Have We Forgotten?

Columnist : L. Henry

This month may be the most decisive September America faces as a nation since we were attacked by terrorists on September 11, 2001. It has been six years since that fateful day. In the aftermath of the attacks our country embarked on a so-called “war on terror” that has somehow become redefined as a war in Iraq.

There is a song by country artist Darryl Worley entitled “Have you forgotten?” The main lyrics ask “Have you forgotten how you felt that day, to see your homeland under fire and her people blown away?” Six years later, the answer to Worley’s question is, apparently, yes, many have forgotten.

As Congress returns to session it is slated to receive a report from General David Petraeus, commander of the multi-national force in Iraq on our progress in that theatre of operation. Indications are the results will be mixed. The political situation in Iraq has deteriorated as the fragile coalition of Sunnis, Shia, and Kurds lies in tatters. There likely will be progress to report on the military front as the “surge,” and a new grassroots political strategy appear to be having an impact, particularly in al Anbar province.

The question is: will there be enough progress to prevent a collapse of America’s political will to continue? The Bush Administration has thus far been able to fend off efforts by the Democrat majority in Congress to cut off funding for the Iraq effort by arguing we should wait until Petraeus reports. The report is at hand, and it is likely anti-war forces will give short shrift to any positive components and hammer hard at the negatives, which will be many.

Largely as a result of Iraq President Bush is suffering from low job approval ratings. But, the public’s view of Congress is even more negative. Contributing significantly to this dim view is discontent by the liberal, anti-war base of the Democratic Party with the failure of the new majority to bring an end to U.S. involvement in Iraq. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has already declared defeat in Iraq, so look for him to use the occasion of the Petraeus report to mount an all-out effort to attach a firm troop withdrawal schedule to future war funding.

A number of high profile Republicans broke ranks with the President over Iraq during the summer, making it more likely Congress will take precipitous action. And, while polls show the American public has grown weary of our Iraq involvement, there is an underlying concern over simply pulling up stakes and leaving.

As well there should be. Iraq all-too-often is viewed in isolation from the overall threat American faces from Islamic radicalism. The Bush Administration has failed to properly convey what is at stake, and Congressional Democrats have demagogued the issue for political purposes – all contributing to a fundamental lack of public understanding.

This is a dangerous situation. For a decade or more leading up to September 11th America and its political institutions failed to grasp what was happening. From the first bombing of the World Trade Center, to the U.S.S. Cole, to the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut it is clear in retrospect that the jihad against the United States had begun. It took the deaths of over 3,000 Americans on September 11, 2001 to get our full attention.

And now, six years later we appear to have forgotten that lesson. While there is no doubt the war against radical Islam has gotten bogged down in Iraq and failed to produce needed results, such as the capture of Al- Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden, the threat remains. Six years later, we continue to lack a cohesive national strategy for dealing with the threat.

Rather than engage in constructive dialogue on how to build upon our successes and address our failures, look for Congress and the White House to embark on a renewed period of finger pointing and political posturing. Likewise, the Presidential campaign is likely to focus more on what has gone wrong in the past than on than on what action we should take in the future.

In the midst of all that, it is quite possible Congress will force its will upon the administration and set for a timetable for withdrawal – for surrender – in Iraq. If so, it will be a dark day in American history.

As America’s last great President, Ronald Reagan, so eloquently stated: “Peace is the highest aspiration of the American people. We will negotiate for it, sacrifice for it; we will never surrender for it, now or ever.”

Time will tell.