Protect America from What?

[unhappycamper]

Protect America from What?
Peter Brookes | June 09, 2010

While Americans focus on the significant challenges at home, they must also not forget the growing national security challenges that our nation faces abroad. The world remains a dangerous place, populated with states and groups that hold -- or could hold -- America and its interests around the world at risk.

The attempted Christmas Day bombing of an airliner over Detroit and the recent Times Square plot in New York City remind us that the terrorist threat is not behind us. We are still squarely in the terrorists' cross-hairs.

In fact, while foiled conspiracies are quickly forgotten, it is important to remember that there have been at least 10 attacks or thwarted plots in the United States just over the past year, headlined by the tragedy at Fort Hood last fall. While we are fundamentally safer today than we were on 9/11, we are still not safe.

There are challenges in South Asia, too, where terrorist groups such as al-Qaeda and the Taliban are seeking to take and hold terrain to train, plan, and operate in places like Pakistan's tribal areas. Next door in Afghanistan, more than 90,000 American troops are fighting a Taliban insurgency that has persisted for nearly nine years. Failure in Afghanistan could allow that country once again to become a terrorist safe haven.

The Middle East is rife with challenges as well. While some 90,000 American troops are drawing down in Iraq, violence still occurs and the peace is fragile, in large part due to continuing political reconciliation challenges and meddling by Iraq's neighbor, Iran. But Iranian troublemaking is not limited to Iraq or Afghanistan; Tehran is unsettling the entire region with its belligerency and nuclear and ballistic missile programs.



unhappycamper comment: I guess Brooks is scared that all the nations we have invaded and the people we have killed since the 1800s are going to rise in one monolithic mass seeking revenge. We need to spend more on 'defense' so we can kill them before they kill us. :eyes: