Their choice, not ours
“I’m no longer willing to let them oppress people as they please for fear of war.”
– Harry Truman, 1948
Are we dealing with threats to our national security appropriately? Have invasions and occupations of threatening nations yielded the needed results? Or, might there be another approach, a safer, less costly approach? And, if so, need we look further than President Reagan’s response to Moammar Gadhafi’s sponsored bombing of a German nightclub that killed American citizens?
But, before we discuss what President Reagan did, what didn’t he do? He did not plead with the United Nations, begging world permission to defend our country from the “mad dog of the Middle East.” Nor did he abdicate his responsibility for our national security to other world leaders. Instead, he only made one small request of France, which it promptly refused, too afraid of the terrorists to come to the aid of its supposed ally.
Undeterred, President Reagan ignored France, fulfilled his constitutional duty to protect our national security, and bombed Libya. The “mad dog” remained quiet for years to come.
President Reagan understood what many still do not. Terrorists have no ethnicity, no nationality, no moral compass, no conscience. He understood you could not reason with people incapable of reason. He recognized evil. He recognized insanity. He succinctly outlined America’s will, “Gadhafi counted on America to be passive. He counted wrong.” Gadhafi’s choice, not ours.
President Reagan had no desire for war, no desire to invade and occupy a nation, no desire to free a people. He understood his responsibility was to the American people, not the Libyans. That responsibility lay with the Libyan people who had allowed a terrorist to continue to rule them. Their choice, not ours.
Isn’t this situation similar to Saddam Hussein in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan? Have invasion and occupation realized the desired results in either of these nations?
Now we face an undeniable threat to our national security, Ahmadinejad ruling Iran with nuclear weapons. Moreover, the Iranian people have chosen the path of the Iraqis, Afghanis, and Libyans before them, allowing terrorists to control their nation, unwilling to risk their lives and fight for their freedom. Their choice, not ours.
So, how do we deal with Iran? Beg the United Nations for more sanctions? Invasion and occupation? Bombing? Our national security is our right and our responsibility, not the United Nations. Invasion and occupation have not worked well in recent history. Bombing has.
President Reagan’s approach was honest, simple, clear, and successful. He understood that resolute response was the best deterrent to future threats. If a nation threatened the national security of the United States of America, sponsored the killing of Americans, or abetted in the killing of Americans, he believed that nation must be targeted rapidly and decisively.
Reagan’s approach was akin to President Truman’s handling of the Soviet Union’s blockade of Berlin following the Second World War. “The Ultimatum” from Truman gave the Soviet Union 24 hours to agree to end the blockade or the United States would drop an atomic bomb on one Soviet city, followed by two Soviet cities 24 hours later, then three Soviet cities, continuing until the Soviet Union agreed to end the blockade. Their choice, not ours.
Quoting Truman, “I’ve had enough of that duplicitous bastard. . . They’re either going to back down here, or they’re going to get blown to cinders until they do.”
So, what do we say to Iran? We demand Iran allow us to oversee the dismantling of its nuclear program and extermination of all terrorists in its nation. And, if they refuse, we modify the Reagan and Truman approach to allow civilian evacuation of targeted cities, giving them advance notice of the first city to be destroyed with conventional bombing 24 hours later, followed the next day with advanced notice of the second city to be destroyed, continuing until they accept the terms.
Their choice, not ours.
One Response to “Their choice, not ours”
Anonymous says:
April 5, 2012 at 1:49 PM
Dr. Bosley!
(I wrote to you previously, after I read your book)
I was born and raised in Nazi Germany, and came to the U.S. in 1962. This is the reason that I understand your comments very well. I shutter to think where I would be today if the United States would have waited for the League of Nations to give permission to wipe out the evil murderers of Germany. I am very grateful for the brave Soldiers of our Armed Forces and the NORMAL political leaders of the USA in the past.
The greatest Country on earth was once loved by many friends on this earth and greatly FEARED by it’s enemies. It seems that the TIGER has lost his teeth. (“Stupidity warped in Arrogance” to quote Rush Limbaugh)
The LORD GOD has blessed this country with Energy Independence but we rather bow down to the Middle Eastern sheik’s who hate us.
We need you in the White House Dr. Bosley!