The ticking time bomb
By Robert Amoroso
Watching Former Prime Minster Tony Blair’s performance at the Iraq hearings last week, one couldn’t help but draw a parallel to our own Commander in Chief. There before his countrymen Tony Blair masterfully and unequivocally outlined his reasoning for taking the United Kingdom to war against Iraq.
After 9/11, the Prime Minster realized that UN sanctions and containment of the Iraq Regime, and its reported WMD’s needed to be revaluated and acted upon immediately. The possibility of those weapons falling into terrorist hands (after 9/11) became a real concern to him. He viewed the unprovoked attack on American civilians in the heart of New York City, not only an attack on the United States but rather as an attack on Western Civilization, and therefore also on the United Kingdom.
He carefully explained to the Iraq Inquiry Committee, the time line of events and the failed attempts by the UN to verify those WMD’s, and when sanctions failed, his decision too finally “sign on” to the invasion.
Hindsight of course is always 20/20, and leadership can be a lonely road, with many pitfalls, however true leadership requires at times selfless sacrifice, and there is nothing more profound, no matter how noble the cause then sending young men and woman off to war and perhaps to die. Tony Blair like President Bush understood the challenges and what true leadership actually means.
Fast forward to today and recent events and one can’t help but see the stark differences in how this president views our national security. Imagine if you will that the attempted Christmas Day bombing on flight 253 had succeeded, and knowing what we know now about the systemic failures…what would you think?
Fortunately for us, the bomber did not succeed, however even the most ardent supporters of this administration at some point should question the wisdom of “Mirandazing” this terrorist and giving him rights under the 5th Amendment (that of self-incrimination).
This is a foreign enemy combatant, not a citizen of the United States, and should never have been given “Miranda Rights”. Incredibly, the Justice Department under this administration stopped almost immediately interrogating the suspect, thus ending whatever vital information we may have extracted.
Combine this with the failed security measures at Fort Hood, that allowed a Muslim extremist within the military to go unchecked as a potential terrorist threat, because of political correctness, and ended in the massacre of 13- innocent lives, or the systematic dismantling of our professional Intelligence Community, that has resulted in the slip-shod investigation by both the FBI, and Home Land Security, in the handling of the Christmas Day bombing attempt.
All one needs to do to get a true sense on how this administration views national security,
is to recall those foolish and dare I say “stupid” comments by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a day after the attack. Oblivious to the magnitude and the near tragedy of the event, she announced with a casual declaration “the system worked”.
Indeed, one would think that after the most significant breaches of security since 9/11, that President Omama would have immediately fired those in charge or taken a little extra time in his 70-plus minute address to the nation, to reassure us that he’s in control and understands the perils we face…sadly nothing, not a word.
His constant vacillation and continued flip-flopping on whether to close “Gitmo” or not has become a source of concern, add to that the recent rebellion and outcry by liberal New York Democrats, demanding that the Obama Justice Department reverse themselves on whether al-Qarda terrorists (who masterminded 9/11), should be tried in New York City.
I’m not sure how long we can continue depending on dumb luck, if anything the clock is ticking on a potential time bomb, and this administration continues to be oblivious to the stark reality, that we are living in a dangerous world. Within the next year or so Iran will have the capability to build a nuclear device…what then Mr. President?
Prime Minster Tony Blair and President Bush understood the perils we faced and confronted them head-on, and paid little attention to the politics of it all.
I’ve mentioned several times in recent articles that I didn’t vote for President Obama, not because I didn’t find him articulate, bright and charismatic, indeed he’s all of those things and more. I admire his sense of family, his easy smile, his intellect and style, and of course his God given gift of speech.
However, leadership requires a lot more then being bright or charismatic or turning a fraise, it requires perspective, experience, balance and a sense of history. It requires us to use those other perhaps not so lofty gifts that are within all of us…arrogance, inexperience and naivety is a dangerous commodity if not tempered with a healthy dose of common sense, instinct, and a measure of self-doubt.
