“Are we safer now?” is the wrong question.
Too many times in America today people are asking, “Are we safer now than we were at the time of the 9/11 attacks?” That is the wrong question. We are fighting a war. To be victorious in war, you must have strategy. You may attack the enemy ferociously at one point, then suddenly break off that attack, and attack him briefly at another. You may feint. You may at times run for cover. You may delay. You may use the advantage of surprise. The point is not to always be increasing one’s security, but to always come closer to establishing victory.
In World War II, we did not ask whether the invasion of Sicily made America safer. We did not ask whether the Battle of Guadalcanal or the Battle of the Coral Sea made us safer. None of these significant military engagements made America safer in any direct manner. They did, however, bring World War II closer to a successful end.
Similarly, the liberation of Iraq may make America safer, but, of course, it will not be the final, decisive operation against terrorism. Iraq’s liberation does bring us closer to winning the war. A major terror-supporting regime is gone, and a toehold is created that will be useful to secure triumph.
The question we should ask today is, “Are we closer now to winning the war than we were at the time of the 9/11 attacks?” This gets to the heart of the matter. In my view, the answer is yes.