Hoping President Obama might let him keep his job, Gates toes the PC line and opts to ignore the one single explanation of their own motives and goals that the terrorists have offered to us.
"As Obama era looms, Gates drops 'Islamist' from characterization of terrorism," from the World Tribune, October 24 (thanks to Rosanne):
Defense Secretary Robert Gates last week referred to Islamist terrorism by the politically-correct term “violent extremism” during a speech to the U.S. Institute of Peace. The use of the non-Islamist terminology highlights the ongoing debate in government over the use of terms like jihad and Islamic extremism in public discussions of terrorism.Gates said Oct. 15 that “in violent extremism, we face an adversary today that seeks to eject all Westerners and Western influence from the Middle East and Southwest Asia, to destroy Israel and overthrow all secular and Western-oriented governments in the region.”
In a second reference, he said “the long reach of violent extremism emanating from failed and failing states, from ungoverned spaces brought terror to America's shores and subsequently brought America and our allies to Afghanistan.”
The State Department and Department of Homeland Security recently issued guidelines for U.S. government officials that said American Muslim groups had recommended not using “jihad” or Islamic extremism in labeling Muslim extremist violence in order not to offend Muslims.
A U.S. Central Command Red Team of experts however, stated in a recent report that honest reports require labeling the terrorists as Islamic and jihadist since the roots of the violence lie in Islamic law. The controversial report called for “freedom of speech in jihad analysis” and sought to debunk the State and DHS reports claiming that the use of Islamic terms in describing terrorists was offensive speech and was opposed by some U.S. Muslim groups.
Several Democrats in recent weeks have said Gates should stay on if Barack Obama wins the presidential election, an appeal that has not been rejected by Gates, according to a Pentagon spokesman.
Just like associating the art that is on display from India at the Smithsonian and making it seem as though the beauty of it is inspired by Islam. When clearly it is Hindu art with all the themes of Hindu philosophy and Hindu deities. It amazes me the ignorance that is still around and people buy into what some Mohammedan says and misinformation that clearly does great damage.
So shameful that after 9/11, Americans can't say the word "Islam." Shame, shame, America. Oh, and btw, "Islam Islam Islam" and "Islamic Terrorism" and "Jihad" as well.
Here is that Red Team report from August 21,2008 in PDF Form entitled:
UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND RED TEAM
Freedom of Speech in jihad Analysis: Debunking the Myth of Offensive Words
http://video1.washingtontimes.com/video/RedTeamReport.pdf
"I find unendurable the sense of our country falling into the power, into the orbit and influence of Nazi Germany, and of our existence becoming dependent upon their good will or pleasure."
-- Winston Churchill, in a speech to Parliament after the Munich capitulation in 1938
Equally as unendurable is the sense of our own country falling into the power of the world of Islam. When our leaders feel they cannot even speak the plain truth about this malign creed, the situation is most dire -- and it is in imminent danger of becoming very much more so.
So shameful that after 9/11, Americans can't say the word "Islam." Shame, shame, America.
Posted by: darcy at October 25, 2008 10:13 AM
Leader of the free world spat on America's face, without wasting any time:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/09/20010917-11.html
.....and Americans lapped it up like chocolate.
Maybe we should call it The Terrorism That Must Not Be Named
Gates is loved by the 'inside-the-beltway' crowd, who see him as the picture of moderation after the wild-eyed ambitions of Rumsfeld.
In my mind, Robert Gates is a competent bureaucrat, no more, no less. He can obviously detect the prevailing political winds. This is just a whiff of the coming PC motif of the Obama Administration.
Can you imagine its effect not just on government (where it's already bad), but on an obsequious, infatuated media, again, already so predisposed to such PC self-censorship.
I think that after he destroys talk radio through the Fairness Doctrine, Obama will set his sights on the Net, turning it over to the UN and allowing UN functionaries to regulate it, including determining what is hate-speech and what isn't. We all know the wonderful record of the UN Human Rights Commission.
God help us.
Another pathetic bootlicker and pencil-pusher. His job is all he's got to hold on to and for that he sells his sorry arse.
Spit!
Gates is exactly the class of deadwood that Palin wants to kick out of the Beltway. Washington is full of these incompetents. I still have hope she will have the opportunity.
Europe is succumbing to Russian as well as Islamic pressure. Its peoples no longer have the stomach to defend themselves. The Russians and Islamists will eat the Euro bones and then divide the spoils; after that they will fight each other.
Gates and others of his ilk - Powell, Baker, Albright, etc., should never be allowed near the levers of power again. But you cannot get competent people there with a POTUS that does not understand the threats. Clearly Osama (and Gates) do not.