David Gurfein

When you cut off the head, the snake dies

Posted

Many Long Islanders identify terrorism as their No. 1 concern, and rightfully so. Our nation’s response to the perpetual threat from violent Islamist supremacists would be comical if not so deadly serious.

As a retired U.S. Marine lieutenant colonel who served as an infantry officer in Panama and the first Gulf War prior to leaving active duty to attend Harvard Business School, and then returned to active duty after 9/11 to serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq, I am often asked how we should address this threat.

We have only three options:

1. Defend. We are presently in a perpetual state of defense or deterrence, in which our citizens constantly live in fear or denial while our government attempts the impossible task of defeating every single potential terrorist attack against us.

Moreover, with each successful attack against us — there have been many, and there will be many more — our government focuses on removing more and more of our civil liberties and rights in the name of safety. What’s worse, this option presents no resolution or end state. It is an unhealthy situation that will last indefinitely.

So, what are our other options?

2. Drop out. Just stop the confrontation between the free West and the violent Islamist supremacists. We can do this immediately. Since this would not in any way deter our enemies from driving to achieve their goal of global domination and subjugation, this would mean we would actually have to surrender and accept their terms of surrender. However, since we Americans refused to even accept the metric system, I doubt we would be willing to accept Shariah law.

This leaves us with one final option.

3. Destroy. If we, along with our allies and others, boldly, overtly and decisively destroy ISIS, and a few of the more than 100 other violent Islamist supremacist organizations around the world, we would not only eliminate the present threat to our society, but we would send an unambiguous and resolute message to others who might rise up with the intent to follow suit that they are heading down a dead-end path. This is truly the only viable option.

So there is no misunderstanding, I am not suggesting that we go to war with all Muslims. Quite the opposite, in fact. Please understand, I have lived with, fought alongside and befriended many Muslims throughout my life, from Boston to Baghdad.

I am proposing aligning with and defending those Muslims who want to peacefully coexist in our world; those who believe the violent Islamist supremacists have hijacked their religion; those who see tens of thousands of their own murdered every year by violent Islamist supremacists.

Some may believe that destroying the extremists is impossible. Those who believe that have forgotten, or never learned about, World War II. During that conflict, we and our allies boldly, overtly and decisively destroyed an evil ideology in less than four years. Those who believe that have never served overseas, and have no appreciation for how much our Marines are appreciated for removing threats from our allies’ backyards.

Others are concerned about the “lone wolves” among us. They will ultimately fade away once the main protagonists are destroyed. When you cut off the head, the snake dies.

Would following through on this choice be harsh? Absolutely. Having seen the potential for man’s inhumanity to man here at the twin towers as well as overseas, however, I can tell you, without hesitation, that allowing intolerant groups to act violently with impunity against innocent civilians is far worse.

So, with the only viable option clearly identified, the next question is, if not now, when? Or, worded another way, how much longer will our families and friends be needlessly exposed to this inhumane threat?

Unlike the present perpetual, incremental and ineffective Vietnam-like actions, it is time for bold, overt and decisive action. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again.

Semper Fi.

David “Bull” Gurfein is the Republican candidate for Congress in the 4th District.