To Declare, or Not to Declare … ‘IS’ the Question

The militant group ‘Islamic State’ in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has already seized large parts of Iraq and has a message to America – “We will drown all of you in blood.”  Unlike al-Qaeda, ISIS has focused on seizing land in Iraq and Syria for its self-proclaimed caliphate.

 

The Obama Administration has responded with the first American air strikes since the end of the occupation in 2011.  In response, ISIS has warned the U.S. it will attack Americans “in any place” if the raids hit its militants.  While U.S. airstrikes in northern Iraq have helped Kurdish fighters take back some territory captured by Islamic State militants, ISIS continues to march toward Baghdad.  The latest advance by the Islamic State has sent tens-of-thousands of members of the Yazidi ethnic minority and Christians fleeing for their lives.

 

The horrible barbarism of ISIS is impacting and affecting Americans directly.  We’ve seen or heard of the gruesome video of 40-year-old American journalist, James Wright Foley, beheaded by the terrorist group.  ISIS has another American in captivity, and are threatening to kill him too if the U.S. doesn’t stop their airstrike campaign.

 

In response, former CIA Director Mike Morell argues “we cannot let something like this [beheading] stop us” from taking the fight to the enemy.  “In fact, we should pick up the pace here.  The definition of terrorism is political violence … so we should mark this date down because this is ISIS’ first terrorist attack against the United States.”

 

Meanwhile, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) condemned ISIS in clear and unequivocal terms.  Here is what he said:

 

“The brutal execution of American journalist James Foley by ISIS is the latest example of the evil and barbarism of these terrorists. My thoughts and prayers are with the Foley family and with other Western hostages who at this hour are still being held.  Just as al-Qaeda’s initial killings of Americans abroad foretold the carnage they would unleash with-in our borders, this barbaric beheading of a defense-less hostage is the clearest indication to date that ISIS has declared war on the United States, on the American people, and on freedom loving people everywhere.  For more than a year, ISIS has been murdering civilians, raping women and young girls and enslaving them, and carrying out a systematic genocide of anyone who does not share their warped and extremist Islamist views.  ISIS cannot be reasoned with, they can’t be negotiated with, and their view of the world is irreconcilable with civilized society.”

 

Despite the preponderance of evidence that proves ISIS is a fundamentally evil and dangerous terrorist threat to the U.S., President Obama continues to appear unwilling to do what is necessary to confront ISIS and communicate clearly to the American people about the threat ISIS poses to our country and to our way of life.  Stay tuned.

 

Rev. Dr. Kenneth L. Beale, Jr.

Chaplain (Colonel-Ret), U.S. Army

Pastor, Ft. Snelling Memorial Chapel