Anytime that there is a major terrorist incident, like the one in Paris, you know that there are going to be huge political and military ramifications.
After September 11th, the United States launched an attack against the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, it did not stop there, as the Bush administration initiated an unjustifiable war in Iraq that did not go according to plan and produced a lot of chaos in the country and the region. In fact, the instability from that war helped bring terrorism into Iraq, rather than weeding it out, and probably helped to create the situation that allowed the Islamic State to rise and thrive. Now, the Islamic State has apparently started to branch out, and unless they are lying, then their claims at having been behind the attacks in both Beirut and Paris are signs that it has grown in power, influence, and capability.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
The next major terrorist attacks after September 11th were in Madrid, on March 11, 2004. The conservative government in place in Spain at the time, which had supported the Iraq war, fell. A new, liberal government came in, and pulled Spain out of the so-called Coalition of the Willing.
After that came the bombings in London in 2005, and certainly could not have helped Tony Blair's popularity there.
There have been attacks in African countries as well, including the Nigerian girls captured by Boko Haram, which increased the level of fighting in the war in Nigeria. Then, earlier this year, Kenya saw the tragedy of over one hundred school children killed by terrorists. Kenya used to be a stable country, a relative pillar on a troubled African continent. Now, it has been ravaged by war, and has become a frontline in the struggle against terrorism.
Now, the attacks in Beirut and Paris.
First came the shock, then the mourning. President Hollande announced that France would have three days officially to mourn following the attacks.
Before those three days were up - hell, before even two days of mourning were over - France has launched attacks.
It was probably inevitable.
But I cannot help but think that this might just be what ISIS was aiming for all along. I fear that whatever sick, distorted plan that they had is actually working like a charm. Not that ISIS is about to win a World War, and we will all have the Koran soon. But still, this might be what they want. After all, if they launched suicide bombers to hurt as many Westerners as possible in Paris, why would they not try to lure even more to their country?
Pope Francis suggested that this was a part of World War III, and he suggested that this World War was not like the others. This one was more disorganized, the boundaries not quite as clear.
And since then, I have been thinking about it. And you know what? I fear that he just might be right. This might just be World War III, in all actuality.
France Strikes ISIS Targets in Syria in Retaliation for Attacks By ALISSA J. RUBIN and ANNE BARNARDNOV. 15, 2015
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