What War On Terror?

The Obama Administration is off on an entirely new tack. A new tack for the Obama Administration that is. Its diplomatic initiative of 'engagement' is certainly not new in the annals of world history. There are more than ample instances of strong countries facing the possibility of war, and attempting to appease the war-mongerer in a failed effort toward peace.

There is that about human beings intent on waging war; they most often will have their way. Logic, human decency, an appeal to their better human emotions prove useless; they are bereft of all those attributes.

Resolute dictators, fanatical theocracies will not be swayed by the voice of reason, even if that reasonable voice feels they may be, simply because reason recognizes itself and psychopathy does not.

President Barack Obama is like all men of vision and good will, believing that not only he but all others are capable of envisioning a better world without friction and fractionalization into hostile entities, demanding territorial and political imperatives beyond acceptance. He believes his voice of reason will resonate with fanatics who eschew reason as totally irrelevant to their plan of action.

An axis of evil does not exist in Barack Obama's playbook. It is a figment of some lunatic's fevered imagination. Those lunatics feverishly imagine their axis of power, and they have every intent of realizing that power, permitting nothing to intervene. This is the passion of their commitment.

However, there are the realities of hopeful statements like those recently released by Mr. Obama's chief counter-terrorism advisor, John Brennan, who, while acknowledging that al-Qaeda and its many affiliates continue to present a "persistent and evolving threat" American goodwill yet remains open to presumed would-be allies.

"We the United States are willing to engage in a dialogue with any organizations or groups that are dedicated to realizing peaceful solutions to existing problems. Those elements within Lebanon, be they Hezbollah or others, know the United States has tried to be a very honest broker there regarding support for Lebanese institutions and those who shun terrorism will in fact gain favour with the United States.

"The same thing with the Palestinian community, those Palestinians that are really going to ensure that they pursue a path towards peace that does not bring terrorism to bear are going to be partners of the United States."

The Ayatollahs of Iran whose iron theistic fist impairs their population's human rights; Islamist (Sunni) Hamas, brandishing Koranic codes and principles as it too declares the necessity to destroy Israel; Lebanon-based Shiite Hezbollah whose fulminating against Israel and loyalties to Iran and Syria which fund, train and weaponize both will never be 'dedicated to realizing peaceful solutions to existing problems'.

They live to produce additional 'problems' which they view as 'solutions'.

Lebanon's Foreign Minister bridles at accusations that his country is failing to implement a UN resolution prohibiting Hezbollah from rearming after the Israel-Hezbollah war. British diplomat Ivan Lewis reminded Foreign Minister Salloukh about Britain's concerns over arms smuggling by Hezbollah; an infuriating lack of diplomatic tact.

While Israel fully withdrew from southern Lebanon in exchange for a Lebanese government guarantee to take control of the area, disallowing Hezbollah from rearming or taking up positions again south of the Litani River, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah boasts he has rebuilt his network's weapons, with more rockets than before it attacked Israel in 2006 handily stockpiled.

Wishing for kindly accommodation toward a civil world order simply will not make it so.