OPINION:
There was a call for a rally to support Middle East Christians in front of the White House on Saturday. It will be interesting to see who shows up and if the media covers it at all. Over in Great Britain, there was another call—-for Army reservists, since so few Brits are joining the reserves.
There was a concurrent call happening in “Jolly ol’ England, one that is quite disturbing and evidences what policies of multiculturalism and coexistence — what others call “Hijra”—-have created. As reported in the UK Daily Mail, “More British citizens signed up to fight in Iraq and Syria than joined the Army Reserve last year, it can be revealed. Just 170 extra reservists enlisted over the past year - despite a Government target to boost the stand-by force by 11,000 by 2018.But at the same time the brutal al-Qaeda inspired ISIS forces tearing through Iraq have been boosted by ’several hundred’ Brits, ministers told MailOnline.”
Think about that: more Brits signed up to fight in the Middle East for ISIS than for England as reservists. This goes beyond the scope of “homegrown terrorism” and becomes a clear and present danger and threat to the stability of western civilization.
It was reported this week that ISIS has gone from being a terrorist organization to being an Army. Let me put this all in a historical sense. Recall that there were Americans of German descent who left the U.S. and fought on the side of the “fatherland”. These individuals were highly effective in being dropped in behind our lines and causing disruption to our operations. Why? Because they looked like Americans, and talked like Americans, and knew American culture.
Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Just as those young Germans felt a calling for their homeland, so it seems that these unassimilated Muslims and converts have a calling to jihad—-and they don’t mean the “inner struggle” form of jihad.
Terror experts believe there could be as many as 500 Brits fighting alongside the jihadists in the Middle East for ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). A senior government minister said: “There is a real problem about people going in and being radicalized and then coming home. There are several hundred who have gone from Britain that we know of. It is a worry. To get to Iraq most of them will have to go through Syria, so the two are connected.” British Foreign Secretary William Hague admitted Brits will ’inevitably’ be fighting alongside ISIS which he called the ’most violent and brutal militant group in the Middle East’.
Shadow Defense Secretary Vernon Coaker said, “The government’s own figures show more UK citizens are joining ISIS than signing up for the Armed Forces Reserves. This is shameful, embarrassing and will cause deep concern.”
Shameful? Embarrassing? Deep concern? What about downright dangerous? And you can bet if there were a crackdown of islamic jihadist activities in the UK, all of the weak, cowardly apologists would come out and complain. Just look at how many of then joined in to protest in support of a terrorist organization, Hamas, against Israel. We all know there are neighborhoods in Great Britain where law enforcement does not enter, where sharia rules—-what insidious surrender of British rule of law. How many recall the gruesome and barbaric murder of British soldier Lee Rigby by two Nigerian Muslim jihadists? I know, we have no sense of total recall. I will not forget, and the fresh bloody hands of the terrorist who posed for the camera and delivered his jihadist speech.
And what was the response? Restraint, don’t blame Muslims, don’t blame Islam. Weakness is enticing to these cretins. And yes, the $10,000 question: how many have departed America to fight beside ISIS?
Perhaps some get the gravity of this situation, British Foreign Affairs Select Committee member Mike Gapes said it was “shocking and very worrying” that more British citizens were prepared to risk their lives fighting alongside terrorists in the Middle East than had signed up for the Army Reserve. He said: “There are clearly a pool of people who are being recruited by these extremist groups through the internet. It is very serious and we have got to be very tough on it….There are large numbers living in this country going to fight for these vile terrorist organizations and that’s very worrying, particularly if they are returning to Britain having seen what they have seen and looking to recruit terrorists back here.”
British Immigration and Security Minister James Brokenshire, meanwhile, has warned any Brits thinking about joining the battle abroad that they will face jail in Britain for any terror-related crimes- even if they are carried out abroad.
Here is the deal: there has to be a law that clearly defines that on this 21st century battlefield, if you depart your country and travel to ally with Islamic terrorist organizations, you have in turn renounced your citizenship and become an unlawful enemy combatant. If engaged on the battlefield you will be treated as the enemy. If captured on the battlefield you will have lost your rights and will be treated as the enemy. The problem we of course have is that we treat the enemy with our Constitutional rights. That would eliminate all the angst about the fate of Anwar al-Awlaki and others. This is a very serious issue.
Probably too serious of an issue to disturb the Fundraiser-in-Chief.
Allen B. West is a former Republican congressman from Florida and the author of Guardian of the Republic.
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