Are we engaged in a religious war? Certainly many of the radical Islamists who attack us think so. But there are some real disadvantages to openly proclaiming so. There are many complexities to consider in figuring out both how to understand and and how to speak and write about the long war struggle we face.

Our contributor LTC Joe Myers has some interesting thoughts on the subject, and he tells me more will be forthcoming in future. Other contibutors are also working on the question. It is a fundamental serious question, and the fact that we have not had this debate until mid—2006 is not a good sign.

Stay tuned. This will take awhile to play out on our pages.

Thomas Lifson   6 28 06

Update: see our contributor Andrew Bostom's latest thoughts at Front Page Magazine.