War on Terrorism is No More

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~ Benjamin Franklin, U.S. author, diplomat, inventor, physicist, politician, & printer (1706-1790)

This article covers the drastic changes being made in combating terrorists. Our defenses are being weakened. Terrorism is being supported by the Obama administration instead of being fought. For example, the Obama administration is closing Guantanamo Detention Center (Gitmo), holding citizen trials in New York City near ground zero of some of the worst terrorists at Gitmo, reading terrorist combatants Miranda Rights in the battlefield, dithering on providing more troops in the Afghanistan war, protecting the Fort Hood terrorist killer by telling Congress not to hold an investigation, giving terrorists Geneva Convention rights, terminating the domestic satellite surveillance program, financially supporting HAMAS activists, and allowing terrorist training camps to operate in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is also in disarray, and morale is low. Need I say more? The Obama administration is definitely pro-terrorists and anti-American. Do not listen to what they say. Just watch what they do. The proof is obvious.

Adriel Bettelheim (2009), staff member of the CQ Today Online News – Politics, reported that, after antagonizing the political left with several unexpected national security moves, President Obama sought to reassert control over the politically sensitive area of fighting terrorism. Obama traveled to the National Archives on May 21, 2009, and delivered what aides say was a 35-minute speech that articulated his principles on national security. The address came after a turbulent stretch during which Obama flipped positions and blocked the release of photographs allegedly portraying prisoner abuse by U.S. military personnel. He also restarted Bush-era military commissions that try terror detainees. Then, on May 20, 2009, the Democratic-controlled Senate denied funding for the administration to help shut down the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.

Bettelheim (2009) further reported that the speech came at almost the same time former Vice President Dick Cheney had delivered remarks on the subject of “Keeping America Safe” at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. Cheney has been a vocal and persistent critic of Obama’s policies saying they raise the risk of another terror attack. By delivering an address in the shadow of the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Obama sought to portray his January 2009 decision to shut Guantanamo by January 22, 2010, as essential to restoring the United States’ reputation as a nation built on the rule of law.

Bettelheim (2009) also wrote that Senate Democratic leaders have complained that the White House put them on the spot by requesting the funding without first telling them where the detainees will go. A cabinet-level task force is exploring options, which include shipping detainees to other countries, trying them in U.S. courts, or using other venues such as military commissions. A total of 240 detainees remain at the facility.

Gave Terrorists Rights

On May 28, 2009, Josh Meyer (2009) of the Los Angeles Times reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Department of Justice (DOJ) plan to expand significantly their role in global counterterrorism operations, part of a U.S. policy shift that replaces a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)-dominated system of clandestine detentions and interrogations with one built around transparent investigations and prosecutions. Under the “global justice” initiative, which has been in the works for several months, FBI agents will now have a central role in overseas counterterrorism cases. Officials familiar with the effort said that FBI agents will expand their questioning of suspects and evidence gathering will be used to ensure that criminal prosecutions are an option.

Meyer (2009) added that, though the initiative is a work in progress, some senior counterterrorism officials and administration policymakers envision the initiative as key to the national security strategy President Obama laid out the week before – one that presumes most accused terrorists have the right to contest the charges against them in a “legitimate” setting. The approach effectively reverses a mainstay of the Bush administration’s war on terrorism in which global counterterrorism was treated primarily as an intelligence and military problem, not a law enforcement one. That policy led to establishing the prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, harsh interrogations, and detentions without trials. The “global justice” initiative commences from the premise that virtually all suspects will end up in a United States or foreign court of law.

Meyer (2009) further reported that a CIA spokesman, Paul Gimigliano, said the agency would continue to play a central role in interrogations and counterterrorism operations – using techniques approved by the U.S. Army Field Manual – in conjunction with other U.S. agencies. Behind the scenes, some intelligence officials are resisting a broader criminal justice role overseas for the FBI contending that it could inhibit the flow of intelligence if their own agents or foreign governments and believe top-secret sources and methods might be disclosed during criminal prosecutions. Two senior U.S. officials said that efforts are being made to ensure that intelligence gathering and law enforcement efforts proceed in parallel. They stressed that the CIA and military would continue to play pivotal roles particularly in gaining strategic intelligence against terrorist groups and thwarting future attacks.

The Obama administration gave terrorists the same rights as those of uniform soldiers in combat.

• Neither the Constitution nor the Geneva Convention gives rights to terrorists who operate outside of the law.
• German soldiers who wore American military uniforms to infiltrate American lines during the Battle of the Bulge were lined up against a wall and shot to death, and nobody wrung their hands over it, according to economist Thomas Sowell.

Closing Guantanamo Bay Detention Center

In early 2009, the Obama administration announced the closure of enemy combatants’ detention center in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but failed to address the issue of “what” to do with the 200+ prisoners currently held there. Rumors persist that they will be housed on U.S. soil in U.S. prisons. Other nations have refused to take them.

Cable News Network (CNN) (2009) reported that promising to return America to the “moral high ground” in the war on terrorism, President Obama issued three executive orders (EOs) on January 22, 2009, to demonstrate a clean break from the Bush administration, which included one requiring that the Guantanamo Bay detention facility be closed within one year. During a signing ceremony at the White House, Obama reaffirmed his inaugural pledge that the United States does not have “to continue with a false choice between our safety and our ideals.” The president said he was issuing the order to close the facility in order to “restore the standards of due process and the core constitutional values that have made this country great even in the midst of war, even in dealing with terrorism.”

CNN (2009) further reported that a second EO formally bans torture by requiring that the Army Field Manual be used as the guide for terrorism interrogations. That essentially ended the Bush administration’s CIA program of enhanced interrogation methods. “We believe that the Army Field Manual reflects the best judgment of our military; that we can abide by a rule that says we don’t torture; but that we can still effectively obtain the intelligence that we need,” said Obama. “This is me following through … on an understanding that dates back to our founding fathers, that we are willing to observe core standards of conduct not just when it’s easy but also when it’s hard.”

CNN (2009) also stated that a third EO establishes an interagency task force to lead a systematic review of detention policies and procedures and a review of all individual cases. The task force, Obama stated, will also “provide me with information in terms of how we are able to deal [with] the disposition of some of the detainees that may be currently in Guantanamo that we cannot transfer to other countries, who could pose a serious danger to the United States.”

Veterans Declared as Dangers to the Nation

President Obama appointed a Homeland Security Chief (Janet Napolitano) who quickly identified as “dangers to the nation” groups including veterans of the military and opponents to abortion on demand.

WorldNetDaily (WND) (2009) reported that a newly unclassified DHS report warns against the possibility of violence by unnamed “right-wing extremists” concerned about illegal immigration, increasing federal power, restrictions on firearms, abortion, and the loss of U.S. sovereignty and singles out returning war veterans as particular threats. The report, titled “Right-wing Extremism: Current Economic and Political Climate Fueling Resurgence in Radicalization and Recruitment,” dated April 7, 2009, states that “threats from white supremacist and violent anti-government groups during 2009 have been largely rhetorical and have not indicated plans to carry out violent acts.”

WND (2009) further reported that the document, first reported by talk-radio host and WND columnist Roger Hedgecock, goes on to suggest worsening economic woes, potential new legislative restrictions on firearms, and “the return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone-wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.” The report from the DHS’ Office of Intelligence and Analysis defines right-wing extremism in the United States as “divided into those groups, movements and adherents that are primarily hate-oriented (based on hatred of particular religious, racial, or ethnic groups) and those that are mainly anti-government, rejecting federal authority in favor of state or local authority, or rejecting government authority entirely. It may include groups and individuals that are dedicated to a single issue, such as opposition to abortion or immigration.”

Mary Kate Cary (2009) of the U.S. News & World Report wrote that, in February 2009, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano testified before Congress. According to news accounts at the time, she purposely did not use the word “terrorism” at all, especially regarding any attacks against the United States by militant Islamic extremists. At the time, the Associated Press reported that she was the first chief of the HSD to drop the word “terror” from remarks to Congress. Therefore, it was a surprise on April 16, 2009, when the Huffington Post published an unclassified report that Napolitano sent to local law enforcement officials around the United States. The report warned, “The return of military veterans facing significant challenges reintegrating into their communities could lead to the potential emergence of terrorist groups or lone-wolf extremists capable of carrying out violent attacks.” Other parts of the report mention veterans as potential recruits to terrorist cells as well. Is this is the thanks they get from a grateful nation? Apparently not!  Napolitano should have resigned for making such a disgusting statement.

Cary (2009) further wrote that Secretary Napolitano wouldn’t use the word “terrorists” to describe extremists who carried out the 9/11 attacks, but she did use it to describe returning American soldiers who have kept us all safe from terrorism. Yesterday, the head of the American Legion wrote her a letter asking for an apology on behalf of all those serving our country. She went on the morning shows on April 16, 2009, and downplayed the whole thing as “Washington spin.” On MSNBC the same day, she agreed to take only one question on the controversy and said everyone should “take a deep breath,” a phrase that always makes me feel like the person saying it thinks the rest of us are a bunch of two-year-olds. Her response came across as condescending, and she seemed annoyed at the question.

Cary (2009) also stated that if you read the whole report, you would see that it is full of speculation and “potential” rather than actual threats. One thought struck me while I was reading it: Why was this unclassified in the first place? It was a mistake to put this report out to local law enforcement, where it was sure to be leaked to the press. However, it was a much bigger mistake to write it at all. Our vets deserve better.

Catherine Herridge (2009) of FOX News reported that DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano is under fire for what critics see as a string of gaffes, with a small but vocal group of conservatives calling for her to step down. The outrage continues to build over a report from her department that warned of the danger of right-wing “extremists,” and singled out returning war veterans as susceptible to recruitment. Napolitano expressed regret for the reference to veterans – but she raised eyebrows again during the week when she suggested that the September 11 hijackers entered the United States through Canada, even though the 9/11 Commission determined they came to the United States from overseas.

As a United States Air Force (USAF) veteran, I resent the DHS secretary distributing such a hypothetical report. I have friends that work in the DHS. They tell me that things are in disarray at the DHS, and morale is low. It is a shame that these kinds of antics go on in the department that suppose to be keeping the U.S. homeland safe from terrorist attacks. The Obama administration thinks that the War on Terrorism is no more.

I would remind you, that extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice. And … moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue. ~ Barry Goldwater, United States Senator from Arizona

References

Bettelheim, A. (2009, May 20). Obama seeks to retake terrorism front. CQ Today Online News – Politics. Retrieved from www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1&docID=news-000003122240.

Meyer, J. (2009, May 28). FBI planning a bigger role in terrorism fight. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from articles.latimes.com/2009/may/28/nation/na-fbi28.

Sowell, T. (2009, September 1). CIA interrogators did not cross the line. RealClearPolitics. Retrieved from LINK`http`www.realclearpolitics.com/printpage/?url=www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/09/01/suicide_of_the_west_98112.html`www.realclearpolitics.com/printpage/?url=LINK.

CNN (2009, January 22). Obama signs order to close Guantanamo Bay facility. CNN.com. Retrieved from www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/01/22/guantanamo.order/index.html.

WND (2009, April 12). Homeland Security on guard for ‘right-wing extremists’: Returning U.S. military veterans singled out as particular threats. WorldNetDaily. Retrieved from www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=94803.

Cary, M. K. (2009, April 16). Napolitano – DHS terror report is no way to treat veterans. U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved from www.usnews.com/blogs/mary-kate-cary/2009/04/16/napolitano-dhs-terror-report-is-no-way-to-treat-veterans_print.htm.

Herridge, C. (2009, April 23). Napolitano draws resignation calls after gaffes on veterans, Canada. FOXNews.com. Retrieved from www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/23/napolitano-draws-resignation-calls-gaffes-veterans-canada/.