Will Obama learn before it's too late?

Apparently Mr. Obama, educated by Harvard in law and ideology, prefers to allow America's Jihadist enemies to define themselves as soldiers with legal rights because they are militant followers of an organization. Perhaps Mr. Obama should review a few definitions: 1. Jihad is a holy war against infidels (us). 2. A combatant is one that takes part in armed strife. 3. According to the Geneva Convention, a soldier serves an army and wears a uniform. 4. A spy is an agent employed by the state to obtain secret information, especially of a military nature, concerning its potential or actual enemies. Spies may be incarcerated during time of war and executed if found guilty of stealing state secrets. 5. Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence by a person or organized group against people or property with the intention of coercing societies or governments, and a terrorist is one who engages in these acts.

A terrorist does not wear a uniform; he is an occult combatant. Yet he is worse than a spy that kills because he directs his lethal aggression indiscriminately for maximum effect. A terrorist is at war with every religion other than Islam and with every Western democratic government. He should have no legal rights, and there is no legal restriction against obtaining information against him that will not be used in a court of law.

At the time of 9/11, the government had no clue as to who among all the legal and illegal aliens in our midst was likely to perpetrate further acts of terrorism. Apparently another national disaster will be required to blast Mr. Obama from his ivory tower.

Incidentally, waterboarding was a form of hazing in some of our military schools, and its utility should be freely employed whenever critical information is urgently required for national security.

Thomas V. Johnson, Jr.

Lake Zurich