President Bush and the War for the Free World
Decision Brief No. 05-D 51 2005-10-07
(Washington, D.C.): In an extraordinary speech yesterday to the National Endowment for Democracy, President Bush clarified in important new ways the nature of the enemy we face – and what is at stake in our war with that enemy. His remarks were laudable both for the clarity and coherence of the message and because they mark further progress by Mr. Bush towards calling this conflict was it is: The War for the Free World.
Naming the Enemy
For the first time, the President described the fundamental ideological underpinning of our global terrorist enemies as “Islamofascism.” He “connected the dots” that have translated into murderous attacks in New York, Washington, Casablanca, Bali, Madrid, London, Netanya and Baghdad as the work not merely of terrorists. Rather, it is murder in the service of an ideology that “seeks the establishment, by terrorism and subversion and insurgency, of a totalitarian empire that denies all political and religious freedom.”
Mr. Bush then made a critical point:
Some might be tempted to dismiss these goals as fanatical or extreme. Well, they are fanatical and extreme – and they should not be dismissed. Our enemy is utterly committed. As [the Jordanian terrorist Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi has vowed, “We will either achieve victory over the human race or we will pass to the eternal life.” And the civilized world knows very well that other fanatics in history, from Hitler to Stalin to Pol Pot, consumed whole nations in war and genocide before leaving the stage of history. Evil men, obsessed with ambition and unburdened by conscience, must be taken very seriously – and we must stop them before their crimes can multiply.
The Face of Totalitarianism
The President reminded us that, as in the past with the totalitarian ideology known as Communism, we have no choice but to defeat the adherents to Islamofascism lest they destroy this country and the rest of the Free World.
Like the ideology of communism, our new enemy pursues totalitarian aims . Its leaders pretend to be an aggrieved party, representing the powerless against imperial enemies. In truth they have endless ambitions of imperial domination, and they wish to make everyone powerless except themselves. Under their rule, they have banned books, and desecrated historical monuments, and brutalized women. They seek to end dissent in every form, and to control every aspect of life, and to rule the soul, itself. While promising a future of justice and holiness, the terrorists are preparing for a future of oppression and misery.
Appeasement is Not an Option
A particularly vivid passage of the President’s address reminded us that foes motivated by such ideological fervor will not be appeased or dissuaded from their ambitions – either in Iraq or elsewhere.
There’s always a temptation, in the middle of a long struggle, to seek the quiet life, to escape the duties and problems of the world, and to hope the enemy grows weary of fanaticism and tired of murder. This would be a pleasant world, but it’s not the world we live in. The enemy is never tired, never sated, never content with yesterday’s brutality. This enemy considers every retreat of the civilized world as an invitation to greater violence. In Iraq, there is no peace without victory. We will keep our nerve and we will win that victory.
An Ancient Struggle in our Time
The Center for Security Policy has long encouraged President Bush and his administration to explain the war in these terms. He has now moved a great distance from the early days of characterizing the present conflict as simply a “War on Terrorism.” He is absolutely right to describe it instead as “the current expression of an ancient struggle, between those who put their faith in dictators, and those who put their faith in the people.”
Throughout history, tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that murder is justified to serve their grand vision – and they end up alienating decent people across the globe. Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that regimented societies are strong and pure – until those societies collapse in corruption and decay. Tyrants and would-be tyrants have always claimed that free men and women are weak and decadent – until the day that free men and women defeat them.
We don’t know the course…our own struggle will take – or the sacrifices that might lie ahead. We do know, however, that the defense of freedom is worth our sacrifice. We do know the love of freedom is the mightiest force of history. And we do know the cause of freedom will once again prevail.
The Bottom Line
Now, Mr. President, all that remains is to give this war a name that evokes in a single phrase all these themes – ever reminding all of us about who we are fighting, and why: the War for the Free World.
With the President, we too believe that the murderous ideology of Islamic radicalism is “the great challenge of our new century.” And also like the President we share the belief that our precious values of freedom and democracy are at stake in this struggle. Properly defining our enemy, as the President did today, is a profound service to the men and women of our armed forces as well as to the citizens of the country. And for this, the Center commends the President and his steadfast efforts to confront, head on, our evil terrorist enemy.
Mr. Gaffney is the host of Secure Freedom Radio, a nationally-syndicated radio program heard weeknights throughout the country. He is an associate author of highly acclaimed Shariah: The Threat to America and the publisher of over a dozen other books and monographs from the Center for Security Policy Press.
In April 1987, Mr. Gaffney was nominated by President Reagan to become the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Policy, the senior position in the Defense Department with responsibility for policies involving U.S.-USSR relations, nuclear forces, arms control, missile defense policy and U.S.-European defense ties. He acted in that capacity for seven months during which time, he was the Chairman of the prestigious High Level Group, NATO’s senior politico-military committee. He also represented the Secretary of Defense in key U.S.-Soviet negotiations and ministerial meetings.
From August 1983 until November 1987, Mr. Gaffney was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Forces and Arms Control Policy under Assistant Secretary Richard Perle.
From February 1981 to August 1983, Mr. Gaffney was a Professional Staff Member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, chaired by the late Senator John Tower (R-Texas). And, in the latter 1970’s, Mr. Gaffney served as an aide to the late Senator Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson (D-Washington) in the areas of defense and foreign policy.
Mr. Gaffney holds a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service.
Mr. Gaffney’s leadership has been recognized by numerous organizations including: the Department of Defense Distinguished Public Service Award (1987), the U.S. Business and Industry Council’s Defender of the National Interest Award (1994), the Navy League of the United States’ Alfred Thayer Mahan Literary Achievement Award (1999), and the Zionist Organization of America’s “Louis Brandeis Award” (2003), the Western Conservative Summit’s Stephen H. Long Award (2015), the Council for National Policy’s George Washington Military Leadership Award (2016) and the IMPACT Award from Ginni Thomas and United in Purpose (2017).
Mr. Gaffney was born in 1953 and resides in the Washington, D.C. area.
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