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Orlando Represents a Disturbing Victory for ISIS in More Ways Than One

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National Review staff writer David French says ISIS won in Orlando and is winning in the aftermath.

"First, obviously anytime a terror organization is trying to strike America, hits us so hard that it's the worst terror attack since 9-11, well that's a big victory for ISIS," French told CBN News. "The killer pledged allegiance to ISIS repeatedly; it vindicates its strategy of trying to recruit these lone wolves to engage in terror attacks on its behalf. So on that standpoint it was a win for ISIS -- it's horrible to say, but true."

A second victory of ISIS related to the terrorist attack in Orlando is one, French says, he doesn't think the Islamic terrorist group could have anticipated.
     
"Rather than uniting to confront a common enemy, our political class promptly began tearing itself to pieces, culminating in one whole side of the political spectrum or key leaders on one side of the political spectrum attacking Christians of all people for this terrible terror attack," French said.

To watch the entire CBN News interview with National Review staff writer David French, click the player above.

The National Review writer, who is also an attorney and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, believes the U.S. government's policy on ISIS is contributing to the danger in America.

"We have, for two years now, been conducting a very low-intensity slow-motion war against ISIS," French said. "And during the course of those two years, we have seen a sharp uptick in terror attacks against the United States. So to say that we just need to keep doing what we're doing is to say that we need to keep risking our citizens with a similar pace of attacks."

"ISIS has demonstrated it can strike in San Bernadino, in Orlando, in Paris, in Brussels, that it's inspired more attacks in Texas, in Philadelphia. The list goes on," he continued. "So to say that we're doing all that we can, and we're doing what we can is just false. We're not doing enough."

French says the problem goes beyond the Obama administration.

"The Obama administration is responsible for the current military strategy, but the man who's trying to be the GOP replacement for the Obama administration has a foreign policy that is best described as an entire casserole of crazy," French said. "Donald Trump has no idea what to do with ISIS."

And what does French think about Trump's opponent, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's stance on what happened in Orlando?

"It's bad, but it's not as bad as Obama's, and it's not as bad as Donald Trump's, but it's bad," French said. "She is slightly more hawkish and slightly more aggressive than Barack Obama is -- she's always been throughout her career. She's less aggressive than I think what needs to happen to confront ISIS."

"America is facing a deadly foe, and it is also facing a complete failure of leadership from both parties," he continued. "Our leaders are only going to be as serious as we require them to be. Ultimately, it's up to us to hold our leaders accountable for their failures."

"It's up to us to hold our leaders accountable for their lack of seriousness, and if we can't do it, we're going to end up with the leaders that we deserve," he said.

French says one of the scariest things is that Americans did not unite after the Orlando attack as they have in the past.

"Not only did we not unite, but anyone who was following the Twitter feeds -- various pundits and celebrities and politicians on Sunday, the terrible day of the attack, on Monday, you began to see a phenomenon where people were actually angrier at their political opponents then they were at ISIS," French elaborated. "That's a stunning development in this country."

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About The Author

Mark
Martin

Mark Martin currently serves as a reporter and anchor at CBN News, reporting on all kinds of issues, from military matters to alternative fuels. Mark has reported internationally in the Middle East. He traveled to Bahrain and covered stories on the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Dwight D. Eisenhower. Mark also anchors CBN News Midday on the CBN Newschannel and fills in on the anchor desk for CBN News' Newswatch and The 700 Club. Prior to CBN News, Mark worked at KFSM-TV, the CBS affiliate in Fort Smith, Arkansas. There he served as a weekend morning producer, before being promoted to general