The Resilient Terrorist

Trey Smith

Every time the Obama administration announces that we've "taken out" another key member of al Qaeda, this announcement has been coupled with a declaration that their ranks are dwindling and their communication structure has been seriously impaired. Obama trumpets each of these kills as one of the final nails in the coffin of this murderous terror squad.

Yet, despite continuous claims that we've crippled al Qaeda, our political leaders continue to use this phantom organization as fodder for more war and more destruction of our civil liberties. It seems that no matter how much we kill al Qaeda, it refuses to die.

Now, I certainly do not believe most of this scare hype. I think the label al Qaeda is simply a rhetorical tool used to justify the machinations of the elites.

For the sake of argument though, let's take the administration at its word. Let's say that al Qaeda is a bona fide threat because this organization indeed is the chief organizer of most of the terror plots and actions throughout the western world. If al Qaeda keeps reinventing itself and so easily replaces its top commanders each time we kill one off, wouldn't this suggest that, maybe just maybe, the strategy we continue to deploy is a bad one?

For years, those of us in the peace movement have charged that American foreign policy helps to create the very thing our nation must continually contend with: people sworn to seek revenge on the US. We have argued that diplomacy, not bombing folks to kingdom come, would better serve the interests of ALL concerned. We have strongly urged our government to adopt policies that promote human rights and economic freedom.

Unfortunately, during all this time, our leaders have done the opposite. They have attacked, killed, and maimed thousands of people and destroyed the basic infrastructure of nation after nation. And no matter how many key members of al Qaeda they murder, more supposedly fill the gaps.

Since I don't think our leaders are mindless simpletons, there really is only one conclusion to draw: If they truly believe their own rhetoric, then they purposely are trying to create more terrorists so they can have an enemy to fight long into the night.