Is this World War III?
Joseph Farah
Posted: July 26, 20061:00 a.m. Eastern

Many commentators are suggesting the conflict raging in this world today – from the East to the West – is World War III.
Others, who count the Cold War as World War III, have suggested the challenge of radical Islam represents World War IV.
I disagree.
I think we've mis-numbered the global wars so far.
I see this conflict – one that has defined history for the last 1,400 years – as World War I. This is the real Great War. It's far bigger than the conflicts that took a few years to settle. And it's not going away anytime soon.
This war is so big, some people can't even see it.
You know the expression, "He can't see the forest for the trees"? That's what it is like for some people who look at this war. They see fighting. They see conflict. They see death and destruction. But they can't see what it's all about. They can't see that the root cause.
What is the root cause?
There exists a religious totalitarian ideology that seeks global hegemony.
What we see happening in the Middle East today is the struggle in a microcosm.
Radical Islamic jihadists seek to destroy Israel. Nothing short of the Jewish state's annihilation will satisfy them. In fact, even the destruction of Israel is simply a means to an end – a short-term goal, if you will. It is the first step in a long march to global domination.
Some secularists in the West look at Islam and dismiss the possibility that it could ever dominate the globe. But it has in the past. It conquered most of the world. And, this time, "most of the world" will not appease the jihadists.
But much of the world believes this evil ideology can be negotiated with. They believe it can be placated. They believe it can be bought off. They believe it can be reasoned with. They even believe that it might be enflamed by legitimate grievances.
Again, let's return to the microsm – the Middle East. There are no legitimate grievances. Israel did not steal anyone's land. Israel did not create a refugee crisis. Israel did not oppress the "Palestinian people." All that is nonsense that I have dealt with a thousand times with hard facts and real history.
The conflict between Islamic radicals and Jews in the Middle East is really very simple. The Islamic radicals want all the Jews dead. The Jews, meanwhile, want to live.
It is about as irreconcilable as a conflict gets.
No amount of land concessions will appease the beast. No amount of foreign aid will appease the beast. No amount of revisionist history will appease the beast.
Only death and destruction of all infidels will quench the beast's appetite for blood and power.
If you doubt what I am saying, please consider this: If the radical Islamic jihadists in the Middle East – the mullahs of Iran, their puppets in Hezbollah, the suicidal maniacs of Hamas and their patrons in Syria – had the power to destroy every Jew in Israel, they would do it. Does anyone doubt that for a minute?
On the other hand, the Jews of Israel do possess the power to destroy their enemies. Yet, there is no question in anyone's mind that they would never resort to such an option unless they were somehow faced with annihilation themselves.
Likewise, today, the West has the power to destroy every Islamic country in the world. It's not a consideration. Yet, everyone reading this column understands intuitively and intellectually that if the shoe were on the other foot, the West would be in big trouble.
This is the way it has always been – since Muhammad first got his demonic visions in the desert. Ever since then, radical adherents to his message have been on the march – beheading, converting by sword, wiping out entire villages, raping and pillaging. Sometimes they are set back – for years, decades, centuries. Sometimes they are on the ascendancy – for years, decades, centuries.
This isn't World War III or World War IV. This is World War I.
Joseph Farah is founder, editor and CEO of WND and a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate. His latest book is "Taking America Back." He also edits the weekly online intelligence newsletter Joseph Farah's G2 Bulletin, in which he utilizes his sources developed over 30 years in the news business.