Joe Lieberman Speaks Out !

The following is an excerpt from a speech recently given by Joe Lieberman. The Senator has it absolutely right. He articulates a deep insight into what the intent and purpose of the Islamic Fundamentalist movement captured in his words below. It is time every American begins to internalize these words:

In the Media

The Islamist jihadist terrorists who wage holy war against us in Iraq and elsewhere represent a system of values exactly the opposite of America's.

There is no better way to know this enemy than to read their words. The father of the jihadist movement, Sayyed Qutb [KUH-tahb] of Egypt, wrote in 1952, "The death of those who are killed for the cause of God gives more impetus to the cause, which continues to thrive on their blood." The cause of which he speaks is to 'establish a [Muslim] state' that 'sets moral values,' 'abolish[es] man-made laws' and that would impose, by force if necessary, the Islamic system on 'all human beings, whether they be rulers or ruled, black or white, poor or rich, ignorant or learned.'

...to kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty of every Muslim; every Muslim who believes in God and hopes for reward [must] obey God's command to kill the Americans and plunder their possessions wherever he finds them and whenever he can...

This is a radicalized, violent vision of Islam, as yet embraced by only a minority of Muslims. Pluralism of any kind, a diversity of views or faiths, affronts this radical minority's absolutist vision. Their theological totalitarianism leaves no room for individual freedom.

Restoring the caliphate (the seat of secular and ecclesiastical power that existed for centuries across a wide territory) is their goal. You can read it in their writings: They would create a new evil empire, stretching from Istanbul to Islamabad, from Khartoum to Kabul, from Kuala Lampur to Bangkok, and beyond.

Osama Bin Laden is the leading advocate of this jihadist view in the world today, the current mastermind of this malevolent movement. Every American should carefully read his clearly stated words of intention to know why we must defeat him.

In his 'Declaration of the World Islamic Front for Jihad,' issued in February 1998, Bin Laden says that

'...to kill Americans and their allies, both civil and military, is an individual duty of every Muslim; every Muslim who believes in God and hopes for reward [must] obey God's command to kill the Americans and plunder their possessions wherever he finds them and whenever he can.'

In his November 1998 'Letter to America' Bin Laden condemned the United States because, he said, like all democracies, it is a 'nation who, rather than ruling by the Sharia of Allah in its Constitution and Laws, chooses to invent your own laws as you will and desire.' After September 11th attacks, he gloated triumphantly that 'the values of Western civilization of liberty, human rights, and humanity, have been destroyed.'

In this war of ideas and values, Bin Laden is the quintessential anti-American.

The values and ideas which we cherish and which Osama Bin Laden denounces are on the line in the Iraq war. To call the war in Iraq separate and distinct from the larger war on terrorism is inaccurate. Iraq today is a battle a crucial battle in the global war on terrorism.

Mr. Lieberman is a clear and focused voice in the wilderness within his own party. This speech, given at the FDD's Symposium on "Iraq's Future and the War on Terrorism" June 16, 2004, gives one hell of a sharp understanding of the nature of the problem. This man would have made one hell of a good Democratic Presidential candidate if it was not for his ironically "soft demeanore". The complete speech can be read in at the Foundation for Freedom and Democracies website. I recommend you do. Even though we may not agree with all of Mr. Lieberman's politics here in ozZ he does have it right with respect to the War on Terrorism. Would he make a good VP candidate for Kerry? Sure... Will it happen... unlikely ! Ted Kennedy would never stand for it not to mention the DNC power brokers. Oh the internal hypocrisy of the so called tolerant and diverse party. - zzb