While we don’t yet know the motive for last night’s knife attack in London, the sad news that the murder victim was an American underscores the reality that violence overseas can be an American problem also. Americans were among the casualties in the Paris terror attacks. Americans died in Nice, Brussels, and multiple Americans have died in Israel. It took American intervention to stop a train attack in Belgium, and if those brave men had failed their names likely would have been added to the casualty list as well.
One of the great blessings not just of American citizenship but also of the postwar order is the freedom of Americans to travel widely, including visiting our closest and oldest allies. Countless Americans visit Europe for school, for work, and sometimes to live. They don’t stop being Americans when they leave our shores, and our nation’s responsibility to protect its citizens doesn’t end when they cross national boundaries. To be sure, we can’t reasonably guarantee American safety anytime, anywhere (and the primary security responsibility rests with our allies), but when a terrorist movement takes hold abroad, it can take American lives even if terrorists don’t penetrate American borders.
That’s yet another reason why an entirely defensive response to terror will never be satisfactory. A “fortress America” approach won’t be foolproof even at home, and it will do nothing to stop terror abroad. There is simply no substitute for fighting terrorists where they live, destroying their safe havens, and making them focusing on preserving their lives more than taking ours. Americans can and should be able to feel safe in London, Paris, and Brussels, and it is an American (as well as a British, French, and Belgian) problem when they don’t.
Never Forget: Terror Overseas Kills Americans Too