Waging the Same War

As I reflect on President Obama's address on the threat of ISIL I was able to draw a frightening number of parallels between President Obamas address and Former President George Bush’s Address to the Nation given on September 20th, 2001. Just 9 days after the planes flew into the Twin Towers. I feel it is important that we keep in mind that President Obama’s speech was made on September 10th, 2014 almost exactly 13 years after the attack.

Bush: “Al Qaeda is to terror what the mafia is to crime. But its goal is not making money; its goal is remaking the world -- and imposing its radical beliefs on people everywhere.”
Obama: “ISIL is a terrorist organization, pure and simple. And it has no vision other than the slaughter of all who stand in its way.”

Both use oversimplification as a means to state the definition of each terrorist organisation.

Bush: “This group and its leader -- a person named Osama bin Laden -- are linked to many other organizations in different countries, including the Egyptian Islamic Jihad and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. There are thousands of these terrorists in more than 60 countries. They are recruited from their own nations and neighborhoods and brought to camps in places like Afghanistan, where they are trained in the tactics of terror. They are sent back to their homes or sent to hide in countries around the world to plot evil and destruction.”
Obama: “Our Intelligence Community believes that thousands of foreigners -– including Europeans and some Americans –- have joined them in Syria and Iraq. Trained and battle-hardened, these fighters could try to return to their home countries and carry out deadly attacks.”

They both have the fear of recruitment especially of American citizens or when people join from other nations and return home to carry out acts of terrorism.

Bush: “The terrorists' directive commands them to kill Christians and Jews, to kill all Americans, and make no distinction among military and civilians, including women and children.”
Obama: “They execute captured prisoners. They kill children. They enslave, rape, and force women into marriage. They threatened a religious minority with genocide. And in acts of barbarism, they took the lives of two American journalists — Jim Foley and Stephen Sotloff.”

They appeal to the listeners pathos by stating the cruelty and evil that the organizations participate in both mentioning the mistreatment of religious minorities, women, children, and Americans.

Bush: “Afghanistan's people have been brutalized -- many are starving and many have fled. Women are not allowed to attend school. You can be jailed for owning a television. Religion can be practiced only as their leaders dictate. A man can be jailed in Afghanistan if his beard is not long enough.”
Obama: “The United States respects the people of Afghanistan -- after all, we are currently its largest source of humanitarian aid we will continue to provide humanitarian assistance to innocent civilians who have been displaced by this terrorist organization. This includes Sunni and Shia Muslims who are at grave risk, as well as tens of thousands of Christians and other religious minorities.”

They touch on the terrible wrong doings toward civilians and that people in these nations desperately need the United States help and humanitarian efforts.

Bush: “The terrorists practice a fringe form of Islamic extremism that has been rejected by Muslim scholars and the vast majority of Muslim clerics -- a fringe movement that perverts the peaceful teachings of Islam.”
Obama: “No religion condones the killing of innocents. And the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim.”

In this the Obama and Bush are blatantly making the exact same argument stating that although the terrorist groups are Islamic they should in no way be affiliated with peaceful Muslim teachings , although we know that Muslims in America after 9/11 and even today still face harsh racism in America.

Bush: “This war will not be like the war against Iraq a decade ago, with a decisive liberation of territory and a swift conclusion.”
Obama: “We will increase our support to forces fighting these terrorists on the ground. In June, I deployed several hundred American servicemembers to Iraq to assess how we can best support Iraqi security forces American forces will not have a combat mission –- we will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq”

This might be one of the most compelling comparisons with Bush, who later did drag the United States into another war with Iraq. Bush says that he does not want another war like the previous war in Iraq. Obama more than a decade later making the same statement that he in no way wants to invade Iraq again, perhaps Obama will have better luck keeping his promise.

Bush: “Our response involves far more than instant retaliation and isolated strikes. Americans should not expect one battle, but a lengthy campaign, unlike any other we have ever seen. It may include dramatic strikes, visible on TV, and covert operations, secret even in success.”
Obama: “But I want the American people to understand how this effort will be different from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It will not involve American combat troops fighting on foreign soil. This counterterrorism campaign will be waged through a steady, relentless effort to take out ISIL wherever they exist, using our air power and our support for partner forces on the ground. This strategy of taking out terrorists who threaten us, while supporting partners on the front lines.”

This is one of the few arguments that differ in the speeches. While Bush pushes for extreme force Obama actually does exactly what Bush says he will not do, and decides that we will fight with only air strikes and by supporting our allies against ISIL.

Bush: “These measures are essential. But the only way to defeat terrorism as a threat to our way of life is to stop it, eliminate it, and destroy it where it grows.”
Obama: “If left unchecked, these terrorists could pose a growing threat beyond that region, including to the United States.”

In these passages the fear of the spread of terrorism is very present. Both presidents seek to eliminate the threat immediately in order to keep it from growing larger.

Bush: “This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This is the world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress and pluralism, tolerance and freedom.”
Obama: “America, our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden. But as Americans, we welcome our responsibility to lead. From Europe to Asia, from the far reaches of Africa to war-torn capitals of the Middle East, we stand for freedom, for justice, for dignity.”

In these quotes it is clear that Americans feel that their issues are not only effecting the entire world, but that our moral superiority gives us the responsibility to address and eliminate the threat.

Bush: “Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated.”
Obama: “We can’t erase every trace of evil from the world, and small groups of killers have the capacity to do great harm. That was the case before 9/11, and that remains true today.”

This is a conflicting argument, Bush stating that the United States will not rest until every terrorist has been defeated, while Obama takes a more practical position by saying that no matter how hard the military tries there is no way of getting rid of all evil people on the planet.

Bush: “America is successful because of the hard work, and creativity, and enterprise of our people.”
Obama: “Our technology companies and universities are unmatched. Our manufacturing and auto industries are thriving. Energy independence is closer than it’s been in decades. For all the work that remains, our businesses are in the longest uninterrupted stretch of job creation in our history.”

These passages again stress American Nationalism, and the idea that we are superior to other nation because of our industry, work ethic, and educated population.

Knowing history we can see that effects that 9/11 and the invasion of Afghanistan had on the United States on the world. It can only be guessed what impact ISIL will have on the future of American politics, but if these Presidential Addresses are any insight into Obama’s presidency there seems to be very obvious similarities to President Bush’s ideas.