Why is ISIS? ISIS is only part of the bigger problem: the perception that the United States is at war with Islam. And of course it’s not just ISIS, there is also still Al Qaeda, and Boko Haram. People from various parts of the world, even the US, have traveled to Syria and Iraq to “defend Islam.”
So why do so many Muslims feel that the United States is at war with Islam? The fact that we invaded Iraq without cause and killed hundreds of thousands of people, upended the entire nation, etc may have something to do with it. The fact that the war criminals responsible will never be prosecuted and live as free, wealthy men might also be a factor. This also means that we could do it again, without any repercussions. Our leaders, past, present, and future are above the law.
So what can be done about it? We could hand over Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, etc to the world court to stand trial for their crimes. This would make it more difficult for ISIS to claim the US is at war with Islam, and essentially takes all the oxygen out of the room. The trial will dominate the conversation in the Middle East and demonstrate that the US intends to follow international law.
Now I’m not suggesting that we should hand over our leaders to appease the terrorists. I don’t throw virgins into volcanoes. They should be remanded to the world court because that is the morally correct and legal thing to do. There is sufficient evidence to prosecute. They would have a fair trial, with lawyers presenting their defense. We, as a nation, would just be following the law.
Of course President Obama would never do this because of the political fallout. That’s why it shouldn’t be in the hands of politicians. A citizen or group of citizens should be able to petition the court that there is sufficient evidence for prosecution. If the judge agrees he/she appoints an independent prosecutor and/or remands the accused to the world court. That way we can hold these people accountable for their actions. This would have a chilling effect on the white house, and that’s a good thing.
Anyhow that's just something I wanted to say, thanks for listening / reading.