Osama calls for a truce

After an absence of almost 16 months, the world's most wanted outlaw has resurfaced. Osama bin Laden, chief of the Al-Queda terrorist network, released an audio tape to Al-Jazeera television network. In it, bin Laden declared that he was still planning hostile action against the United States, but offered America a truce (terms undisclosed). The predictable response from the Bush administration was that we do not negotiate with terrorists--we hunt them down and defeat them. Most people interpreted bin Laden's olive branch as an indicator that he perceived his position to be weak. After all, what combatant offers a truce if he is close to victory? Others, however, thought that his offer of a truce should be seriously considered.

It is always prudent in wartime to know and understand your enemy. In this case, the Islamist definition of jihad is critical to our decision whether to take bin Laden's offer of a truce seriously or not. Muslims will speak of a "greater jihad" and a "lesser jihad." The greater jihad, or struggle, is that of making one's will conform to and submit to the will of Allah. (Islam means "submission." "Muslim" is one who submits to Allah. Peace is possible only when one submits to Allah. The mission of Islam is to bring the world into submission to the will of Allah.) The lesser jihad is the act of waging war against the infidel who refuses to submit to the will of Allah.

The prophet Muhammad himself is considered infallible. Thus, his actions of offering the people of Mecca a ten-year truce, and then breaking it after 18 months, provide a great deal of insight into the mind of bin Laden. Any offer of truce with the infidel is useful to the jihadist only to allow the forces of Allah to recuperate and rejuvenate. Thus would bin Laden's truce offer be of little worth. It would be seen as a delaying tactic to help him rebuild his forces for further attack.

Like the source of his doctrine (Satan), bin Laden is in league with the father of lies. He cannot tell the truth. Theoretically, he might say something that is not false, but when he says it, it always has the purpose to mislead and to destroy.

It is vital to learn the politically incorrect truth about the religious philosophy that drives jihadist Muslims in their global terrorism. The naive may "imagine" no religion and nothing to live and die for (John Lennon), but wishing and hoping that someone like bin Laden is interested in anything other than bringing the world into submission to Allah and that he just wants to live in peace and harmony is utter foolishness.