A NEW KIND OF WAR

The war on Terror is a new animal for the United States. Like the Giant Toad, it too, is non- indigenous. Both slipped into this country unexpectedly, both prey on native species, and both are highly toxic to predators.
We should remember that as we hunt down terrorists in Iraq and Afghanistan.

President Bush has announced that the war on terror is a "new kind of war". The phrase falls nightly from the lips of newscasters. So often, in fact, it has lost its lustre.

My question is: if it's a new kind of war, why are we fighting the same old battle?
Past wars-animals we were familiar with-dictated invasions, large battles, the dismantling of enemy forces, toppling governments, and occupation. After the war was won, we would begin restoration.

We are doing just that now.

If the war on terror truly is a new kind of war, let us fight it as such.

If a foreign country plans, or launches, an attack against us; or should they turn a blind eye as terrorists plan attacks from camps on their soil, or should those self-same governments fund any such terror organizations, then we should respond as quickly and as efficiently as we did when we invaded Iraq. The parallels stop there. Once we disband the army, overthrow the government, and destroy their infrastructure, we head home and let the citizens choose how to govern themselves. Had we done that in Iraq, our casualties would have been limited to a few hundred and not several thousand. We would have saved billions of dollars. And we would have impacted our enemies ability to strike us again.

And when they attack again, and they will, we go back.

Eventually, foreign leaders will realize the cost of terrorism; that their futures' will be decided, either by an American attack, or by their own angry citizens, unwilling to suffer needlessly for their leaders sins.