Why They Won't Fight

Let's begin by emulating Al Gore and stating an inconvenient truth: If every law-abiding nation in the world would join together to oppose the Taliban, Iran and North Korea, presently the biggest troublemakers on earth, they would be neutralized. For example, if NATO and Pakistan joined forces, the Taliban and al-Qaida would be routed from their mountain sanctuaries within days. If the world refused to trade with Iran, that government would fall quickly. If China cooperated, North Korea would run out of fuel and that dictatorship would collapse.

But none of those things is likely to happen.

President Obama went to Europe to ask for more NATO combat troops in Afghanistan. The crowds cheered when he spoke; the press wrote glowing things about him. The president then came home with no more fighting capacity than when he left.

The European excuse used to be that they hated Bush, the Texas gunslinger. That's why Germany, France and Spain wouldn't cooperate against villains. What's the excuse now?

In London, Obama met with Vladimir Putin's Russian surrogate and asked for cooperation in stopping Iran from developing nukes. Everybody knows that Israel will likely attack Iran if the mullahs don't cease and desist from the weapons of mass destruction platform. But Russia, according to reports, told Obama they would not stop trading with Iran because the mullahs are NOT developing nuclear weapons.

Sure. Thanks so much, as the president often says.

There you have it: a world of apathy and cowardice. A world that is content to allow terrorism and nuclear threats to exist.

After World War II, Europe basically said "no mas" to war. With the exception of Great Britain, the Europeans were happy to let the USA fight the Cold War and every other conflict. Even while we were protecting them, many Europeans resented us because if they acknowledged our sacrifice and courage, they would also have to admit their own spinelessness.

Right now, Taliban insurgents are killing innocent people in Afghanistan. They have thrown acid in the faces of young girls who dared to attend school and have beheaded young men deemed not militant enough for them. Like Darfur, the atrocities are well documented, and again, everybody knows that if the Taliban regains power, al-Qaida gets a nice safe haven.

Still, Europe, Russia and China do little.

Currently, only the USA, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and Poland are actively fighting the Taliban. The other NATO countries have all kinds of rules of engagement that are confusing and often contradictory. There is little coordination in the Afghan theater.

President Obama loudly trumpets the change he believes he is bringing to America and to the world. But there seems to be little change among the Europeans, the Russians and the Chinese. They continue to ignore or enable evil throughout the world. And I think it is safe to say that this posture will not have a happy ending.

Veteran TV news anchor Bill O'Reilly is host of the Fox News show "The O'Reilly Factor" and author of the book "Who's Looking Out For You?" To find out more about Bill O'Reilly, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com. This column originates on the Web site www.billoreilly.com.

COPYRIGHT 2009 BillOReilly.com.