What bin Laden's Video Says to One Fine American

A friend writes:

John Kerry is telling the world that Osama bin Laden's latest video proves President Bush has failed, exactly the kind of words that encourage terrorists to believe we are weak and that Osama is successful. Don't kid yourself. Our enemies know it is a false distinction to say the President failed, but somehow our troops did not.

I reject Kerry's defeatism. I see things differently. Osama bin Laden's video instead shows that he is weak and desperate and has failed on many fronts:

• One video in three years proves we put him on the run.


• He appears by himself, not with his terrorist entourage as he did on camera after 9-11 because we have killed or captured 75% of his top people. Thousands of his terrorist operatives are also dead or in jail.


• He has been unable to attack our homeland for over three years. Instead of massively attacking America as on 9-11, he sends us a video - the best he can do to influence our elections.
  

Within three months after 9-11, thanks to President Bush's leadership, Osama lost his safe haven in Afghanistan, where he had established huge terrorist training camps, chemical labs, ammunition stockpiles, and where he had access to the Taliban's radio and TV stations, as well as huge bank accounts.

Moreover, Osama attacks President Bush so vociferously because we have defeated him on many other fronts:

• Terrorists failed to prevent elections in Afghanistan.


• Bin Laden's global jihad failed to stop us in Iraq.


• Saddam recruited jihadist fighters to help him, but our quick capture of Baghdad not only destroyed the Iraqi dictatorship, but showed jihadists as weak.


• Osama wants to assassinate Muslim leaders supporting President Bush against terrorism but has so far failed in every attempt.


• President Bush's leadership has enhanced our counter-terrorism cooperation around the globe, including with Muslim countries.


• Osama sees the Middle East as his home ground and his goal is to force the US and our allies out of the area. Instead, President Bush is fighting terrorism on Osama's "home ground," including in Iraq and Afghanistan.


• With determined US support, the peace treaties between Jordan and Israel and Egypt and Israel remain strong. Al Qaeda hoped for an Arab-Israeli war after 9-11.
  

Of course we would be happier and better off if Osama was dead or captured. The fact he was able to make a video is bad, but bad things happen in war. Bad things do not mean we are losing or have failed, as John Kerry says. Kerry is so desperate to be elected, he will say anything, even if it makes terrorists believe they have a chance of winning; even if his words undermine US strength and credibility abroad.

After hearing Osama's attacks against President Bush, is there any question who he would like to see in the White House? Voters should think about why this is the case. Will we be like Spain and give the terrorists what they want and fail to see why terrorists want to change our government?