cally correct Americans have
Islamic world." It correctly
trouble facing."
Why does it matter that the
finds the first weakened, yet
Islamist dimension of terror-
posing "a grave threat." The
ism must be specified?
second is the greater concern,
Simple. Just as a physician
DANIE L PIPES however, for it is still gathering
and "will menace Americans
must identify a disease to treat
Sp ecia l to the
and American interests long
it, so a strategist must name
Jewish News
an enemy to defeat it.
after Osama Bin Ladin and his
cohorts are killed or captured."
The great
failing
in
the
U.S.
b
0
war effort since September 2001 has
U.S. strategy, therefore, must be to
been the reluctance to name the enemy.
dismantle Al Qaida's network and pre-
vail over "the ideology that gives rise to
So long as the anodyne, euphemistic
and inaccurate term "war on terror"
Islamist terrorism." In other words, "the
remains the official nomenclature, that
United States has to help defeat an ide-
war will not be won.
ology, not just a group of people."
Better is to call it a "war on Islamist
Doing so means nothing less than
terrorism." Better yet would be "war on
changing the way Muslims see them-
Islamism," looking beyond terror to the
selves, something Washington can help
totalitarian ideology that lies behind it.
with: "Tolerance, the rule of law, politi-
Significantly, the same day that the 9-
cal and economic openness, the exten-
sion of greater opportunities to women
11 report was published, July 22,
President George W. Bush for the first
— these cures must come from within
time used the term "Islamic militants."
Muslim societies themselves. The United
The report of the National
States must support such developments."
Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon
Of course, such an evolution "will be
violently opposed by Islamist terrorist
the United States has other good value.
It paints an accurate picture of Islamist
organizations" and this battle is the key
views, describing these as a "hostility
one, for the clash under way is not one
ofcivilizations but one "within a civiliza-
toward us and our values [that] is limit-
less." Equally useful is the description of tion," that civilization being the Islamic
the Islamist goal being "to rid the world
one. By definition, Washington is a
of religious and political pluralism."
bystander to this battle. It "can promote
In contrast to those analysts who
moderation, but cannot ensure its ascen-
wishfully dismiss the Islamists as a few
dancy. Only Muslims can do this."
fanatics, the 9-11 Commission acknowl-
Moderate Muslims who seek reform,
freedom and opportunity, the report
edges their true importance, noting that
bin Laden's message "has attracted active
says, must "reflect upon such basic issues
support from thousands of disaffected
as the concept of jihad, the position of
women and the place of non-Muslim
young Muslims and resonates powerful-
ly with a far larger number who do not
minorities," then they need to develop
new Islamic interpretations of these.
actively support his methods." The
Islamist outlook represents not a hijack-
The 9-11 commission has fulfilled its
ing of Islam, as is often but wrongly
mandate in interpreting the current dan-
ger. The administration should now take
Daniel Pipes is director of the Middle
advantage of its insights and implement
East Forum. His e-mail address is
them with dispatch. ❑
Pipes@Meforum.org

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