As the terror attacks in Paris continue to unfold, many are asking how the United States has prepared to prevent similar attacks from happening on American soil. Does the Obama administration have a clear strategy about how to fight the war on Islamic terror? The answer seems to be no.
"We have no strategy," General Jack Keane said during an interview on Fox News Friday morning. "They have not defined the enemy in terms of radical Islam."
As I pointed out in an earlier post today, one of the brothers who carried out the Islamic terror attack on Charlie Hebdo earlier this week, received training from Al Qaeda in Yemen. Just four short months ago, President Obama was touting Yemen as a success and a model of how the United States will "degrade and ultimately destroy" ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Not to mention, high ranking military officials have been saying for nearly a year that the administration's strategy against ISIS isn't working. Further, it was just one presidential election ago that Obama was claiming Al Qaeda is "on the run" and has been "decimated."
So why doesn't the administration have a clear strategy? And why is the "strategy" they've put forward failing? There are a number of explanations, but the simplest one is that the Obama administration fails to recognize and define the enemy: radical Islam.
When the White House released it's statement Tuesday about the attack on Charlie Hebdo, President Obama admitted it was a terror attack, but nowhere said Islamism was behind the attack. By refusing to recognize Islamic terror as the threat and the enemy, the administration can't properly come up with a strategy to defeat it.
I strongly condemn the horrific shooting at the offices of Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris that has reportedly killed 12 people. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of this terrorist attack and the people of France at this difficult time. France is America’s oldest ally, and has stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States in the fight against terrorists who threaten our shared security and the world. Time and again, the French people have stood up for the universal values that generations of our people have defended. France, and the great city of Paris where this outrageous attack took place, offer the world a timeless example that will endure well beyond the hateful vision of these killers. We are in touch with French officials and I have directed my Administration to provide any assistance needed to help bring these terrorists to justice.
This morning when two hostage situations were unfolding in Paris, Dr. Qanta Ahmed made an appearance on Fox News to discuss the importance of identifying radical Islam as the source of attacks around the world in order to defeat it.
"It's time for the United States, western democracies, Britain, France to admit that we are under siege by an ideology called Islamism. All Islamists are Muslim, that's very important. All Islamists are Muslim, I am a Muslim to tell you that so this ideology is emerging from Muslims but is a hijacking of our beliefs into a totalitarian political ideology. They seek to flout secular democracy." Ahmed said. "The scenes of the photographs of Charlie Hebdo, the offices, look exactly like the scenes of classrooms in Peshawar. The war is on education, the war is on free speech and by not naming it in our country or in France as Islamism, we're enabling these kinds of actions."
Ahmed also praised Fox News for openly discussing the issue of radical Islam.
"Islamists thrive if we're too careful to tread because we're afraid of Islamaphobia," Ahmed said. "I do want to salute you as broadcasters for raising this issue. After Charlie Hebdo you are in the cross-hairs of Islamists. The bravest thing people can do at the moment is have networks and stations and dialogue like this. This is a very brave thing that you are all doing."