DECISIVE LEADERSHIP & STRONG MILITARY GOT BAGHDADI!

Weekly Opinion Editorial

UNPREDICTABILITY WORKS!

by Steve Fair

          On Sunday, President Trump announced that Islamic State mastermind Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi “died like a dog” in an overnight U.S. military operation.  Immediately Trump’s political rivals said he gave out more information about the operation than he should have, and his tone provoked Baghdadi’s successors.  Interesting enough, the POTUS did not inform Congress of the Special Force’s operation because he feared leaks.  Three observations:

     First, Trump is not a polished politician.  It’s not likely he will ever become one. He pokes fun at career politicians and fires up crowds by promising to ‘drain the swamp’ of the baby kissers.  He relishes not acting presidential.  He uses the same adjectives to describe his political opponents as he does terrorists like Baghdadi.  He’s unconventional, unorthodox, and unpredictable.  He uses poor judgment when addressing a crowd and lets his undisciplined, unstructured style often get him in trouble, but his policy decisions are usually sound.  As to his approach, he could learn something from Ecclesiastes 5:6

     Second, not informing Congress is a dangerous precedent.  President Trump said he notified only two GOP U.S. Senators because he feared a leak if he told some of the Democrats in leadership (Pelosi).  It’s sad when our country has become so polarized that all sides can’t agree that taking down the most wanted person in the world is vital to the nation’s security.  For this operation to be hid from the people’s elected representatives because of the fear of a leak to the press, which would jeopardize the operation putting American lives in danger, is beyond the pale. But that is where we are in the U.S.  You can’t blame President Trump for not telling Congress because their track record proves they are untrustworthy, but it’s a sad day for America.

     Third, the terrorists will not quit.  In August 2019, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  nominated an Iraqi, Abdullah Qardash, as his successor to lead the Islamic State.  Most experts believe Baghdadi wasn’t actively running the day to day operations of ISIL and Qardash was.  Like a snake whose head can still bite after being severed from its body, these radicals are in the fight to the death.  Ignoring them or negotiating with them will not work.    

     President Trump says his recent decision to withdraw troops from Syria was one of the reasons Baghdadi was flushed out.  The New York Times says just the opposite-that the decision hurt the operation to get Baghdadi.  The true reason America is safe is because of our superior military; men and women who lay their life on the line daily so we can remain a free country.  President Trump recognized that on Sunday saying:  “I want to thank the soldiers and sailors, airmen and Marines involved in last night’s operation. You are the very best there is anywhere in the world, no matter where you go there is nobody even close,” The liberals and the media won’t give him credit, but his decisive leadership is the reason Baghdadi was taken out.  It lacks in style points, but Trump’s chaotic leadership style works.