War of Propaganda: Burning the Koran and Islamic Terrorism

Gen. Patraeus' warning to Terry Jones speaks to a difficult front in the Afghan war as it pertains to combating radical Islamic ideologies. Our soldiers already face the prospect of giving the ultimate sacrifice each day, which is why it's so important to support our troops. Islamic extremism and the Muslim faith are not one in the same, although such actions by Pastor Jones would say otherwise. Patraeus warns that the burning of Korans can be exploited by Islamic extremists as propaganda aimed at indoctrinating more radicals and additionally disrupting the overall effort of what America is trying to accomplish.

The imagery from Guantanamo Bay aided in recruiting more extremists.Though it is debatable, the treatment of detainees at these facilities certainly did little to assist the United States in its endeavors to combat terrorism. For many prisoners within the facility, there was no loyalty to any known radical groups only -- a common hatred of America which in turn attracted the Taliban to these detainees for recruitment. In an Islamabad interview posted on the McClatchy Washington Bureau's website, ex-detainee Issa Khan speaks about a number of detainees who now work for the Taliban. He credits the root cause to the treatment of these prisoners while at Gitmo.

Over the Afghan-Pakistani border, the United States has carried out numerous attacks through the use of un-manned military drones targeting militants. These attacks increased after the death of seven CIA agents from a suicide bomber who was in fact a double agent. The drone attacks were denounced by Pakistan, as seen in a Reuters article where the attacks are seen as a violation of their sovereignty. Such attacks could contribute to an already growing anti-American sentiment intensifying an already complicated war of perception.

Think Progress posted a transcript of an interview Gen. Patraeus had with Fox News, where he makes a remarkable statement that is at the forefront of what makes America the country she is, and that's our values. He says, "We shouldn't be afraid to live by our values."

What Pastor Jones is planning to do offends more so those Muslims in service to our country and those who are citizens of this country. He makes no distinction between the radical Islamic terrorists and those Muslims who abide by the laws just like any other citizen. The increase in danger to our soldiers comes from an enemy who is emboldened by such actions like torture, inadvertently striking innocent people and by the by the ill-advised burning of the Koran.