> It doesn't matter if our enemies are angry, so long as they are afraid.

It's not our enemies we would avoid making angry. It's our friends.

I haven't made up my mind on the issue, but I am happy to defer to the experts. It must be a strategic decision designed to gain the most and lose the least - just like any prudent military decision. Frank is the only one who can decide what we might lose by a cease-fire (there might be something to gain militarily, as well). The diplomatic core and the CIA are the ones who will advise the president what the cost of continuing the conflict through Ramadan is.

It's possible that the author is so wise and knowledgable that he has covered all the bases before composing that rabble-rouser. I can't tell because none of that analysis is evident in the piece.

My take: Gung Ho'ers who never consider the future consequences of their actions tend to bring a lot of shit down upon themselves and anyone standing close by.