Francis A. Avila Jr.: President has a fight on his hands, want it or not

The President’s tired recycling of his four-point “strategy” for defeating ISIS remains unchanged despite massive evidence to the contrary. He coupled this with his reflexive call for a series of inapposite gun-control measures as if the problem was the guns themselves and not the jihadists wielding them. His absurd contention that strategic options are to be limited to those that don’t feed some jihadist “narrative” gives them an effective veto power over our policy.

In the parallel universe occupied by our President and The Bee’s editors, the recent spate of ISIS directed or inspired attacks would not have occurred had he but shuttered Gitmo. The President is right to claims this fight is not “between America and Islam,” but he concedes that “an extremist ideology has spread in some Muslim communities.” In Obama’s world, terrorism is to be feared less for the violence it causes (increasing body counts) than for the overreaction it provokes (illusory Islamophobia).

After Paris, ISIS quickly took credit stating online the attack “was the first of the storm and a warning to those who wish to learn.” You may not be interested in fighting jihad, Mr. President, but jihad is definitely interested in fighting you.

This story was originally published December 17, 2015 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Francis A. Avila Jr.: President has a fight on his hands, want it or not."