Reminds me of chapter 8, verse 12 in the Koran:

I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore strike off their heads and strike off every fingertip of them.

Posted by: Medical-Transcriptionist at July 3, 2004 5:06 PM

While this event is as horrific as those that preceeded it, I wish that we knew more about the mysterious circumstances of his disappearance. The military is not commenting on their investigation of these circumstances, but I've heard reported that he was AWOL and may have left the base to go to Lebanon to meet up with his father at the family home there. The circumstances are certainly suspicious; I'm not sure how they could have "lured" him off base.

I almost hate to say it (not really) but I question the ultimate loyalty of any muslim in the Armed Forces. It will be interesting to see where the investigation leads.

A more interesting question is, how will this event make American muslims feel? Obviously, being muslim is no innoculation against violence being directed at them by their own kind. Will simply living in the U.S. qualify them for beheading? Do they have to somehow prove that they are members of the "vast muslim conspiracy" to establish the worldwide caliphate in order to escape the murderous intentions of their brethren - or does it even matter?

Posted by: CGW at July 3, 2004 5:24 PM

It is impossible for a faithful muslim to be a loyal American. The demands of the Qur’an and the Constitution are contra posed.

To maintain allegiance to Allah, the faithful are mandated to subvert the US Constitution and destroy our polity. Sharia up-ends essentially all American law.

To loyally follow our laws, a muslim must apostatize. There is no other way.

Islam does not tolerate revising the Qur’an, period. Islam is so ethnocentric that the Qur’an is not deemed so once it is translated from arabic.

It is a fact that the overwhelming body of Islamic troops are Wahhabis. The KSA has funded a massive expansion of such mosques, worldwide.

The KSA funded a Wahhabi mosque in Fallujah after Gulf War I. The War against Wahhabism has already begun.

So, what we have are Wahhabi-Islamic soldiers in US Army battledress being commanded to fight against their very own sub-sect.

It is but a nudge to move a devout Wahhabi into fanatic Islamism.

Posted by: blert at July 3, 2004 6:00 PM

I'm far from ready to suspect every Muslim in America of disloyalty--even those who don't support Bush (lots of other immigrant communities split between the two parties, too). The Lackawanna Five wouldn't have been captured had not some of the local Yemeni immigrant community not gone to the authorities. A plot against the NY subway system was foiled because a newly landed Jordanian immigrant who barely spoke English went into the street and flagged a police car. Afghan-Americans are prominent in their absence from the ranks of of people arrested on terror-related charges.

Where does the figure of eight million American Muslims come from? The US census doesn't ask about religion. Is the figure an extrapolation from immigration and ancestry from Muslim-majority countries? Claims by mosques?

As for the latter, the Roman Catholic church claims a large constituency because it listed everyone baptised as a Catholic as a member--even if he grew up to become a Communist or, like one fine man under whose ministry I sat, a Presbyterian minister. Indeed, I've been in Protestant churches where half of the adults were born into the Roman Catholic church. A lot of the bitter, militantly godless lefties I know also grew up RC. Similarly, there is an attrition of Muslims into secularism or other traditional religions (e.g., Christianity, Zoroastrianism), too. My guess that in some communities, especially the Iranian-American community, there are lots of people who while Muslim, may take a very jaundiced view of radical Islamicist politics (ever notice how many fiercely anti-Communist Polish-, Baltic-, Hungarian-, Russian-, Chinese-, and Khmer-Americans there used to be back in Cold War days?).

As for ancestry, the bulk of Arab-Americans are Eastern Orthodox and Uniate Roman Catholics (like Maronites, Chaldaeans, and Melkites), not Muslims--which reflects the importance of the fertile crescent and Levant areas (rather than Peninsular Arabia and the Maghreb)as sources of Arab immigration to America. Much immigration from Iran and Turkey was and is made up of ethnic Armenians, Assyrians, Jews, and other historically non-Muslim minorities.

Finally, while I have a low opinion of the multiculties and immoderate left, I have a lot of faith in America's (and Canada's) continued ability to absorb and transform.

Your grandkids will be swarthy Evangelicals!

Posted by: Kepha1 at July 4, 2004 3:10 AM

I heard a Marine spokesman last evening say that this story was unconfirmed, and the military was proceeding under the assumption that Hassoun was still alive.

Posted by: jawa at July 4, 2004 9:05 AM

The haji's worst nightmare is the H2 economy. Even a 5% reduction in petrol use here sends the Gulf economy into a swoon.

The Chinese economy is creating the giant sucking sound you hear re the high demand and prices for oil. It will eventually be their own undoing as they will not have the demographics to support a mfg economy in 20 years and they will be hopelessly grounded in the old petrol economy.

For more info as to why the ME and Chinese economies are doomed, read, "The Support Economy" by Maxnim and Zuboff. The ragheads will be returning to the sand soon.

Posted by: Killshot at July 4, 2004 10:14 AM

Btw, I received an email from my son, a Marine in Fallujah. This is being circulated amon the Marines and their families. Remember, that they are trained to avoid being demonstrative about revenge and other such Islamic tendencies:

(This is an open letter to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, "Islamic Response," and the rest of the so-called al-Qa'ida "insurgents" in Iraq and elsewhere. We don't have an e-mail address for these swine -- though we are closing in on their snail-mail address, but we are forwarding this letter to Federalist Patriots around the world in the hope you good people will forward it to as many other Patriots as possible to rally prayer and support for our fellow Marine, Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun. Should these al-Qa'ida pigs spill his blood, we want them to rest assured that the contents of this letter will eventually be nailed to their foreheads. Thank you for your assistance.)

To al-Qa'ida terrorists in Iraq:

I see that you have captured a U.S. Marine, and that you plan to cut off his head if your demands are not met. Big mistake. Before you carry out your threat I suggest you read up on Marine Corps history. The Japanese tried the same thing on Makin Island and in a few other places during World War Two, and came to regret it. Go ahead and read about what then happened to the mighty Imperial Army on Tarawa, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. They paid full price for what they did, and you will too.

You look at America and you see a soft target, and to a large extent you are right. Our country is filled with a lot of spoiled children who drive BMWs, sip decaf lattes and watch ridiculous

reality TV shows. They are for the most part decent, hard working citizens, but they are soft. When you cut off Nick Berg's head those people gasped, and you got the media coverage you sought, and then those people went back to their lives. This time it is different. We also have a warrior culture in this country, and they are called Marines. It is a brotherhood forged in the

fire of many wars, and the bond between us is stronger than blood. While it is true that this country has produced nitwits like John Kerry, Michael Moore, Howard Dean and Jane Fonda who

can be easily manipulated by your gruesome tactics, we have also produced men like Jason Dunham, Brian Chontosh and Joseph Perez. If you don't recognize those names you should. They are all Marines who distinguished themselves fighting to liberate Iraq, and there will be many more just like them coming for you.

Before the current politically correct climate enveloped our culture one of the recruiting slogans of our band of brothers was "The Marine Corps Builds Men." You will soon find out just how

true that is. You, on the other hand, are nothing but a bunch of women. If you were men you would show your faces, and take us on in a fair fight. Instead, you are cowards who hide behind masks

and decapitate helpless victims. If you truly represented the interest of the Iraqi people you would not be ambushing those who come to your country to repair your power plants, or sabotage the oil pipelines which fuel the Iraqi economy.

Your agenda is hate, plain and simple. When you raise that sword over your head I want you to remember one thing. Corporal Wassef Ali Hassoun is not alone as he kneels before you. Every Marine who has ever worn the uniform is there

with him, and when you strike him you are striking all of us. If you think the Marines were tough on you when they were cleaning out Fallujah a few weeks ago you haven't seen anything yet. If you want to know what it feels like to have the Wrath of God called down upon you then go ahead and do it. We are not Turkish truck drivers, or Pakistani laborers, or independent contractors hoping to find work in your country. We are the United States Marines, and we will be coming for you.

Posted by: Killshot at July 4, 2004 10:17 AM

The only quibble I have with the letter is the comparison of the cowards to "a bunch of women". Although I realize that that was thrown in to insult and humiliate, it is a HUGE insult to women, who can fight every bit as bravely for their freedom and their country as men can. There are women in the Marine Corps. (Perhaps the reference was to muslim women. I would hope so.)

Don't underestimate the resolve and the ferocity of the American Woman when her way of life is threatened. I know some who seem gentle and peaceable on the outside who would "push the button" on islam right now in order to save the rest of the world from its evil.

Posted by: CGW at July 4, 2004 11:05 AM

great letter, killshot. it was also circulated in the past few days by the federalist -- largest circulation for online newsletter.

Posted by: ted at July 4, 2004 4:11 PM

additionally, c.g.w., i quite agree with your sentiment. however, as the son of a former marine (we've had several marines in my extended family as well) i happen to know that the marines have a different take on the whole men & women in uniform business. female marines are completely separate from the men. the women like it better this way, as do the men. so, in the end, it is a very masculine challenge from american men to the enemy -- who by the way treats their women horribly to the point of inhumanity. (how's that for apologetics?)

Posted by: ted at July 4, 2004 4:15 PM

ted:

While I don't disagree with anything you say, I still resent the insult to women comparing them to MUSLIMS! Surely there was a better choice of words.

Posted by: CGW at July 4, 2004 5:35 PM

They should be compared to cowards - for they use women and children as shields.

Posted by: onesandzeroes at July 5, 2004 6:12 AM

test

Posted by: coombs at July 5, 2004 5:00 PM