Declaring Victory

That's the title of James Fallows' latest Atlantic Monthly report on terrorism. As with most of his articles, this one is based on conversations with military people, intelligence people and think tank pundits. However, one has to wonder about the opinions of these "authorities", as "most of these people had supported the decision to invade Iraq", which decision, in my book now and in early 2003, will go down as the biggest mistake the US has made in the post-WWII world.

The first three-quarters of the article establishes that al-Qaeda is not the threat now that it was in 2001. We have been able to drastically reduce its effectiveness. However, there is an assumption by Fallows and his 'authorities' that none of the other terrorist organizations that have come of age in the 21st century has the ability to mount a major attack such as 9/11. I question this assumption in light of difficulties Israel is experiencing in its attempt to quash Hezbollah.

It's in the last few pages that Fallows earns his fee. He reminds us that, while "the terrorists ...can damage but not destroy us, their real destructive power lies in what they can provoke us to do." It is time, he says, to declare the global war on terrorism over and declare victory, recognizing that in the final analysis life is risky and, at some point, we will suffer another terrorist attack. However, our war on terror is, except for the guys getting killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, a war in words only. We at home have not been asked to sacrifice. Being at war puts us in a state of fear where we are likely to overreact and do stupid things, such as the shameful camps at Guantanamo. Being at war has impeded any efforts at diplomacy. It has distracted us from seriously trying to solve our other problems. Homeland Security is focused on preventing an attack, but an attack is inevitable; we should be focused on handling the aftermath of an attack.

He concludes the article with the following:

Now we could use a leader to help us understand victory and its consequences. We are ready for a message like this one:

My fellow Americans, we have achieved something almost no one thought possible five years ago. The nation did not suffer the quick follow-up attacks so many people feared and expected. Our troops found the people who were responsible for the worst attack ever on our soil. We killed many, we captured more, and we placed their leaders in a position where they could not direct the next despicable attack on our people—and where the conscience of the world’s people, of whatever faith, has turned against them for their barbarism. They have been a shame to their own great faith, and to all other historic standards of decency.

Achieving this victory does not mean the end of threats. Life is never free of dangers. I wish I could tell you that no American will ever again be killed or wounded by a terrorist—and that no other person on this earth will be either. But I cannot say that, and you could not believe me if I did. Life brings risk—especially life in an open society, like the one that people of this land have sacrificed for centuries to create.

We have achieved a great victory, and for that we can give thanks—above all to our troops. We will be at our best if we do not let fear paralyze or obsess us. We will be at our best if we instead optimistically and enthusiastically begin the next chapter in our nation’s growth. We will deal with the struggles of our time. These include coping with terrorism, but also recognizing the huge shifts in power and resulting possibilities in Asia, in Latin America, in many other parts of the world. We will recognize the challenges of including the people left behind in the process of global development—people in the Middle East, in Africa, even in developed countries like our own. The world’s scientists have never before had so much to offer, so fast—and humanity has never needed their discoveries more than we do now, to preserve the world’s environment, to develop new sources of energy, to improve the quality of people’s lives in every corner of the globe, to contain the threats that modern weaponry can put into the hands of individuals or small groups.

The great organizing challenge of our time includes coping with the threat of bombings and with the political extremism that lies behind it. That is one part of this era’s duty. But it is not the entirety. History will judge us on our ability to deal with the full range of this era’s challenges—and opportunities. With quiet pride, we recognize the victory we have won. And with the determination that has marked us through our nation’s history, we continue the pursuit of our American mission, undeterred by the perils that we will face.

Different leaders will choose different words. But the message—of realism, of courage, and of optimism despite life’s difficulties—is one we need to hear.