It signals a new stage of this certain-to-be long conflict with fundamentalist Islam. We need to recognize the enemy. It is a strain of thought that happily kills - and almost wants to be killed itself.
"We know your weakness."
These chilling words were spoken 21 years ago by the North Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand when he was asked about US POW's still being held alive in Southeast Asia, long after the war had ended.
"Your wives and mothers and daughters," he continued, "want their men home."
In other words, capturing and holding Americans is a very powerful weapon to use against the United States precisely because we value life above all else.
The Islamic fundamentalists who captured Danny Pearl are slightly different from Hanoi.
These enemies of America executed Pearl on videotape to send a strong message: the next time they kidnap someone we will know for certain they will kill him or her. Thus we are backed into a corner. Either we give in or that American is as good as dead.
Read the rest of his article.
Like I said earlier, we need to make it very clear that taking an American life, particularly a non-combatant, is the absolute worst thing you want to do.
