Editor's Letter

Lessons Of 9-11

First of two parts

W

to industrialized nations and thus benefit from the transfer of
wealth. "To the extent that those states are translating wealth
into direct subsidies to those who are engaged in this kind of
ideological warfare Gaffney said, "we are underwriting our
own destruction."
"It is that simple he said, "And it is that intolerable."
If that doesn't shake the timbers of your soul, I don't know
what will.

e are once again confronted with a totalitarian
ideology on the march, one bent on unimaginable
horror, including the mass murder of innocent
people. Unfortunately, that number probably includes us in
America.
So says Frank Gaffney, one of the
foremost U.S. experts on foreign affairs
Danger Lurks
and national security. He's worth lis-
tening to. His pitch may be eerie, but
What infuriates Iran especially is that America hasn't relented
let there be no mistake: It's compelling to its flavor of Islamo-fascism despite 30 years of strife
between these two global powers. Ironically, our rejection of
and it matters.
totalitarianism has made us even more vulnerable.
Gaffney, articulate and animated,
"I think it contributes to the Iranian determination to con-
is founder and president of the
tinue harder, in ever more grievous ways, to hurt us in the
Washington-based Center for Security
Policy. He was President Reagan's
pursuit of their ideology over ours;' Gaffney said.
Essentially, it's Western democracy versus the theocratic
assistant secretary of defense for inter-
rule known as sharia (Islamic law).
national security policy. The center is
Furthermore, there are pivotal countries like Communist
a nonprofit, nonpartisan national security organization dedi-
China, Vladimir Putin's Russia, Kim Jong-Il's
cated to identifying policies, actions and resources
North Korea and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela that
vital to American security. It dates back to 1988,
oppose Islamo-fascism in theory, but strategi-
following Reagan's presidency.
cally encourage it because it well could take
Islamo-fascism is how Gaffney describes the
down America.
totalitarian ideology fomented largely by Iran,
"I know this sounds improbable," Gaffney
the world's most-dangerous regime because of its
nuclear capability and willingness to act on it.
said.
But he prompted a ring of realism by
"It represents for our generation, for our time,
recounting how Nazi Germany, convinced of
the same totalitarian challenge our predecessors
its inherent racial supremacy, found it possible
confronted in different forms, but with many of
and practical to create the evil Axis with Italy
the same tendencies," said Gaffney, who earlier
and Japan, both vastly different from the Aryan
under Reagan served as deputy assistant secretary
culture, with the express hope of attacking and
of defense for nuclear forces and arms control
Frank Gaff ney
destroying the Free World.
policy.
Gaffney keynoted the Detroit Jewish community's 2007
Bouncing Back
commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, Al Qaida-led terrorist
attacks on America. The Zionist Organization of America-
It's no more improbable today that we could see regimes of
Michigan Region event took place at the Jewish Community
such different characters and ideological underpinnings come
Center in West Bloomfield. About 200 people attended.
together to inflict damage on us.
And Gaffney, speaking from the heart without notes, didn't
"It is for that reason I think we have to reckon, here on the
disappoint.
sixth anniversary of 9-11, with a world that is almost unimag-
inably complicated, dynamic and increasingly dangerous,"
The Drivers
Gaffney said.
Whether Islamo-fascism, Nazism, Imperialism or
Gaffney spoke deliberately, boldly and profoundly. What he
said wasn't necessarily new But he captured the gravity and
Communism, they share a common mission: brutal imposi-
tion of a political system typically by a small group of disci-
urgency of what Americans face.
plined, tenacious, organized and ruthless agitators.
Wisely, he kept returning to his core message: That
America's adversaries, actual and potential, are engaged in a
Islamo-fascism poses a different kind of threat, however,
collaborative effort to weaken us and perhaps obliterate us,
in that it justifies such ruthlessness by tying it to a mangled
branch of Islam. Followers subscribe to the idea that killing
just as Iran has vowed to do with Israel.
Were America to fail in its resolve, Israel and the rest of the
themselves in the process of killing infidels pleases Allah.
Such sacrifice in the name of jihad elevates jihadists to "some- Free World no doubt would fall like dominos.
thing better" in the afterlife.
When Gaffney calls this the challenge of our time, he isn't
Next: What can we in the civilized world do?
exaggerating. To ignore his warning is to put Western civiliza-
tion at grave risk.
Compounding the problem is that countries with the finan-
0 •
How imminent is another terrorist attack
re *
cial means as well as territorial and intelligence resources, like
u j on America?
Iran and our so-called friend Saudi Arabia, have either openly
Z z What impact does Zionism have on the
or covertly legitimized warfare rooted in Islamo-fascism. This
0
0
has made the ideology much more lethal.
a. 0- spread of Islamo-fascism?
We're talking about influential Islamic states that supply oil

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September 20 • 2007 5