What Were You Expecting?

Seven weeks ago today, four Americans died at the hands of terrorists on the 11th anniversary of 9/11. For all we have witnessed and all we have learned with regard to Libya over the past seven weeks, I believe it is important to revisit where we started in all this and ask,

"What Were You Expecting?"

When the UN sanctioned action started there in March 2011, the United States Military named our action, Operation Odyssey Dawn. I believe words have meaning and at the time, I broke down the true definition of those two words. 

Odyssey: a long series of wandering action filled with notable hardships

Dawn: a beginning

Thus the True Definition of Operation Odyssey Dawn:

"The beginning of a long series of wandering action filled with notable hardships!"

Eighteen months later, I would say this Operation has lived up to its namesake. Words do have meaning and power. Hardships tend to be a little more inconvenient than "bumps in the road". Just because someone calls an operation to an end doesn't mean the hardship has culminated. As was the accusation in Iraq, in Libya a dictator was removed with little thought as to who or what would fill the void left behind. Eighteen months later, that void has consumed more than we could have ever expected from the start. We experienced another 9/11 and unexpectedly it occurred again on a Tuesday. Tuesday, 11 September 2012.

Given what WE now know THEY knew,

why weren't THEY expecting this?

Seven weeks later, based on unfortunately isolated media reports, this is what we now know:

We KNEW it was a terrorist attack the whole time. We had a drone sending a live feed back to the White House Situation Room, Dept of State and probably the CIA. We have the emails from the Consulate stating they were being attacked. We have the CIA Annex requesting 3 times and being denied 3 times for support. We had an airplane overhead, a C-130 Specter Gunship, which can fire precisely on a human target. This is another Mogadishu, another Iran Embassy Hostage Crisis. This is WORSE, MUCH WORSE than Watergate ever hoped to be and yet we have a vast media ocean that is being complicit in a cover-up of a massive scale.

I was too young to understand Watergate as it happened. I was ten years old when the Iran Embassy Hostage Crisis occurred. I don't want to see my country dragged back through the events of 1979 again. I remember seeing my country held hostage for more than a year and it was painful. I feel like we are being held hostage again. Again, it is painful. For that, I am angry and I am righteously indignant. Now that I am older, I can see a recourse. A recourse that only We, the People can put in motion. We must call our Senators and Congressional Representative. You can find your's at this link.

When you call your Senators and Representative I believe it is important to tie your request back to the U. S. Constitution, state what you have seen reported and request them to ask Congressional leaders to start an immediate investigation into the events in Benghazi, Libya on 11 September 2012. I do not think it helps our cause to personally assign blame as it is their job to investigate and find the person(s) responsible. Here is a suggested statement for when you call:

"I am calling today with regard to the terrorist attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which led to the deaths of four Americans, including a United States Ambassador. Seven weeks after that incomprehensible event, I have now seen media reports stating the military was given orders to “Stand Down” and not take action to save the life of our Libyan Ambassador Christopher Stevens.

It is my honest opinion that not counter-attacking terrorists who are actively engaged in an attack against our consulate and Ambassador, when we have the means to do so, can only be seen as giving our Enemies Aid and Comfort. Under the United States Constitution, Article III, Section 3, giving our Enemies Aid and Comfort is clearly defined as Treason. I am calling today to ask Sen./Rep. __________ to start immediately calling on Congressional leadership to investigate what happened in Benghazi on September 11th, 2012 and find who is responsible for the treasonous act of telling our military to “Stand Down” on that day. Thank you."

Please do this! Honor the memory of the four Americans who gave the ultimate sacrifice that day. Do not let this be swept away by a media who is failing to report the truth.

Fallen, Never Forgotten:

J. Christopher Stevens, U.S. Ambassador to Libya

Sean Smith, U.S. Foreign Service Officer

Glen Doherty, Former Navy Seal

Tyrone S. Woods, Former Navy Seal

"When they call on me, I will answer;

I will be with them in trouble.

I will rescue and honor them."

Psalm 91:15

Will We Remember....Again?

"AWOL Soldier Arrested in What Police Say Was New Fort Hood Terror Plot"

When MAJ Nidal Hasan carried out his attack at Ft. Hood in 2009, I said it would happen again simply because it was all couched in denial and political correctness. As much as we want to deny it, our country has enemies. A few of them are amongst us. Thankfully this time the vigilant did something to stop it.

Here is some of what I wrote back then:

"Failure to recognize it is denial, and denial will only serve to invite more “new violence” from our enemies."

"You see, the more we deny, the more “new violence” we will experience. The more “new violence” experienced, the more “unsettling” will be the next “tragedy”. If we do not break the cycle, that “tragedy” will suffer the same denial of not being labeled as terrorism or an act of war. It becomes a vicious spiral, increasing exponentially, continuing to lead our country to a politically correct abyss in the heart of darkness. If you look back in history, this same spiral of events led to 9/11."

This Time, Will We Remember?

Will We Remember?

"Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always, even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for?"

- William J. Bennett
In a lecture to the United States Naval Academy
November 24, 1997

Yesterday, we honored veterans and remembered them for their service and sacrifice. In light of recent events, I need to mention something. Exactly one week ago, we had another terrorist attack on our soil. The very next day, the media was telling us two things: “Don’t assume you know the motive, (Hasan happens to be muslim)” and “This happened at Ft. Hood because our Soldiers are under a lot of stress after many years of war”.

In other words, you cannot think for yourself, so allow us to connect the dots. You must connect the dots in this manner: “The attack had nothing to do with our Global War on Terror (GWOT), fought entirely against radical muslims, and the American Soldier cannot handle the stress of that very war.” As more facts come out, we know the first part of that assumption is just not true – it had EVERYTHING to do with the GWOT!

As a Soldier, I can also tell you that the second part of this is an incorrect conclusion. True Soldiers will accomplish any mission you put in front of them, as long as the intent is clear. As defined by the Global War On Terror (GWOT), Soldiers know there is a radical enemy whose intent is to destroy our country and our way of life. We know it is our job to stop them, and we want the freedom of maneuver to accomplish that. We have been facing this war daily for over eight years now, and we want to win this war for the American people. We want to SUCCEED!

In order to succeed: We need the American people to recognize that we are at war and not back down from that fact. We need the American people to recognize the enemy and that they are on our soil. We need the American people to contemplate what could happen next in an American city, if this could happen on an Army Post. We need the American people to demand leadership which will stop denying that the enemy is on our own soil. We need the American people to demand leadership which will stop being politically correct. Political correctness is killing us as a nation.

One week ago as a nation, we received another resounding wake-up call – one reminiscent of Pearl Harbor and 9-11. It was a reminder that there is a domestic enemy living among us. Because of this fact, the American Soldier must remain vigilant, and not accept complacency. Asking the American people not to connect the dots and avoid conclusions is the same as asking the American Soldier to stop being vigilant and start being complacent.

I believe the attitude of being vigilant falls in line with God’s Word. In 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) God’s Word says to first:

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

We still rely on Him, and cast all our cares at His feet. After all, God is the Ultimate Defender and Protector. He has already claimed the victory through the resurrection of Jesus Christ and He will win the Final Battle against the devil. But listen to what it says in verses 8-9:

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are."

As Soldiers we take an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. On 31 October, I was sharing this fact at a Men’s Breakfast at our church. I was attempting to stress the importance of not allowing the devil to reside within you; not letting him be a domestic enemy. As I was doing so, off script, I said, “Knowing that I took that oath, what would you think if I told you I worked all day as a Soldier, then went home at night and called up Osama, asking, ‘What is Al Qaeda’s plan? What do you need me to do for you?’” I was saying that to make a point, about allowing sin in our life, after surrendering our life to Jesus Christ - essentially taking an oath to follow Him. But also to make the point that compromising with the other side calls into question your allegiance to the Constitution and the Nation. If so would that oath to the Constitution be taken with any integrity or honor?

And then, 3 days later, on the evening of Tuesday, 3 Nov, I was telling some friends that I just kept getting thoughts that an attack was imminent. I thought it would be more personal, against my family, and I was concerned about my church. I saw it as more of a spiritual attack from the devil. For me, as a Soldier, when you attack Soldiers, it is personal.  You are attacking my family.

Personally, it’s a little eerie to me that an illustration that I used to show an extreme instance of dishonesty is now evident in the events of 5 Nov at Ft. Hood, TX. And, it gives me all the more reason to state the truth: what happened at Ft. Hood was an attack against the United States and our Constitution. It was an act of war by a domestic enemy, and unfortunately by someone who proved to be a traitor to that which he swore to bear true faith and allegiance. It was another battle within what has been labeled as the GWOT. We cannot afford to dismiss that, or fail to recognize it truthfully. Failure to recognize it is denial, and denial will only serve to invite more “new violence” from our enemies. I pulled the following from the book, On Combat, by LTC Dave Grossman:

Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation:

"..denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn’t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling. Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level."

And so the Warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes.

You see, the more we deny, the more “new violence” we will experience. The more “new violence” experienced, the more “unsettling” will be the next “tragedy”. If we do not break the cycle, that “tragedy” will suffer the same denial of not being labeled as terrorism or an act of war. It becomes a vicious spiral, increasing exponentially, continuing to lead our country to a politically correct abyss in the heart of darkness. If you look back in history, this same spiral of events led to 9/11.

Then I speak of God
And I speak of faith
And the truth that will not bend
Of how compromise destroys this land
That they died to defend
Of how manhood starts
On bended knees
With a humble heart
With but One to please
Then to stand and fight
And act as men
And by this we will remember them

- Excerpted from The Stone
words by R.P. Edwards

Warriors, will we confront denial?  Will we be prepared for the day when evil comes?  Will We Remember?