The controversy over leaked photos

The controversy over leaked photos of terrorists being transported on board a C-130 by American troops is covered by the Washington Post. The pictures, apparently taken by an American serviceman on board the flight, were sent to radio talk show host Art Bell, who posted them on his website. The pictures are disturbing, and the government is apparently not happy with their disclosure. On the whole, however, I think it may be good for images like these to be circulated, especially in the Arab world. The rise of Islamofascism has been fueled by a spirit of triumphalism resulting from the U.S. government’s feeble response to terrorist attacks after 1992. While most Americans were barely aware of al Qaeda and similar organizations and paid little attention to their attacks, the Islamists thought they were winning what to them was an all-out war. As a supplement to America’s current strong military response to terrorism, images of terrorists being defeated and humiliated should help deflate the Islamofascists and cause potential supporters to melt away. It is success that breeds enthusiasm, not failure. And in this war, crudeness is no liability. Remember that the terrorists use video footage of the decapitation of Daniel Pearl as a recruiting tool. One of the bootlegged photos is shown below.

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