Terrorism in Paris: Blowback for Yet Another Unnecessary War

The latest Paris attacks rightly horrify us, but they should surprise no one, least of all the French. After all, France started bombing Islamic State forces 14 months ago. The targeting of civilians is morally monstrous. However, it is sadly predictable, an almost common practice by weaker powers.

A century ago ethnic Serbs and Russian anarchists employed this hideous tactic. More recently Sri Lankan Tamils and Iraqi Sunnis used it. Now the Islamic State is perfecting a weapon it had heretofore left to al-Qaeda.

The Paris killings weren’t an attempt “to destroy our values, the values shared by the U.S. and France,” as claimed by Frederic Lefebvre of the National Assembly. Rather, admitted French academic Dominique Moisi, the Islamic State’s message was clear: “You attack us, so we will kill you.” As America learned on September 11, 2001, intervening in other nations’ political and military struggles inevitably creates enemies and blowback.

Explanation is not justification. But any government that attacks the Islamic State should realize retaliation against people innocently going about their lives, as in Paris, is likely.

This kind of terrorism simply is another weapon of war. If the Islamic State was a normal nation ISIL planes might have retaliated by striking Paris.

The Islamic State undoubtedly had the desire but not the capability to strike directly. So it turned to terrorism.

Of course, those killed did not deserve to die. But said one of the killers, “It’s the fault of your president, he should not have intervened in Syria” and Iraq.

Western governments which let loose the dogs of war should stop pretending that their nations enjoy immunity from attack. There are no certainties even for America, which has done surprisingly well since 9/11.

Which brings up the obvious question, why is the U.S. (and its European allies) involved “over there”?

The Islamic State is evil, but the bloodshed it has unleashed is substantially less than that resulting from more conventional conflicts elsewhere. Indeed, the Islamic State isn’t even the most murderous terrorist organization. Nigeria’s Boko Haram holds that record.

During its rise the Islamic State didn’t attack America. After all, it’s hard to build a caliphate, or quasi-state, if the U.S. is against you. And running a caliphate establishes a return address for retaliation.

Of course, if successful, the Islamic State ultimately might have struck at America. But such a possibility would be best met by responding to any threat as it developed, rather than joining yet another interminable sectarian war in the Middle East.

Anyway, ISIL is unlikely to succeed in establishing a durable state. If nations such as Saudi Arabia and Turkey got serious about destroying the Islamic State, the caliphate would quickly disappear. They won’t act, however, so long as Washington insists on doing the job for them.

There is much foolish talk of the U.S. being involved in World War III or IV over “our values.” Which raises the question why ISIL killed 43 Lebanese in a Hezbollah neighborhood in Beirut and 224 Russian passengers bound for Moscow. France, Russia, and Hezbollah were united not by liberalism but combat against the Islamic State.

Moreover, even at its worst terrorism does not pose an existential threat to America. Nearly 3,000 dead from 9/11 was an awful toll. But World War II consumed at least 50 million, and as many as 80 million, lives. Treating terrorism as an equivalent threat is simple nonsense.

Perhaps the greater outrage of the Paris attacks is that after turning his nation into a target President Hollande used the new attacks to justify more intervention. Worse, the Paris attacks encouraged Republican presidential candidates to irresponsibly call for more war against more people. Yet none of the Republicans explained how deeper involvement in another burgeoning sectarian conflict would protect U.S. security.

Terrorism is evil and awful. But as I wrote for Forbes online: “the best tactic against it is to stay out of other people’s conflicts. Until then Americans are doomed to fight more unnecessary wars and risk more unnecessary terrorist attacks.”