A Foreign Policy and Its Consequences
By Fred Thompson & Jeri Thompson
September 12, 2012 8:48 P.M.
Once again, on a beautiful September 11, Americans must absorb outrageous, deadly, radical Islamic assaults on fellow citizens. These particular citizens were representing America in Egypt and Libya.
Apparently there are two things in the world we now live in that are inevitable. First, any nutcase with a camera can get immediate worldwide attention if he is sufficiently provocative. Second, Islamic crazies will use provocation and any other excuse available to attack the United States and her citizens.
We do, however, have control over our own government’s response to these facts of life. While they are now backtracking under withering criticism, it appears that our embassy in Egypt apologized for the film that apparently incited the attack; that apology came before the attack took place. It was that apology — drawing attention to said film — that encouraged the mob.
When will the Department of State and our president understand that weak, apologetic responses to atrocious behavior do nothing to discourage radical Islamic fanaticism — and in fact do just the opposite?
This is part of a bigger picture. The U.S. has been weak-kneed before Russia and China as they build and expand their empires. We sit on our hands as innocents are slaughtered in Iraq and Syria. We are in the process of giving up hard-won victories in Iraq and Afghanistan, where, by the way, we continue to be slapped by the Afghan government on our way out the door. We leave behind only the blood spilled by our brave men and women and our financial aid.
So far, this has all worked for Obama politically, with a citizenry tired of conflict. The military is all that anyone wants to cut. But we cannot continue down the road with a growing and manifest weakness of American will and spirit without serious consequences. A scaled wall and a burned American flag in Cairo and dead ambassador and diplomatic officials in Benghazi planned for and perpetrated on 9/11 are small indications of what tragedies lie ahead.
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