This is a fascinating story, one I haven’t seen elsewhere. To sum up: an Iraqi insurgent sniper shoots a U.S. private, who goes down. The scene is being filmed by the insurgents so they can create a morale-boosting video to send out. The private is saved by his body armor and gets on his feet. Other US troops follow and capture the man who shot the private. The private who had been shot cuffs the insurgent and applies medical attention to him.
The story tells us the difference in the moral attitude of U.S. troops and the terrorists. But I have also noted some worrisome signs that, we, as a society, are beginning to encourage hatred against our enemies. The Book of Mormon has warned us against this.
I believe the scriptures tell us that there are a few very specific times when wars are justified. In the Old Testament, certain military activities were justified for different reasons. Isaiah, for example, writing in the 8th century BC seems to tell us that Cyrus’ military activities would be justified in the future, partly because they would restore the House of Israel to the land of Canaan and cause the temple to be rebuilt (see Isaiah chapters 44 and 45).
I have argued before that the war on terror, including Afghanistan and Iraq, is justified. I personally believe that the Lord has determined that the United States is a latter-day Cyrus, intended to use its unique force to spread democracy and relative prosperity worldwide in the last dispensation of time. I know many of you don’t agree with me on this, but this post is not intended to debate that much-worn-out topic. I am mentioning this only as part of an explanation for other positions I take here.
The first is that the United States has fought a uniquely moral war. Critics love to concentrate on Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo, but the reality is that U.S. forces mistreated more prisoners in a single day during 1944-1945 (during the “morally correct” World War II) than have happened in nearly four years of fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. During both invasions, U.S. and coalition forces have gone out of their way not to target noncombatants (compared to deliberately targeting them in WWII and Vietnam, for example). The scene of U.S. planes dropping food and blankets and notes on how to avoid bombing targets — rather than bombs — on the civilian populations of Iraq and Afghanistan is unique in modern warfare, and quite remarkable.
My impression is that most Americans have tried hard not to blame Muslims in general for terrorism and instead have recognized that the terrorists are a violent off-shoot of Islam. But this apears to be changing. Lately, in the wake of the London bombings, I have noticed respectable commentators on radio talk shows beginning to analyze “what is wrong with Islam that it is so violent.” These analyses inevitably lead to harangues against Muslims in general, and commentators are very slow to check this kind of talk.
I think this is very dangerous. Yes, all of the terrorists are Muslims. But of the more than 1 billion Muslims on the planet, the vast, vast, vast majority are peace-loving people just like you and I. This is exactly what Osama bin Laden wants — a worldwide tide of hate-mongering and a world of “us vs. them.” I think we need to avoid that attitude, especially since the Book of Mormon warns us of two different civilizations that destroyed themselves in the Americas because of untoward hatred.
We are very, very far from the hatred of the Lamanites, Nephites of Jaredites. We still tend to forgive our enemies and want to heal them, like the U.S. army private mentioned above. I hope that lasts.