I have been thinking on this since the first reports of the Paris attacks. I stand with President Hollande who called this an “act of war.” I stand with the pope who describes the current events as “World War III.” President Hollande said, ”France will not show any pity.”

In a movie about Elliot Ness, a character played by Sean Connery said, “If they put one of yours in the hospital, you put one of theirs in the morgue.” I agree. This is a clash of civilizations, though to be honest I do not believe that ISIL, or ISIS, or, whatever you call them, are civilized. They are barbarians and they are at our gates.

The U.S. has non-nuclear weapons in its inventory that are incredibly powerful. They are called Massive Ordinance Air Bursts (GPS guided fuel-air explosives) weighing 21,500 pounds and generating nuclear blast overpressures over a wide area. These weapons roll out of the back of a C-130 from high altitude. The C-130 is one of the most widely used aircraft in the world.

I am in favor of providing the MOAB to anyone who wants to use it in retaliation. Since the barbarians execute prisoners and civilians alike flagrantly violating the Law of Armed Conflict, Sean Connery’s statement is a much better policy.

George Jackson

Salem