A Jihadist By Any Other Name

A heartening sign in the early days of the 2016 presidential campaign is that most of the Republican contenders have embraced an indisputable truth largely ignored since 9/11 by administrations of both parties: You can’t defeat an enemy you will not accurately identify.

We have tried for fourteen years to pretend that the jihadists trying to destroy us have nothing to do with Islamic supremacism and its driving doctrine, shariah. The dismal results speak for themselves. Our enemies are growing more numerous and aggressive, emboldened by our ineffectual response to their violence and stealthy subversion.

Now, British Prime Minister David Cameron is insisting that we not call the Islamic State by that name. President Obama only refers to it by an acronym, “ISIL.” That simply assures we won’t degrade, let alone defeat, it.