Wamp: Axis Of Evil Foments Geopolitical Strife
July 14, 2006

Members of Congress and the media have been commenting in recent months about Iran and North Korea, and of course, the continued “War on Terror.” But really, this is a war where Islamic jihadists all around the World are challenging freedom-loving nations and free people and using terrorism as a tactic to try to intimidate and drive back the advancement of freedom around the World. At its base, that really is the fundamental problem here and many of these situations are connected.

For instance, the North Korean regime that has now resurfaced with testing missiles and advancing their nuclear program has had a long-standing relationship with Iran, selling and trading missile technology so that Iran can have the same intermediate range missiles that can reach Europe from Iran just as North Korea wants to have that capability in their region. Both situations are very, very dangerous and both countries are acting in outright defiance of international will.

Adding fuel to this fire, we have Hezbollah rearing its ugly head in Lebanon and effectively now in a huge military conflict with Israel. The Hamas terrorist organization is leading Palestine, al-Qaeda leaders who are on our terrorist-watch list are surfacing in leadership positions in Somalia, Northern Africa, and we continue to fight insurgents in Iraq that are being brought in from Iran and Syria.

The real battle here is with Islamofascism – Islamic jihadists who embrace the radical elements of Islam – and it is spreading around the World. These are very tenuous times, regardless of what’s going on right now in Iraq, and that’s tough enough. And while there are many other troubles around the World, the fact is that if we weren’t in Iraq, we would be facing these challenges from one end of the Globe to the other. You would have to be incredibly naïve to think that if we left Iraq tomorrow these problems would not continue to mount.

As a matter of fact, if we left Iraq the insurgents, the terrorists and the Islamic-jihadists would claim momentum, declare victory there, and would more aggressively seek to effectively expand the caliphate. If you read the letter between Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, when Zarqawi was still alive, you would see they talk about expansionism of the caliphate, which frankly is spreading the terrorist networks around the World. So these are very troubling times. We have challenges on every front, and we’re going to have to step up and be very tough.

It is important that the people in this country understand the severity of the current geopolitical situation and climate and strongly support the leadership of this country in its principled and resolute response to these problems. As a Member of Congress, I can tell you that every nation in the World is looking to the United States for leadership right now. I know we have a landmark election on the horizon, but above all that, and through all that division, we need to be united and resolute in this fight against tyranny, terror, and these Islamic jihadists who are spreading around the world.

These are difficult times. Freedom is not free. We’ve got to protect our way of life, and we’ve got to stand together as much as possible.