[FONT="]Far from being vanquished, Islamist terrorists dream of a second-wave jihad. And this, too, is a by-product of the international community’s collective inability to halt the Syrian calamity. The discrediting of international institutions and international law; the degradation of the west’s moral leadership; the empowerment of authoritarian, rightwing regimes; anarchic, multi-dimensional warfare; and the endless misery endured by millions of blameless civilians – all are powerful reasons to believe Syria is the epic failure of our age.Yet more fearsome still is the thought that Syria is shattering into myriad chaotic, foreign-dominated fiefdoms even as we watch. As the war rages unchecked, one stark conclusion looks unavoidable: because the western democracies could not find the will or the courage to fight for western values, democracy and the rebirth of the Syrian nation, they have fostered instead a permanent state of terror on Europe’s doorstep.[/FONT]