The spate of gruesome incidents happening in various parts of the world less than 48 hours apart has demonstrated anew how terrorism is so real and dangerous, and how it can affect anyone, in any country. From the stunning assassination of Russian ambassador to Turkey while delivering a speech for what is supposedly a safe and harmless art exhibit; to the wounding of three persons from a shooting in an Islamic center in Zurich; to the horrifying truck attack in crowded Christmas market in Berlin that led to the senseless death of 12 people, the intention and the message were clear: to do harm and kill; and to the rest of the world, sow fear.
President-elect Donald Trump was fast and firm in condemning the acts, and mincing no words in calling the triple tragedies for what they are: acts of terror. Neither did the 45th President of the U.S. hesitate in pointing the finger at the culprit and calling them " by name"- as Islamist terrorists.
Trump after offering his deep condolences to the family and loved ones of Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Kaslov has described the assassination in a Twitter message as a violation of all rules of civilized order and must be universally condemned.
In a separate message, he also twitted " today there were terror attacks in Turkey, Switzerland, and Germany- and is only getting worse. The civilized world must change thinking!". And in another message, Trump dropped the bombshell and stuck to straight, real talk. He said: " ISIS and other Islamist terrorists continually slaughter Christians in their communities and places of worship as part of their global jihad. These terrorists and their regional and worldwide networks must be eradicated from the face of the earth- a mission we will carry out with all freedom-loving partners."
Tough words, even tougher stance from the next U.S. President. And take note that Trump issued the statements even before the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, came forward to claim responsibility for the Berlin gruesome truck deliberately plowing through the crowd. Because Trump knew, as all of us did, that only the radical Islamists are capable of executing such dastardly terror acts. Not like President Barack Obama who has always been tentative, soft and delusional when it comes to terror acts. Clouded by his and Democrats' supposed much-vaunted political correctness, Obama even refuses to call the group as Islamist terrorists or radical Islamists. Obama cites the sensitivities of Muslim " allies and friends" abroad who may feel that they are also under attack by the term, and in turn, they may not fully cooperate in fighting terrorism.
The Islamist terrorists wreaked so much havoc and evil on American society and the world and all Obama could pay attention and priority to are on less significant things as labels, words, and lies. Of course, we know that not all Muslims are terrorists, but Islamist terrorists or radical Islamists truly exist, and there's no hiding the fact or sugarcoating reality. Calling them for what they are is not to lump all Muslims in that ' label', category or name. No wonder that under a misguided, tentative and way too soft Obama, the Islamic State has flourished under his term. Making matters worse is the fact that ISIS caught Obama flat-footed. He himself admitted that he did not have a strategy with ISIS.
As anyone knowledgeable in the art of war knows, the first step to defeating the enemy is to know the enemy. How can Obama ever have succeeded in even neutralizing ISIS or the Islamic State if he could not even muster the guts and the will to call the group by its name? In contrast, Trump is not officially inaugurated yet but he has declared that eradicating these Islamists terrorists from the face of the earth so they would no longer be able to kill, wound or harm innocent people of various nationalities all over the world, including, and especially, in the U.S. As early as the start of the presidential campaign, Trump has always been sure of his goal to fight and defeat ISIS.
Finally, real leadership! Leadership that would not bother with the niceties, if not utter hypocrisy, of political correctness, but would also not cower in fear just watching the extremists slaughter innocent lives. Leadership that knows the enemy, acknowledges the evils of the enemy, calls the enemy by name and is determined to crush the enemy. Trump and his tough stance on terrorism is such a welcome change for America and all freedom-loving world.
