In honor of 9-11, I am going to send along some links today, six years later, that I think might be of help.

We were at war with Islamic fascists long before 9-11, we just didn't realize it. From so-called students taking down and holding hostage the American Embassy in Tehran in 1979, to the Beirut bombings back when Reagan was president, to the bombings of the American military housing in Saudi Arabia, to the bombings of American Embassies in Africa, and the bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen, we have been at war for a long time. Six years ago today we finally decided that this "war" was not a police or FBI matter but was a real war. It took us twenty-seven years and many lives to finally decide that some people in the world would do anything to kill as many Americans as they could, and they would do so with the hope of eternal Paradise for their butchery.

We have lost nearly 4,000 very brave men and women in the last six years fighting the Global War on Terror (GWOT). Our President told us it would be a long war, just like the Cold War which lasted nearly 50 years. In any war there are successes and failures. It is interesting that two countries that strongly opposed the war in Iraq, France and Germany, have now elected very pro-American governments, at least by European standards. Central Europe strongly desires an American missile shield, even if it provokes Russia.

We are winning on many major fronts. That doesn't mean we have won any more than we had "won" the Cold War by 1958. Below you will find listed a few links to a couple of excellent stories, some longer and some shorter, but if you want to see what we are fighting as we live our VERY comfortable lives, you need to look at some of these stories and also read the report from General Petraeus to Congress. We all owe it to the men and women who stand in harm's way for our freedoms to take the time to understand and appreciate what they are doing for us.

I said nine months ago that Bush had found his General Grant in General Petraeus. During the American Civil War, it took Lincoln many failed generals before he finally found one that could win. He found that man, Ulysses S. Grant. General Petraeus is simply an extraordinary man, and we should read a report from the General who, in the midst of the battle, is seeing real success in Iraq.

This link is to a long report with many pictures of how many in Iraq are working with Americans to turn Al Qaeda out of Iraq. It concerns the victory in Iraq in the city that Al Qaeda claimed was its capital of the new "Caliphate" of Iraq, Ramadi. It is quite good.

http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001514.html

This is General Petraeus' report to Congress and his suggestions on how to conduct the war in Iraq.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/09/reporting_to_congress.html

This is a great article written by the sister of one of the pilots in the plane that went into the Pentagon. We can't forget that we are at war with an enemy that not only wants to destroy our country, but subject our religious freedoms to the level of religious liberty in Saudi Arabia.

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/09/11/2007-09-11_we_must_always_remember.html

Your brother and friend,

Michael D. Sproul, D.Min.
Senior Pastor