I’ve never met a libertarian who believed America shouldn’t defend itself from attack, and thoughtful libertarians understand that self-defense has to include force projection — attacking the enemy where he is rather than waiting for him to assault us at home or to storm our embassies abroad. But many of these same libertarians are understandably hostile to the “benevolent counterinsurgency” that’s dominated the Obama administration’s war in Afghanistan (to borrow Bing West’s excellent phrase), not to mention the Bush administration’s idealistic vision of democratizing the Middle East.
What does a libertarian-minded Rand Paul supporter see when he looks at the Islamic State? The same thing most of us see — a powerful jihadist organization that has beheaded two Americans, issued repeated threats to attack America directly, tweeted photos of American landmarks from domestic sympathizers, and armed and trained potentially hundreds of American citizens who of course hold American passports.
So, does the Islamic State meet the test of threatening a vital national interest? Absolutely. In fact, given the Islamic State’s status as the world’s largest, wealthiest, most brutal, and most powerful jihadist organization, it’s difficult to argue that its continued growth doesn’t threaten America’s vital interests. The Weinberger Doctrine — if it is to be Senator Paul’s basic policy on the use of force — applies.
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