Reject Fearmongers, Welcome Syrian Refugees

Op-Ed

By Rep.Tammy Duckworth

Chicago Tribune

This is a time for the United States to lead with strength, not fear.

In combat one should never let the enemy determine the battlefield or dictate the terms of war. I've experienced the mission challenges that emerge when our nation engages in armed conflict with an enemy it does not truly understand. Unfortunately, I am concerned we may be repeating past mistakes as we confront a barbaric new enemy -- the Islamic State.

As last week's terrorist attacks made clear, Islamic State is a deadly and determined adversary. However, despite its brutality, Islamic State is no match for the American military and would be destroyed in a conventional war. They realize this too, which is why they are seeking to force the United States and our allies to fight on their terms by waging a bloody but sophisticated propaganda campaign that attempts to radicalize Sunni Muslims -- wherever they live -- against the West. This campaign relies in part on provoking an understandable but ultimately self-defeating reaction among horrified Westerners against all Muslims, which perpetuates a cycle of distrust and conflict.

It would be a mistake to react as Islamic State wants us to, which is why the callous actions of many governors, including here in Illinois, are so disappointing. They are sending a signal that innocent victims fleeing the brutality of the Syrian civil war are not welcome in the United States, which plays right into our enemy's hands. It empowers and emboldens radicals who want nothing more than for us to conflate their twisted barbarism with the entire Muslim world, and to appear indifferent to human suffering as we turn inward. Ultimately, this poses a threat to our national security.

It is not difficult to imagine a child we reject today fighting alongside Islamic State years from now. Abandoned in a dangerous and hopeless place, that child could turn into a fighter firing rocket-propelled grenades at American helicopters, just like the one who brought down my Black Hawk 11 years ago this month.

We are not powerless in that child's fate.

When I was a child, I witnessed the refugee crisis borne out of people fleeing the Khmer Rouge and Pathet Lao in Southeast Asia. I remember families loading all they had into boats and risking everything on the South China Sea. I am proud the U.S. took in refugees during those years, and ever motivated by the knowledge that we could have done more.

I can only imagine choosing to carry my precious 1-year-old daughter, Abigail, as we flee halfway across a continent, and placing her in a rickety boat or rubber dinghy that may not survive the dangerous trip across the Mediterranean Sea, because that ordeal is still safer than staying home. That is exactly the choice parents are making in Syria today. These families are leaving everything behind in a desperate attempt to escape the horrific violence being perpetrated both by Islamic State and the brutal regime of Bashar Assad.

I certainly understand the concerns many have expressed after last week's brutal terrorist attacks, and the temptation to turn inward as a result. I also have no difficulty imagining a would-be terrorist seeking to enter our country by exploiting our humanitarian good intentions. But this is where a dose of reality is required: The current security screening process takes almost two years to complete and is particularly stringent for people from unstable regions like Syria. It involves biographic and biometric screenings, as well as vetting for connections to terrorist organizations by the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center, and other agencies. I welcome efforts to improve security even further, which is why I am working in Congress and the Obama administration to develop a range of additional measures to strengthen the screening process.

So let us reject the cynics and fearmongers who question our country's ability to conduct effective security screenings that balance safety and freedom. America must be resolute in the face of terror and never allow our enemies to scare us into retreating behind walls and abandoning our values. Even as we work to destroy Islamic State, we must feel compassion for its victims, because they include both those whose lives were shattered Friday night in Paris, as well as the millions of Syrians who have been displaced and are seeking refuge.

By remaining steadfast and true to our values, the United States can lead the fight to crush Islamic State. This requires engagement, however, not retreat. In this fight, our compassion and values are required in addition to our military might. We must not yield the field of battle to our enemy. This is a time for the United States to lead with strength, not fear.

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