A no-win war without end? By embracing state sponsors of terrorism like Russia and China, our leaders ensure that the "war on terror" will never end in conclusive victory. (Terrorism).

America has also accepted a great challenge in the world; to wage a relentless and systematic campaign against global terror.... We are in for a long and difficult war. It will be conducted on many fronts. But as long as it takes, we will prevail.

President George W. Bush

April 30, 2002

In the same April 30th speech in San Jose, California, cited above, President Bush pointed to the early successes in Afghanistan and pledged that "in every cave, in every dark corner of that country, we will hunt down the killers and bring them to justice." Then, throwing down the rhetorical gauntlet to the terrorists and their state sponsors, he repeated a line he had used before: "Across the world, governments have heard this message: you're either with us, or you're with the terrorists." Like many of his similar calls to arms since the 9-11 terrorist attacks on America, this expression of resolute determination resonated with his audience and was greeted with vigorous applause. Americans want the perpetrators of these heinous crimes brought to justice -- dead or alive. It is both a matter of justice and national security that we follow through on this commitment, for those allowed to escape will, almost assuredly, strike again.

But is the Bush administration waging the kind of war on terror that will bring the 9-11 terrorists to justice and destroy the global terror networks at war with America? Unfortunately, it is not. In fact, the current U.S. "war on terror" is on course to become another "no-win" war like the war on poverty, the war on drugs, the war on inflation, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and other failed crusades of previous administrations. The consequences of failure in this case, however, could prove far more catastrophic, both in terms of loss of lives and loss of liberty.

We must not close our eyes to the plain truth in so grave a matter. It is utterly impossible for us to win the war on terror as it currently is being waged. The facts are clear; the president has:

Recruited a posse including the worst terrorist state sponsors. The coalition of "allies" President Bush put together includes Russia and China, who support the terrorist organizations through surrogate states, while continuing to build weapons of mass destruction for Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Syria, and Libya. This is absurd; it is the equivalent of declaring war on organized crime and then inviting the mafia kingpins onto the Police Commission as allies and praising their assistance when they help arrest a few of their own low-level thugs or drug peddlers. Calamity is guaranteed from the start.