New York Times op-ed: To save Paris, destroy ISIS

An op-ed published Saturday at the New York Times says the only way to save Paris is to crush ISIS militarily.

“The only adequate measure, after the killing of at least 129 people in Paris, is military, and the only objective commensurate with the ongoing threat is the crushing of ISIS and the elimination of its stronghold in Syria and Iraq,” Roger Cohen wrote.  “The barbaric terrorists exulting on social media at the blood they have spilled cannot be allowed any longer to control territory on which they are able to organize, finance, direct and plan their savagery.”

“Enough is enough,” Cohen added, noting that the threat from ISIS is now global.

“A certain quality of evil cannot be allowed physical terrain on which to breed. Pope Francis declared the Paris attacks ‘not human.’ In a sense he is right. But history teaches that human beings are capable of fathomless evil. Unmet, it grows,” he added.

Since Friday’s assault on Paris, ISIS has warned that more attacks are coming.

Pamela Geller said that ISIS has released a video encouraging all Muslims in France to kill the French in the streets by any means.  She posted a transcript of the call, translated from the French-language video:

If you are sincere to Allah in your worship and in your creed and are unable to make Hijra
Then operate within France. Terrorize them and do not allow them to sleep due to fear and horror.

There are weapons and cars available and targets ready to be hit.
Even poison is available so poison the food and water of at least one of the enemies of Allah.

Kill them and spit in their faces and run over them with your cars.
Do what ever you are able to do in order to humiliate them, for they deserve only this.

Leaders have called for stern measures.  Marine Le Pen, leader of the French Front Nationale, said the nation must re-arm its citizens and remove radical Islamists from the country.  Dutch politician Geert Wilders said national borders must be closed to stop the invasion of migrants now threatening Europe.

Poland is set to shun refugees, but German Chancellor Angela Merkel is holding fast to her position, calling for “tolerance” towards migrants in the wake of the Paris attack.

Cohen says the battle will be long.

“Islam,” he added, ‘is in a state of fervid crisis, riven by the regional battle of Sunni and Shia interests (read Saudi Arabia and Iran), afflicted by a metastasizing ideology of anti-Western hatred and Wahhabi fundamentalism, seeking a reasonable accommodation with modernity. The scourge within it can probably only be defeated from within, by the hundreds of millions of Muslims who are people of peace and are as appalled as any sentient being at the Paris slaughter. Their voices need to be raised in unambiguous and sustained unison.”

The key to victory, he observes, is unity.

“Disunity and distraction undermined past military efforts to defeat the jihadis,” he said. “Unity is now attainable and with it victory.”

Related:

• French citizens riot, protest against Muslims after Paris attacks
• Obama on Paris attack: ‘I don’t want to speculate’ on who is responsible — Video
• Leader of France’s far-right party: Nation should ‘re-arm’, revoke Muslims’ passports, ‘eradicate’ radical Islam – Video
• Liberal Salon uses Paris terror attack to bash U.S., conservatives, Ben Carson
• Calls to deport Muslims, restrict Islam grow in wake of Paris attacks

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