Peter Wehner:

The Islamic radicals we are fighting know they are far less wealthy and far less advanced in technology and weaponry than the United States and our allies. But they believe they will prevail in this war by wearing us down and breaking our will. They believe America and the West are soft, irresolute, and decadent. "[Americans are] the most cowardly of God's creatures," al-Zarqawi once said.

This is a mistake other enemies of liberty have made in the past. They believed America and the West could not prevail against the ruthlessness and iron discipline of totalitarian enemies. But what our enemies, and sometimes even our own people, forget are the inherent strengths of free societies. Liberty is the design of human nature - and therefore freedom leads to human flourishing and human excellence. It produces men and women who deeply love their country and will rise in defense of it.

Winston Churchill wrote this about the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor:

"Silly people - and there were many, not only in enemy countries - might discount the force of the United States. Some said they were soft, others that they would never be united. They would fool around at a distance. They would never come to grips. They would never stand blood-letting. Their democracy and system of recurrent elections would paralyze their war effort. They would be just a vague blur on the horizon to friend and foe. Now we should see the weakness of this numerous but remote, wealthy and talkative people. But I had studied the American Civil War, fought out to the last desperate inch. American blood flowed in my veins. I thought of a remark which Edward Grey had made to me more than thirty years before - that the United States is like 'a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate.'"

The fire was lit five Septembers ago. The American people will ride out the storm of this war. Freedom will prevail against militant Islam, just as it did against fascism, Nazism, and Soviet Communism. And in doing so, another honorable chapter will be added to the story of America.