Existential threat

By Jim Killebrew

[February 07, 2015]  So now the ISIS terror is simply an "existential threat" according to Susan Rice, an advisor to the President. In philosophy existentialism is "vital to the shaping of a person's self-chosen mode of existence and moral stance with respect to the rest of the world." (Encarta Dictionary: English (North America) When the Administration takes such a casual view of such an extreme terrorist group it worries not only the American citizen, it also worries the leaders around the world with the responses made by the President and his Administration.

A heinous video depicting the murder of the Jordanian pilot was released by ISIS this past week and it was met with an enormous mood change from the Jordanian people. Their mood to engage in a fighting response with ISIS was tepid at best before the video. However, after the world was shocked with the pilot being burned alive inside a cage, then buried cage and all with a bulldozer, the shock charged the Jordanian people to marches and protests in Amman, Jordan. Other cities responded in like fashion throughout the country. The Jordanian information minister, Mohammad al-Momani made a speech where he stated the people in Jordan are "more determined than ever" now to enter the battle with ISIS.

Echoing those sentiments was King Abdullah who said his country would fight the ISIS terrorists until Jordan's army "ran out of fuel and bullets." The King said, "The blood of martyr Muath al-Kaseasbeh will not be in vain and the response of Jordan and its army after what happened to our dear son will be severe."

King Abdullah made good his statement by immediately sending sorties into combat against ISIS bombing their strongholds. The Jordanian Air Force flew at least 55 missions to bomb the terrorist resources. When they returned from their mission they soared past al-Kaseasbeh's hometown in southern Jordan out of respect for their fallen pilot. The King was with the family as the jets returned from their mission of having bomber the ISIS resources. The pilot's father, Safi al-Kasasbeh expressed his desire for the nation of Jordan to avenge his son's death. In a statement, he said, "I want the state to get revenge for my son's blood through more executions of those people who follow this criminal group that shares nothing with Islam." The King of Jordan agreed with the pilot's father, stating, "This terrorist organization is not only fighting us, but also fighting Islam and its pure values."

By contrast in August 2014 when the United States was shown via video the Islamic terrorists beheading the American journalist, James Wright Foley, the American President had no such actions as did the Jordanian King. The video was seen by the world in a five minute segment entitled, "A Message to America." James Foley was wearing an orange shirt and pants, and heard pleading with his family members in a scripted speech. A speech that indicated he was going to be killed by these terrorists because of U.S. led airstrikes in Iraq.

The President of the United States stood in the garden at the White House and gave a short speech about James Foley being murdered. He seemed too busy to say more that simply a few words. His business was identified in just a few short minutes by watching him tee-off at his favorite golf course. Just a few minutes after he announced to the world about an American death at the hands of the radicalized, Islamic terrorists, the President went to play golf.

When national outrage reached the President, he went on the NBC Sunday morning show, "Meet the Press." When asked about his response to the murder of an American, and the President went golfing immediately after making a statement of the beheading of James Foley, the President said, "I should have anticipated the optics, that's part of the job." The President was worried about the "optics" of his having gone to play golf just minutes after his announcement of the beheading of an American citizen by the Islamic terrorists. His concern seemed to never cross the fact of the American's death at the hands of those he continues to call Islamic terrorists. His response was the United States would be "vigilant" and "relentless" in its response. That is a far cry from the response the King of Jordan made at the death of a Jordanian citizen.

Almost every week, or every day, we hear about some major blunder the President or his staff makes. Now a simple statement that ISIS is nothing more than an "existential threat" that he believes is being "contained." Now we hear the President is unwilling to even supply the Jordanians with the fuel and ammunition they need to fight the ISIS terrorists. Why is he not being charged with Treason, or High Crimes and Misdemeanors? Do we just have to sit by and each day learn of some new treasonous act he has committed? Just how far is he going to be allowed to go in "fundamentally changing America" before the Congress stops him? Are we going to have to witness another terrorist attack like 9/11 to get his attention?

[By JIM KILLEBREW]