The War Continues

For John, BLUF:  This war has been going on for some 1350 years.  Why would it end now?  Nothing to see here; just move along.

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The Forever War Isn’t Over

Here is the sub-headline:

The Afghan debacle just marks a new, more murderous phase

From The Washington Free Beacon, by Columnist Matthew Continetti, 20 August 2021, 5:00 am.

Here is the lede plus two:

"I'm now the fourth American president to preside over war in Afghanistan—two Democrats and two Republicans," President Biden said during his speech on August 16.  "I will not pass this responsibly on— responsibility on to a fifth president."  He needn't have corrected himself.  He did indeed irresponsibly bequeath to his successor a terrible situation in central Asia.

The best-case scenario, according to Biden, would look like this:  Afghanistan's reversion to Islamofascism fades from the international headlines.  The Taliban understands that its continued rule depends on its ability to prevent terrorists from launching attacks from its territory.  America goes back to fighting over masks and vaccinations and "building back better," or whatever.

But the best-case scenario is an illusion.  Why?  Because the war isn't over.  Afghanistan is just one front in a global conflict that the United States did not initiate and cannot wish away.  The Cold War did not end when the South Vietnamese government collapsed. Nor will the war on terror or the "Long War" or the "Forever War" cease with Taliban control of Afghanistan.  When participants in the worldwide Salafist-jihadist movement look at the developments of the last week, they don't see reasons to quit their mayhem.  They see the chaos, panic, violence, disorder, and American retreat as a vindication of their ideology and a spur to further action.

The path forward is open to discussion, but the fact of militant Islamic groups working to achieve a worldwide umma should not be ignored.  Not all Muslims, or even most, but some.

This is not like the American Civil War.  When General Robert E Lee surrendered at Appomatox Courthouse on 9 April 1965 he was out of the war and became a loyal US Citizen again.  Yes, there were some holdouts and the KKK, but the war was basically over.  World War II ended with the surrender of Italy, and then Germany and then Japan.  It is not the same with the various Islamic jihadi groups.  Stand by and be alert.

Hat tip to the InstaPundit.

Regards  —  Cliff