The Al-Qaida Caucus

By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY Posted Monday, March 10, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Politics: Obama takes exception to a McCain supporter's suggestion that jihadists might welcome his victory. Considering Obama wants to withdraw from the central front in the war on terror, why would they do that?

Related Topics: Election 2008 Global War On Terror

The statement by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, that an Obama victory in the presidential race might be greeted with jubilation by al-Qaida in Iraq and other terrorists has been met with outrage in the Obama camp and discomfort in the McCain campaign.

The question is why. We think it's right on target.

During a stop at the studios of station KICD in Spencer, Iowa, announcing his bid for a fourth term in Congress, King asked:

"When you think about the option of a Barack Obama potentially getting elected president of the United States — I mean, what does this look like to the rest of the world? What does this look like to the world of Islam?"

He continued: "I will tell you that, if he is elected president, then the radical Islamists, the al-Qaida, the radical Islamists and their supporters, will be dancing in the streets in greater numbers than they did on Sept. 11, because they will declare victory in this war on terror."
Oh, yeah: King also committed the crime of mentioning Obama's middle name, which didn't seem to matter to Democrats when the first name was John and the last name was Kennedy during the first coming of Camelot.

But then the pledge was to pay any price and bear any burden to ensure the success and survival of liberty. Obama's pledge is to run and hide.

Think about it a moment. If you're a leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, which given the short life expectancy isn't a good career move these days, would you rather have John McCain be our next president or Barack Obama? What would your reaction be to either event?

McCain has supported our goals in Iraq, if not always our strategy, from Day One. He supported the surge that is kicking al-Qaida's butt and says we should stay until we win. He also has said that he will follow Osama bin Laden to the gates of hell to capture or kill the monster.
Obama has proudly proclaimed his opposition to the war from Day One and has opposed the surge. We're not sure what he would do to AQI's collective butt, but kicking it is not an option. More likely he would follow al-Qaida to the gates of the U.N., conducting his "aggressive personal diplomacy" all the way.

Al-Qaida in Iraq is not in Iraq, according to Obama, or at least wasn't there until we liberated, er, invaded the country. But if it ever goes there, he might send some of the troops he has precipitately withdrawn to restore the democracy he threw away, making young Americans do it over again.

Obama, whose foreign policy consists of talking to our enemies while bombing our allies, told the assembled veterans at the VFW Convention in Kansas City last year, "All our top military commanders recognize that there is no military solution in Iraq."

Except, of course, for Gen. David Petraeus.

So if you were the leader of AQI, who would you prefer? King says Obama. So too did former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, who reacted to Obama's candidacy by saying: "If I were running al-Qaida in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory, not only for Obama but also for the Democrats."

"I think that will just encourage those who want to completely destabilize and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory," Howard told Australia's Nine Network television.

"(Rep. King's) comments have no place in our politics," harrumphed Obama spokesman Tommy Vietor. McCain spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan responded that McCain didn't agree with King's comments, saying: "The senator intends to keep the campaign about the issues."

Oddly, McCain made a big deal in the primary about Mitt Romney's alleged support of a timetable for military withdrawal. Obama has one — he wants to withdraw by yesterday. That this would not be met by unbridled joy among terrorists is far-fetched.

Before the 2006 election, Hamas' Abu Abdullah, who was worried that the Democrats might not keep their pre-election promises, said: "I am afraid that even after the American people will elect those who promise to leave Iraq, the U.S. will not do so."
Fear not. According to Barack Obama, help is on the way.

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