The estimable Walid Phares skewers the short-sightedness and naivete of official Washington. Of course, much of this stems from officials' unwillingness or inability to come to grips with the jihad ideology. "Expert: Iran Poised To Be 'Mother of All World Threats,'" from NewsMax, with thanks to all who sent this in:
WASHINGTON -- For anyone who still thinks the Israeli-Lebanon war is just a border scuffle, one Middle East expert shouts a dire warning:"As soon as a cease fire occurs, the ‘Hezbollah Blitzkrieg' will crumble the ‘Lebanese Republic of Weimar' and install its own ‘Khumeinist Republic' on the Eastern shores of the Mediterranean. The consequences of such a development are far beyond imagination for the region and the world. Hezbollah would have paved the way for Iran to create the mother of all world threats since Hitler."
So cautions Professor Walid Phares, author of "Future Jihad," a visiting fellow with the European Foundation for Democracy in Brussels, and a senior fellow with the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C.
[...]
Phares argues that Washington and Brussels relied too much on a Lebanese cabinet which had been penetrated by Hezbollah.
"How can you have U.S. officials sitting with the Lebanese Cabinet in the presence of Hezbollah ministers and talk about the Lebanese Army disarming this organization? The naiveté' with which Hezbollah's offensive was dealt with is stunning."
Read it all.
Where is General Pershing?
My hometown newspaper printed a pro-Hezbollah article today.
http://www.heraldstandard.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17046314&BRD=2280&PAG=461&dept_id=480247&rfi=6
It just makes me furious they would print such lies.
It just makes me furious they would print such lies.
Posted by: ranoir
Send a letter to the editor explaining why you think they are wrong and ask like-minded folks to do the same. Make sure you suggest a few sites like this one to further their education, just on the off chance they use the letter.
What is really stunning is how the C.I.A or the D.O.D failed to understand the threat of Islam...Iran told us since 1979...They had to know Saudi Arabia was Scared to death of Shia Iran and was spreading Wahhabi Sunni Islam around the World to counter it...Now Islam is more powerful then it has been in hundreds of years...Just damn amazing!
What is really stunning is how the C.I.A or the D.O.D failed to understand the threat of Islam...
Do they? Or are they playing islam for a fool? They do seem to catch a lot of these clowns, someone understands. I’d bet the political side is tying their hands. I know I would be terrified of anyone in the government claiming they were going to “help.”
This is a new kind of war. The kind of war where you try to make friends with the enemy without killing them. Unfortunately, our leaders have not figured out yet that this doesn't work with islamic facists.
Where is Ollie?
Do they? Or are they playing islam for a fool? They do seem to catch a lot of these clowns, someone understands. I’d bet the political side is tying their hands. I know I would be terrified of anyone in the government claiming they were going to “help.”
Posted by: Ronin......Not really ...Money, Oil and Greed allowed Islam to infest America...The threat is dire....And many in the American Government are still allowing CAIR and others to move higher up the chain...Its like a 1950'2 movie about the Pod people or Rod Serlings Twilight Zone...Everyday is stranger then the one before.
The above article shows that the Lebanon that was the home at one time to a majority Maronite Christian community is for all purposes, dead.
Ronin,
As military and police/security organizations attract conservative, courageous males, many/most protecting us know the "real deal" with Islam. I know a number of these guys and to maintain job security they cannot speak openly. However, in close conversations between "boots on the ground" operators (the guys doing the actual work) they are keyed in to the truth. Some are on this site.
The problem is with the idiot, butt-kissing top leadership within the military and intelligence/security orgs. The operators know the deal and try to make things work. However the top level is manned by a bunch of self-interested butt-kissing political PC types. In order to make it through Congressional hearings and other such approval steps, you still cannot have spoken openly about the truths we all know.
How did British intel break this plot? Well, look at the men holding guns in airports and conducting arrests! They are tough looking, conservative looking, man's men. Exact opposite of the weenies in Parliament. My guess is that they aren't the pansy wimp Euro-elite types who are afraid of their own shadow.
We make progress on Jihadwatch by reaching many guys beneath the top leadership level. Once the public tide turns far enough against the wimp-coward PC garbage, we will have men primed to fill the leadership void. At that point, "CAIR" and other such organizations will be crapping their pants. They will wonder: "What happened?" "I thought we had these infidels brainwashed."
OT/
Anyone heading to the pro-Hezb'satan rally at Lafayette Park across from the White House at noon today or any other rallies in the US that are planned? Would love to see photos or videos or get an update on speakers, etc. (If going, please be safe though.)
Anyone know if there is any television coverage planned?
"I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."
Albert Einstein
hello123, thanks you have given me hope for the future but more importantly for my childrens future, our current leadership is leading us to defeat, I hope you are correct.
Albert Einstein was incorrect, in my book World War III was the Cold War. World War IV has already started.
OT again/
Did anyone else hear the publisher of Arab American News out of Dearboristan, MI this morning on C-SPAN's Washington Journal and his lame attempts at explaining the numerous untraceable cell phone purchases in Ohio by the young men from Dearborn and how he compared them to Bill Gates...just wanting to take advantage of America's economic system and wanting to find a creative way to make some money. I kid you not. It was pathetic! He is in town for the Hezb'satan rally in DC today at noon.
I was glad to hear that many of the callers weren't falling for his assinine remarks, however.
Yes it is just like a horror movie. Pod people, that was The Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I do not think their bodies have been stolen but an analogy I like to use is The Thing. The original 1950s movie has a Scientist that wants to make friends with The Thing. Never mind that it wants to bash everybody’s head in and devour them. The fool still believes that you can get along and learn a lot from a ravenous thing. Some people will never learn.
I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.
Thank you, storemanager, for this reference. I've never seen that, but it certainly imprinted on my brain, for its implication is at once so obvious and so frightening.
What is really stunning is how the C.I.A or the D.O.D failed to understand the threat of Islam...
The CIA part is not stunning. Langley is a hothouse of Marxists, ambitous but modest Ivy League folk hopeful to sell out the U.S. Constitution at the first opportunity.
"What is really stunning is how the C.I.A or the D.O.D failed to understand the threat of Islam..."
Our naivete has been around for a long time: Jimmy Carter and Andrew Young (Carter's UN rep)thought the Shah of Iran was too tough on the Muslim "people of faith." In fact, Andrew Young actually called the Ayatollah "a saintly man". They saw the maniacs that took over Iran as fellow believers in the Eternal Almighty God. The hostage crisis was their and our first lesson in dealing with the reality of Islamic-Fascism.
How could this happen? How could we be so fooled?I think we did not realize that in Islam religion is not personal. We projected our pluralism and our tolerance on people who act as a gang (umma), who see non-Muslims as Infidels. We did not realize that Muslims may lie or kill Infidels at will simply because Infidels do not believe their dogma. We did not realize that too many Muslims treat beliefs as if they are fact. We knew nothing about Sharia law, dhimmis, burkha clad women, jizya, etc. Now we realize that we are dealing with Islamic-Fascism. (Not even the propaganda of Nazi-CAIR will stop us from seeing the truth about Islam. Times have changed.)
All of this is not going to end well for Muslims (especially in the Mideast). Sooner or later there will be a nuclear attack against Israel, and that will be the doom of the Muslim Mideast, as Mecca, Medina, and much of the region are vaporized by an Israel wielding a terrible swift sword of revenge. That event will conclude 1,300 years of Arab-Islamic oppression, bloodshed, exploitation, forced conversions, and lies about Submission's tolerance and respect for freedom of conscience. Muslims will then face reality and see that the fate they suffered was inevitable and of their own making.
With the BREAKING NEWS that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah says his guerrillas would agree to any cease-fire brokered by the United Nations but insists the militant group has a right to resist Israel.
Well the agreement calls for the disarming of Hizballah so how does this terrorist group resisit Israel if the Security counsel has voted for the disarming of Hizballah? Of course that is not going to happen with Hizballah.
For Nazrallah it ends up being a win, win for him and Hizballah. Muslims will see this as a defeat for Israel and a win for Hizballah against Israel. His other win is that he really gets a hudna or a stop in the fight so that he has time to strengthen and re-constitute his terrorist group.
His greatest advantage will come as he and his Iranian counterparts continue to try and make in roads into political control of Lebanon. If this is allowed to continue we will see Iran right on the northern border of Israel within a few years if not sooner.
"All of this is not going to end well for Muslims (especially in the Mideast). Sooner or later there will be a nuclear attack against Israel, and that will be the doom of the Muslim Mideast, as Mecca, Medina, and much of the region are vaporized by an Israel wielding a terrible swift sword of revenge. That event will conclude 1,300 years of Arab-Islamic oppression, bloodshed, exploitation, forced conversions, and lies about Submission's tolerance and respect for freedom of conscience. Muslims will then face reality and see that the fate they suffered was inevitable and of their own making."
Now that is is a very scary thought, but one which may just be true!
I remember the 70s, it appeared that the world was spinning out of control then. With the Soviets moving forward with their worldwide commie agenda, the wars in the ME, the jihadi revolution in Iran, commies advancing in Central and South America, civil wars raging in Africa, the Southeast Asian genocide, the gas lines, high unemployment, out of control inflation, civil unrest in the USA (the lefties were trying to start an armed revolt similar to what I have heard them talk about recently). We will not sit by and watch them on TV this time. Not to mention the 1000s of ICBMs pointed at us. After all we did not know then that the Soviets were not suicidal. Yes in those days many were talking about the end of the world as well. Yet we are still here. Where will it all lead? Who knows, I only know I am not going to allow threats of annihilation or doomsday prophecies to frighten me. And if anyone thinks our leaders are bad now, Dhimmi Carter almost destroyed the country. The single most important contribution to America that came out of the Carter gang was “Billy Beer”.
Mulligan-
I'm a realist. I don't desire to see this end, but the whole thing has an internal logic that is moving to that end. I think a lot of people (including many Muslims) see the handwriting on the wall. Only sane Muslims can stop this. They have to speak out loud and clear that they want an end to the cleric oppression. The revolt against the current madness has to be big, has to sweep the Muslim world. That's what we must pray for. Then there will be hope for an understanding re pluralism, an end to world-wide jihad, and Israel may even be the instrument of bringing a golden age to the Mideast.
Charles Krauthammer, the authoritative Jew in the MSM, and a fine if somewhat naive intellect, predicts a thermonuclar future for the so-called Mideast "crisis."
This is an unpleasant subject that I imagine this website would rather not contemplate, but Krauthammer sees at thermonuclear explosion over Tehran. To me, the whole nation of Persia should be blanketed, most especially Qom, in the interest of justice should also be vaporized, in the interest of whatever sustainable peace is attainable with Moslems, per se.
His greatest advantage will come as he and his Iranian counterparts continue to try and make in roads into political control of Lebanon.
This has been my point. Until such time that the practice of Islam is specified to a felony crime, there will be no order, and freedom will continue to be incrementally diminished as Dar al-Islam advances over such turf as Dearborn, Michigan.
Frank I beleive you are a realist. Me too, it is scary and Israel may well be that instrument. It is not unfeasible that this will happen, whether one is an average lay person or a political statesman. Benjamin Netanyahu (I think that is spelt correctly) hit the nail on the head when he said that this whole problem is against the west and not just Israel. Lets just hope it doesn't have to come to millions of innocents losing their lives due to the sad psycho fanatics that believe they are answering a higher calling. When in fact they are just terrorists who care not for their fellow man, whether or not they are Muslim, Arab, Christian or whoever the god that they follow.
Do we really think for one second that Hezbollah is going to disarm??? Iran has way to much "moral support" invested in them. They have been getting there ass beat since day one and now they are going to claim victory and give up their arms? Yeah right. And now since there is a "cease fire" in place, is Iran's threat to destroy Israel in the past now?? This is doing more harm then good. This "cease fire" is an awkward detour.
APF-
"God writes straight with crooked lines, " as the saying goes. Hopefully, all the crooked lines here will lead to a conclusion that will embrace this life and reason. I think God made our material body and minds (our spiritual part) to deal with material reality in this world, to hold on to this life until He calls us home. I don't think He desires us to act as God, take the power of life and death in this world to ourselves, simply because others don't believe as we do re some religious dogma. I think He made us to live in this world to the best of our ability for a time, then we will close our eyes to this world and open our eyes to Him. I think we are meant to leave this earth by nature-as He wills it-and not a moment sooner.
Meanwhile, we must deal with the reality of crooked lines.
Re: Mulligan at August 12, 2006 12:29 PM
Dittos, Sturart.
What happened to all the questions about how to get a terrorist organization (Hizb'Allah) to adhere to any ceasefire agreement?
I guess Condi and Kofi got that all figured out. Hoozah! Peace in our time!
Walid Phares might charitably call it "naivete", I might call it something else.
tgusa...Is all the sabre rattling and threats the same as it was back then?? To me is seems more intense then ever. I believe it is that way now because of nuclear technology. They can now back up their rhetoric. I am not loosing any sleep over the end of the world either. That would just make me to tired.
TGSU wrote:
"The original 1950s movie has a Scientist that wants to make friends with The Thing. Never mind that it wants to bash everybody’s head in and devour them. The fool still believes that you can get along and learn a lot from a ravenous thing. Some people will never learn."
Good insight as to describing the threat, but I think your pod movie better describes how Jihadwatchers feel as the world is losing the war to the pods. In the opening prologue with extended narration, dishevelled physician Dr. Miles Bennell distraught and seeming to be psychotic and mad about alien invaders, shouts to an unbelieving group of nurses, interns, psychiatrists and doctors in the emergency room of the city's Emergency Hospital where he has been brought by a police car, that seed pods are taking over the planet:
Doctor, will you tell these fools? I'm not crazy. Make them listen to me before it's too late.
Make them listen to me before it is too late.
This is from JPost: "The Lebanese leader said that Hizbullah would not cease its actions against "the Zionist enemy." We will continue to "fulfill our national and jihadic obligations." He promised that his organization would continue to fight until the Israeli troops left Israel."
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1154525858147&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
Don't know if this was a typo, but "until the Israeli troops left Israel"? This is fulfilling Hizb's "national and jihadic obligations" to the max. This so called "cease fire" is a joke. Both sides will use any lull in fighting to restock and reposition. Hudma at its best. the UN is a useless bad joke.
Just I finished my last post two people came to my door with a tract called "Deliverance at Hand". Though I am not interested in being a Jehovah's Witness" and have questions re Jesus-I like the straight line of the message.-LOL
One wonders what will happen to the world with respect to global jihad if the DEMOCRATS win the next US election. Scary, but a reality we must all face squarely.
I wonder what would HILLARY HAVE DONE concerning the Israel-Hizbollah conflict if she was in office???? Try not to laugh, many political pundits have her pegged as the next US president!!!?!
DELIVER US ALL FROM ISLAM!
Birddog,
Now, we have the jihadis and they come from a particular stratum of society. Then, terrorists were truly broad strata of society. There were not only the jihadis but the Bader/Meinhoff gang of Germans, the Red Brigade, the Weathermen, the SLA, the Black Panthers, the Central American death squads and on and on and on. In those days we had a joke that every teenager knew, what do you do in case of Soviet nuclear attack? Bend over and place your head between your legs. Now, kiss your *** goodbye. In addition, we had no clue about islam and their intentions so the jihad proceeded quietly right under our noses. Now, we are aware of the danger that lurks. The saber rattling is louder now but that is because we are listening more closely. We have one critical thing now that we did not have then, The Internet, the greatest non combat weapon against the jihad that we have. I think the jihadis are in a rush to provoke a nuclear war before we come out with our next generation of weapons that could make it very difficult to launch a nuclear strike without premature detonation over their own pos.
I agree David England, I also liked “I Robot”.
henry,
Don't take this otherwise. Just a question from an animal lover. When and where did you see rabbits and cats and dogs eating their young ? The zoologists are going to be very interested in the location and the circumstances.
Walid Phares is another superb analyst and I have nothing but high praise for his Future Jihad. MSNBC is very fortunate to have him.
interesting links regarding staged photos, Iraqui kipnap and ransom schemes by Shiite controlled security forces, TATP explosive to be used in foiled plot was same as Madrid train attack, shows Al Queda link,
http://www.latimes.com/business/careers/work/la-et-rutten12aug12,1,4914406.column
Things are really bad when writers in the LA Times are critical of the Reuters publication of staged photos by photographer Hajj from Lebanon and decries the lack of outrage in the media. “Thus far, only a handful of relatively brief stories on this affair have appeared in major American papers. The Times picked up one from the Washington Post, which focused mainly on the politics of Johnson's website.”
Reuters has apologized for the altered photos and has pulled Hajj photos from the archives. However, there has been no apology for the staged photos, see how they do it. Reuters and other news organizations reviewed those images and have all rejected allegations that the photographs were staged.
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2006/08/qana-directors-cut.html
http://pajamasmedia.com/2006/08/introducing_pajamas_media_poli.php
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-kidnap12aug12,0,462532.story?coll=la-home-headlines
story of the kidnap and ransom of Iraqi businessman. Are Shiite controlled Iraqi Security officers responsible, and are Shiite clerics acting as “judges” in kangaroo courts?
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207898,00.html
Follow the cash….always good advice. Cash tracing results in 40 more arrests on foiled plot.
http://wcbstv.com/local/local_story_005193533.html
TATP was to be used in foiled plot, to see what TATP can do see photos of the Madrid train attack, It is clear that a commercial jet liner would fall from the sky.
My apologies BIRDDDOG.
The estimable Walid Phares skewers the short-sightedness and naivete of official Washington.
Well George, I think you will good in a burka. How you like living under shariah law, but you probably think that everyone else will be living under shariah law and that you and you're elite cronnies have no worries.
Somehow, I just don't think the immams will want to share power with you.
By the way George, have you ordered the black islamic flags that you will soon fly over the White house?
Or can't you find Americans who want to make the damn things or are too stupid to do the job?
If there was a way that I could pull the citizenship of some American politicians and deport them to live in Sudan under strict shariah law as ordinary citizens -- I'd have a flight ready for them in sixty seconds or less.
They deserve it! Maybe we deserve it too for allowing them to sell us out in the first place!
What just happened with this UN peace treaty is bad news for Israel, the US, and civilization; we should declare a day of national mourning because we too, are thanks to this traitorous appeasement via the UN.
No problem tgusa! I agree with you on the weapons. From a military stand point, I believe it is to our benefit to use up our "out dated" weapons right now to make way for the next generation. I am also looking forward to the "big" interview tomorrow night on 60 minutes. that should be interesting..then again he is probably going to say the same crap hw has been saying all along.
Islam has the long-term goal of becoming one supreme world religion, crossing all frontiers, along with the elimination of Israel. As you now witness in Lebanon, international militant Islamic jihad is not expected to surrender, even at the expense of other multiethnic religious and non-religious citizens. As you witness, the whole of Lebanon is subject to threat removal, curbing the channels of foreign fighters and arms. The same modus operandi can be used in containing other jihad sponsoring regimes.
This adminstration does not want to "cut n run" in Iraq, yet the sign on to a demand that the Israeli's "cut n run".we have become bedmates with the French ba*tards and teh lot of UN American and Israeli haters. We (the US) have given Hezbollah a great legitimacy. Iran and Syria must be peeing their pants with laughter at the weakeness and pantiwaste moves of the US and her "allies". This emboldens the terrorist worldwide and don't think this won't make things worse in Iraq as Iran see's we do not have the stomach to do anything really effective. The Republicans have now proven themselves no better then the Democrats who want to "cut n run", no better at all. The Israeli people are in part to blame themselves for Olmert, they voted him in and his platform was to give away more land. In him they got what they asked for, a courage and a punk. Olmert said this and obviously he meant it.
" We are tired of fighting, we are tired of being courageous, we are tired of winning, we are tired of defeating our enemies, we want that we will be able to live in an entirely different environment of relations with our enemies. We want them to be our friends, our partners, our good neighbors, and I believe that this is not impossible."
Fool.
60 and counting said :
I have never wanted to be a muslim. Now it looks like I am not going to have a choice.
Thank you UN.
Thank you Olmert.
Thank you Bush.
AND:
EVERYBODY: SEND HILLARY CLINTON A BURQA THROUGH THE MAIL!!!!!
If Hez's unprovoked incursion doesnt demonstrate the true nature of Islamic ambitions what would?
True to their faith they will keep pressing for the destruction of Israel and eventually, the U.S. - when they lose they dont really lose because continuing jihad is obeying the Prophet - like a good dad who doesnt require that his boy wins - only that the boy keeps trying...and keep trying they will, as long as there is a vestige of hope that they might succeed.
They will desist WHEN ALL HOPE IS GONE!
And that is what the strategy of the west must be: we must crush them so entirely that all energy is drained from them - they must be able to say that their defeat is the 'will of Allah'...
And that will happen when Teheran, Qum, Mecca, Medina, Damascus are vaporized by our nuclear force.
Then at last Islam will have to say : 'Allah does not want us to prevail'...
bondservant -
Good grief! Olmert really said those things? This man has NO BUSINESS being placed at the helm of a country like Israel! He's a total weinie and a coward for making such 'dangerous' statements. Sounds like he's ready for the old folks home, because he is not a suitable leader, he's a cream-puff.
Benjamin!!
Israel's military is furious with Prime Minister Olmert. The IDF had a plan to overwhelm and quickly defeat Hezbollah on the ground and from the air. Mr. Olmert and his cabinet rejected the plan for God knows what reason. "Restraint?" Mr. Bush advised restraint. There is going to be repercussions for this ignominious surrender. There was talk the other day of a coup. I don't know about that but Mr. Olmert (an attorney by training) could be forced to resign as was Golda Meir and Moshe Dayan for botching the 1973 Yom Kippur war, by not preempting Egypt and Syria which were mobilized on Israel's borders. Mr. Olmert and his Kadima party-of-retreat have botched this war and shame on President Bush for seeking a cease fire in the (criminal) United Nations. Yes criminal! I'm not surprised by Secretary Rice; I knew she was with our jihadist enemies deep down in her heart, I believe she is with the Muslim-Arabs and not with our ally Israel, but Ambassador John Bolton has been especially and profoundly disappointing. I'm sorry for writing such harsh words about our leaders, but let's face it, this is a total capitulation and a victory for Islamic jihad. Talk about a recruitment tool for the jihad against the west. This is it.
monk -
Agree! Your criticism is not "harsh", but sadly, quite accurate and true. This is NOT the Bush that I voted for, and Condi is a joke at best. Every time I hear that woman speak (and I'm a woman too) I want to reach through the tube and shake her, because she sounds like she doesn't "get" our enemy, and that she's living in denial about their long-term intentions; or at least she gives the appearance that she's clueless.
Bush -- stop hanging out with Condi and lend an ear to the advice of others -- like those of us on JW.
Pythagoras wrote:
One wonders what will happen to the world with respect to global jihad if the DEMOCRATS win the next US election. Scary, but a reality we must all face squarely.
I wonder what would HILLARY HAVE DONE concerning the Israel-Hizbollah conflict if she was in office???? Try not to laugh, many political pundits have her pegged as the next US president!!!?!
................
Several other posters mentioned this, also, including Henry and American in Germany. I voted mostly Democratic before September 11. In 2004 I voted for George Bush, even though by this time I was well aware of the limitations of this administration's understanding of the Islamic threat.
As bad as it is that Bush, Blair and Harper refer to Islam "being highjacked by extremists", or vaguely talk about a "war on terror", at least they realize that a threat exists. They do not seem entirely sure of its provenance or how to deal with it but at least they realize it is a major issue.
I have heard many Liberals describe terrorism in terms resembling an automobile accident on an icy road--regrettable, but really quite unavoidable. I have actually heard comparisons of deaths on 9/11 to deaths from diabetes or heart disease. They seem to think that we can "live with" a certain amount of terrorism.
This is dispicable--it also reveals a complete lack of understanding of terrorism. Do they really think that terrorists will just stop at a certain amount of death and destruction if they realize that without resistance that they can do much worse? Many Democrats castigate Bush for "stirring up fear". I suppose Churchill could be accused of having "stirred up fear" in the 1930s. (Note that I am not otherwise comparing G.W. Bush to Winston Churchill).
Even worse than those with this wretched attitude are those who believe that terrorist acts are understandable because of colonialism, or racism, or "Islamophbia", or England's or Spain's support of the war in Iraq, or the existance of Israel, or whatever grievance is considered current.
Worse again are those (more than you might think) who are so fervently anti-Western that they actively support anyone who moves against the West, who consider this not only "understandable" but actually *desireable*.
As bad as the reactions to this crisis are, I fear that they might be very much worse under another administration. I'm worried about the next elections both here and in Britain.
Thanks Champ. He should have appointed Robert Spencer or Alan Keyes Secretary of State. Maybe they would also capitulate in the face of administration pressure and "world opinion?" I hope not. We need strong leaders, especially in this dangerous time.
Dear Graven Image,
I am a thirty-five year registered Republican. I don't believe I have ever voted for a Democrat in my life. I have been politically active and take part in Internet discussion groups. I am active for instance on Frontpage.com, a web site on which some of Mr. Spencer's articles appear.
This argument, the Democrats, the liberals, are worse is of course true. I come across it so frequently I cannot tell you how often. I don't buy it however. Conservative pundits, conservative writers, conservative radio talk show hosts, etc., use it as an excuse to not fault this president when he errs, when he goes astray.
I believe this is not only weak but it is outright dangerous. President Bush champions himself a Christian conservative. He has much support in the conservative Christian (Evangelical) community. Shouldn't we expect him to govern like a conservative and not like a Neville Chamberlain appeaser?
I will not give Mr. Bush a pass when he capitulates to the jihadists as he has done in the United Nations Security Council the last few days. And I will not give Prime Minister Olmert a pass either. This prime minister is determined to forcibly uproot tens of thousands of Jews from their homes and property (from the so-called "West Bank") in order to fulfill President Bush's vision for a Palestinian (terrorist / jihadist) state in the mountains of Judea and Samaria. These mountains overlook Israel's coastal plain and the Ben Gurion Airport. These are mountains from which Katyusha rockets can rain down on Israel's cities. It's insanity. I cannot believe we are seeing this repetition of the nineteen thirties and the betrayal of tiny Czechoslovakia (today Israel) all over again. Nothing changes.
Rabbits,cats and dogs do eat their own, if they are malformed or stilborn at birth.
Hope that helps.. btw any Zoologist should or would know this, as well as any veternarian.
Oh man, this was the best parody of the NYT that I've seen yet. A must read!
The kind of antiIslam sentiment I am hearing reminds me of the kind of antisemistism that took root before WWII and the US Civil War. Listen to what you are saying. You can't paint every Muslim with the same brush. Nor can you a Christian...I sure as hell don't want to be considered a racist, ignorant, hatemonger. Sure, you want to call me naive...well, I've been living in Istanbul for five years...openly as a Christian and American. No problems yet...quite the contrary...a respect and tollerance for my beliefs. So, take a breather from Jerry Falwell and the likes and try and get to know people from belief systems different from your own.
Hillary 4 President? God, I hope not! I'm hoping Senator John McCain will run.
Rasool -
Ok -- so not all Muslims are terrorists, but isn't it interesting that all terrorists are Muslims. Why is that?
Sorry Rasool -- wrong poster! I meant to address my question to Geobservor. Lets try that again....
Geobservor -- please read my question to Rasool as it's intended for you.
Regarding Condi and her ridiculous "mediations" the woman was the Provost of a California university for crying out loud, this gives her the experience and grit and guts to be a Sec. of State. Oh lets not forget she worked with W's daddy, that must qualify her ? I'm sorry but I think it was another unwise move on W's part. He puts his friends in positions because they are his friends and they are loyal to him and he may well think they have a level head but this does not make one able to deal with dire world affairs.
I always liek Condi but dude what did I know...must have been those Ferragamo shoes and that piano playing that won me over, oy..do I need to go back to the Birkenstocks and fiddle...
Geobservor,
You remember a lot of anti-Semitism going on prior to the civil war? That’s a new one on me. Yes we can use the same brush, they are all zombie like followers of their killer religion. I sure don’t want to be considered a racist either so can you tell me what race you are talking about that you think we hate? We know what their belief system is “superiority and dominance over all others” and we don’t like it. We have no intention of getting to know anyone who advocates sticking a knife in their sister’s chest to avenge an insult (real or perceived) to their honor. I hope I am clear on that. I am glad to hear that you are being treated well. Let’s hope that continues.
Monk wrote:
I will not give Mr. Bush a pass when he capitulates to the jihadists as he has done in the United Nations Security Council the last few days. And I will not give Prime Minister Olmert a pass either.
................
Monk, your post is well taken. I assure you that I wasn't giving George Bush a pass. I think that many of his policies are dangerously naive and wrong-headed.
I just think that it is *even more* disturbing that someone can say something like "there is no terrorist threat" and be cheered on by a rather large percentage of Americans.
Few presidential failings have been greater than supporting this UN resolution and urging Israel to adopt it. This is just chapter 6, rather than chapter 7, which means that while UN observers can note Hizb'allah re-arming or even setting up missile-launchers and attacking Israel, they have no mandate to do anything about it unless they are directly attacked first by Hizb'allah themselves. Perhaps most shockingly, the rsolution does not even insist that Israel's kidnapped soldiers be returned. The idea that the Lebanese army would have either the will or the means to dis-arm Hizb'allah themselves is clearly delusional. No wonder thay are "declaring victory".
Would you put a poodle in the ring with a pit-bull? Of course not, because poodles are cute and cuddley, and pit-bulls with tear you apart; but that's the picture I got when they sent Condi over to "assess" the situation in Lebanon/Israel. Perhaps that's a lame analogy, but it seems to fit how I see her.
She simply doesn't command the respect NEEDED for the task at hand...NOT AT ALL!!!
I just sent a letter to the editor of the Heraldstandard.com complaining about he pro Hezbollah article. We need to respond to every one of these articles that are sympathetic to the enemies we fact.
The half-assed response by Israeli leadership the form of Olmert, will prove as single-cycle deal.
Forget the Kayushas, the poker table stakes are now bumped up to thermonuclear, even the always slow to respond Krauthammer has recognized that. It is time for glass (thermonuclear + sand = glass). You can dick around with these Moslems only so long, and then it is time. The time is upon us.
"I've been living in Istanbul for five years...openly as a Christian and American. No problems yet..."
-- from a posting above
The poster is not taking in the real situation. If Turkey permits him to live "openly as a Chrisian and American" that does not mean much about Islam. For Turkey is the one Muslim country that experienced, ever since 1924, the effects of a systematic and even ruthless attempt by Kemal Ataturk to constrain the political and social power of Islam. If there is a large class of secular Turks, that is due to Kemalism. If there are women who dress like Western women, who work in all kinds of jobs, who have the freedoms of Western women, that has nothing to do with Islam but is rather the result of constrains put on Islam, is despite Islam. If about one-quarter of the Turksih population, not all but almost all of it to be found in Istanbul (go out into the countryside, travel around Turkey) and in Ankara, and in a handful of places full of Western tourists and catering to their trade, can be said to be "secularist" after 80 years of every conceivable act undertaken to constrain Islam, yet Islam is always and everywhere pushing back, always and everywhere a persistent threat to Kemalism (read about the threats to Turkish secularists in the universities and the alarm expressed by some rectors at well-known centers of secularism), then the problem in Turkey remains, and will remain, Islam.
You write, somewhat solipsisitcally of your own freedom to be openly (good god, you are certainly grateful for small things) as a "Christian" and an "American." Well, ask your most advanced and tolerant Turkish friends if the Turkish government might at long last allow the Hagia Sophia to be re-used as a site for Christian religious ceremonies. That is the kind of question that any Westerner would naturally, in his innocence, ask. And we of course cannot conceive of why that should not be possible, given that back in the early 1930s Ataturk managed to stop having the Hagia Sophia used as a mosque, as it had been since the conquest of Constantinople in 1453, and a scene of Muslim triumphalism (crosses ripped off walls, vandalism everywhre) even today (with that the Green Banner of Islam waving its Qur'anic declaration so that no one gets the wrong idea). They will look at you as if you are crazy.
And talk, not "openly" but secretly, with Christians who remain, the 1% of the population that is all that is left of the lively Christian population of Turkey, a city which in 1914 had a population in Constantinople that was 50% non-Muslim. Where did they all go? And why? What happened to all those Armenians, those Greeks, those Jews?
And when you talk about practicing your faith "openly" and in the same breath, of your being "openly" an American, are you talking about Taksim, and Istiqlal Caddesi, and a few other parts of Istanbul, or all of Istanbul, all of its quarters, including the heavily Islamic ones, and are you talking about the rest of Turkey? Have you not noticed more hijabs in evidence? Not noticed that box-office success that depicted American soldiers in Iraq as "Nazis" and a "Jewish-American" doctor as a Mengele-like harvester of organs for resale, from prisoners "murdered" at Abu Ghraib? Did you notice when a leading Turkish parliamentarian described American soldiers as "worse than Nazis"? What about that best-seller in Turkey, "Mein Kampf"? Do you read and speak Turkish? (The Tomer schools are ready to receive you). On what basis do you conclude that Turks themselves can openly practice Christainity?
I can't forget the look of worry in the eyes of two Turkish government workers, who spoke to me in lowered voices, as they confided that they were "Jehovah's Witnesses" and had come from a meeting, and looked around to make sure that no other Turks could be listening in. Their fear was no different from that I observed years before, when visiting the then Soviet Union, among those trying to talk to a friendly foreigner.
Of course you can live "openly" -- in some places --as a "Christian and American." The reason you can live, without any problem as a "Christian" is becuase you are an "American." And the same of course is true for those who are "Jewish" and "American" and who in some quasi-official capacity can, for a specific purpose, be tolerated -- just for that purpose --in Muslim countries: not because there is real toleration of Jews, but because they are "Americans" and that changes everything. Mike Wallace can interview Ahmadinejad without worry in Iran; Henry Kissinger can travel to Saudi Arabia; Paul Wolfowitz can be the American Ambassador to Indonesia or Dan Kurtzer to Egypt. But do you think that if they were not Americans, and powerful members of the media or of the American government, they would be tolerated for one minute? Of course you don't.
Do you think Christian missionaries have full freedom in Turkey, do you think, despite the laws, that citizens of Turkey would feel completely free to leave Islam and become Christians without fear of social ostracism, loss of jobs, and so on? Do you?
Look more closely beneath the surface of Turkish life, and spend time, say, in one of the vast markets, where you may still find an Armenian silversmith or two, and in those cafes and bookstores along Istiqlal Caddesi, and find out more about the problems of being "openly" a Christian, if one doesn't have that blue passport of the United States of America in one's breast pocket, or safe-deposit box back at the hotel or apartment. And ask yourself again: how did Constantinople, which in 1914 had a population that was 50% non-Muslim, now have, as Istanbul, a population less than 1% Muslim.
And the situation is still worse outside Istanbul, where there are practically no non-Muslism to be found. Why? What happened?
I was on the train yesterday, and this thought entered my head "We have a pick and mix approach to fighting Islamic terrorism". Why on earth is it right for us to try to destroy the likes of Al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan, but wrong for Israel to try to destroy the likes of Hizbollah, Hamas etc. This approach to seeing some Islamic terror outfits as ripe for destruction and others right for keeping virtually intact is a half-cocked, woolly-headed way of fighting terrorists. It is an incoherent strategy which will never result in ending the scourge of Islamic terrorism. We are fighting this war facing both directions at the same time - therefore there is no focus whatsoever, and it will give Islamists the feeling that we are in disarray. The fact is - ALL Islamic terror outfits need destroying worldwide. None must be left intact.
I was on the train yesterday, and this thought entered my head "We have a pick and mix approach to fighting Islamic terrorism". Why on earth is it right for us to try to destroy the likes of Al Qaeda in Iraq and Afghanistan, but wrong for Israel to try to destroy the likes of Hizbollah, Hamas etc. This approach to seeing some Islamic terror outfits as ripe for destruction and others right for keeping virtually intact is a half-cocked, woolly-headed way of fighting terrorists. It is an incoherent strategy which will never result in ending the scourge of Islamic terrorism. We are fighting this war facing both directions at the same time - therefore there is no focus whatsoever, and it will give Islamists the feeling that we are in disarray. The fact is - ALL Islamic terror outfits need destroying worldwide. None must be left intact.