I am outraged by the feedback provided by Liam Gallagher in the letter published in Friday's Spectrum. Gallagher clearly does not understand our purpose in bombing the power centers of the Taliban regime and terrorist hives in Afghanistan.
Our purpose is two fold. On the one hand, we are attempting to dismantle the bin Laden network so their means to terrorize the civilized world or retaliate to strikes against that network are greatly reduced. On the other hand, we are trying to spread liberty and justice through ridding the Afghan people of a regime which is the scourge of their nation. The Taliban and its backwards views of how a society should function is the reason that millions of Afghans are starving, not U.S. foreign policy, as Gallagher alludes. Gallagher contends that we have not provided proof this is the work of the bin Laden network of terror. To still believe that, after all of the evidence that has connected him to those that perpetrated this act against the United States is ludicrous. And even if it is not his responsibility, which is so doubtful that it is ridiculous, we still need to handle those in the world who pose as large a threat as bin Laden with his extremist views, piles of cash and anti-American agenda.
To contend that what we are doing is blind vengeance just proves how much Gallagher is closing his eyes and ears as to what is going on internationally. Many of our allies have made statements pledging their support for U.S. action against those who masterminded and funded such an atrocity. These nations include Britain, France (the industrialized champion of peace and cooperation), Germany and every other NATO member, along with broad support in the United Nations.
In closing, I will point out that Gallagher is, surprisingly, correct in one of his statements. He wrote, "America has always been about liberty and justice." However, his idea of justice is clearly warped. If justice isn't dismantling those that attack the ideals of America (life, liberty, property) within means that are clearly necessary, I don't know what is.
