September 11, 2014 | Quote
How should Republicans respond to Obama’s speech on the Islamic State?
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The president says the Islamic State is not Islamic nor a state. Huh? Members of the group sure consider themselves Muslim, so who is the president to pass doctrinal judgment? Cliff May of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies notes, “Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, ‘caliph’ of the Islamic State, is of course a Muslim – and it’s not for Obama to say he is not.” May explains, “Baghdadi is what is known as a Salafi Jihadist. That suggests he is a fundamentalist — not a heretic.” Refusing to recognize reality (even after two beheadings) amounts to ideological blindness and a lack of appreciation for the motives and nature of our foes. As for the state part, Obama is again wrong. “The Islamic State is not a state? Why not?” asks May. “It controls territory. It has a flag. It has arms and utilizes force. It rules subjects. It imposes taxes. In what sense is it not a state? Because it’s not a member of the General Assembly — yet?” Again, the president refuses to recognize that, like the Taliban that took over Afghanistan, the Islamists in a state of their own in the Middle East presents the threat of a haven and launching pad for attacks on our homeland. …
May observes, “I understand why he would not want to acknowledge past mistakes, for example not supporting Syrian nationalists when they were stronger and more numerous more than three years ago; failing to leave a residual force in Iraq; and calling what used to be ISIS a ‘JV team.’ But for him to say the model for this operation is Somalia and Yemen is disappointing.” May continues, “A global conflict is being waged against America and the West. America and the West are not yet responding appropriately or proportionately.”
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