Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

With the U.S. Congress out for a 2-week Easter break, President Donald Trump has time to kick some ISIS butt – especially in Egypt – before asking Congress for a declared war against radical Islamic terror in whatever countries it is known to exist. It’s obvious that he will soon be requesting a controversial but declaration of war, as required under the U.S. Constitution.

President Trump may ask for this ‘declaration’ soon after Congress returns to Washington, but nobody is talking about that now. What they are talking about is President Trump’s recent bombing raid on a Syrian airfield that was involved in the Syrian gas attacks that killed about 90 men, women and dozens of children. Those horrific images broadcast around the world will remain with us.

First Syria, and now Egypt, have both come forward in the war on terror. Soon after bombing Christian Churches celebrating Palm Sunday in Tanta and Alexandria, Egypt, ISIS claimed responsibility for killing at least 44 Christians and wounding another 120 plus while worshiping their faith, according to TV news reports. 

Just last week President Trump hosted Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the White House. After that meeting President Trump expressed firm solidarity with Egypt, and he said Egypt is a great ally of the United States. It’s quite possible that U.S. military resources could come into play in Egypt in the coming days to strike back at ISIS. 

Egypt cannot stand still with ISIS apparently having free reign in this ancient Muslim country, at least enough to carry out repeated bombings. There have been many ISIS attacks in Egypt over the years and from other radicals, too. No matter what name they go by – ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Taliban, Boko Haram – they are all the same and hell bent on the destruction of Western civilization.

President Trump was right to take out that Syrian airbase and within his authority to act militarily without consent of Congress. Sure, there are those that say President Trump should have consulted Congress before taking those actions, but that’s not how the real world works. If someone puts gun to your head there’s no waiting around for permission to shoot. 

A declaration of war is necessary for an extended assault on any enemy. Only eight times has the U.S. Congress voted for a declaration of war, the first being against the United Kingdom in the War of 1812. The last was June 5, 1942 against Hungry and Romania during World War II. Neither the Korean War of the early 1950s nor the Vietnam War of the 1960s and 70s were declared, and both remain controversial wars to this day, according to Wikipedia.

Immediately following the terrorist bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt in a 6-minute electrifying speech to the nation unified America against Japan. Congress responded with an official declaration of war which Roosevelt signed on Dec. 8, 1941. But now isn’t then. The New York City Islamic terror attack of Sept. 11, 2001 which took down the World Trade Center and killed 3,000 civilians is not news anymore. The public’s memory is short.

Can President Trump rally a nation to war against radical Islam? That remains to be seen. But President Trump is going after the terrorists like he promised he would.

Will he get Congressional approval? Will President Trump go it alone, acting on executive authority to fight back? Is it worth losing American lives to eliminate ISIS and the rest of the radicals? Do we have to wait until another horrific terrorist act in America claims thousands of innocent lives, like before? 

The U.S. cannot go it alone in any war on radical Islam. Heavy involvement from all 28 counties of NATO is a necessity. Hopefully Israel, Russia, China, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia will join with the U.S. and NATO in this battle for civilized humanity against radical Islam. Back in December 1941 even little old Costa Rica declared war on Japan in unity with the U.S. 

Japan and Nazi Germany during World War II were no more of a threat than radical Islam is now. All three groups have the same hallmarks of horror and atrocities against peace loving peoples.

To know the truth of radical Islam and see the repeated evidence of their evil in all corners of the world then continue to look away is insane.

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.