Questions need serious debate

To the editor:
Amir Temur/Timur, Temur/Timur the Lame (due to arrow wounds in his right arm and thigh in his early childhood), Tamerlane/Tamburlane.
Names most don’t know, especially Americans, but much of the central Asian Islamic world know.
Some have called him the Sword of Islam, Conqueror of the World, Scourge of God and Scourge of Islam.
Born almost 150 years after his inspiration in 1336, he grew up to be the successor of Genghis Khan. He wanted to be related to the Great Khan, but he was merely a nomad of what we now know to be Uzbekistan.
A warrior who came to be more feared than his inspiration, Genghis Kahn. Not that he may have been responsible for more deaths than the Khan, or possibly more brutal using 12th-century Sharia law, but he did most of his conquests against the Islamic world.
When he would conquer a city, towers of skulls would be constructed from those that he (his army) slaughtered. He converted Christians at the point of a sword, with the threat of death if they didn’t convert. He converted the Georgians eight times.
Europe trembled with fear because of his conquests, but he turned back to Asia and his home of Samarkand with the intent of conquering India after having defeated the Ottoman Empire in Ankara, Turkey. He died in 1405 and his descendents continued his empire for years to come. Grandson Babur would conquer India and be the start of the Moghul Empire there, making Islam a major religion on the Asian subcontinent.
This is who is the inspiration of at least one leader of the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, or so I make the premise, a former general for Saddam Hussein. A small group (10,000) compared to the armies of Amir Temur or Genghis Khan, but exhibiting the same courage as either army to challenge opponents when outnumbered. They exhibit the brutality of either leader, but they have no difficulty slaughtering their own, Muslims, just to make territorial gains, and willing to kill non-Muslims who refuse to convert to Islam. Using beheadings and other forms of brutality to terrorize the opposition. They are willing to try to conquer the world.
Like Amir Temur, the Islamic State has terrorized much of the world, whether they have the immediate ability to reach the rest of the world or not.
The recent beheadings of American journalists, James Foley and Steven Sotloff, as well as threats of coming to America to commit terror acts have their desired effects on Americans.
The calls for Americans to support going into another war in the Arab world of the Middle East is on many peoples’ minds.
Where will the money come from to pay for such a venture. Will it all be on the workers of America’s backs? Will the wealthy and the corporations have to pay their share of taxes now? Will it be put on the credit card for future generations to pay for hotspots of the world?
What will be the objective? The intention of our involvement? Are we looking at a permanent/ perpetual state of war for America?
How will this affect our homeland security? Will we allow more spying on Americans?
These are questions that need honest debates and answers before we venture into any armed conflict, even as part of a coalition.
Daniel E. Chase
Portland