| FrontPageMag.com | By Robert Spencer | By Hugh Fitzgerald | Books | Dhimmi Watch | Islam 101 | Qur'an Blog | Raymond Ibrahim | Robert Spencer |  |
|
|
|||||||||||
|
|
An encouraging article from Paul Sperry in FrontPage: "The Pentagon Breaks the Islam Taboo":
Washington's policy-makers have been careful in the war on terror to distinguish between Islam and the terrorists. The distinction has rankled conservatives who see scarce difference.A little-noticed speech by President Bush in October gave them some hope. In a major rhetorical shift, he described the enemy as "Islamic radicals" and not just "terrorists," although he still denies that radicalism has anything to do with their religion.
Now for the first time, a key Pentagon intelligence agency involved in homeland security is delving into Islam's holy texts to answer whether Islam is being radicalized by the terrorists or is already radical. Military brass want a better understanding of what's motivating the insurgents in Iraq and the terrorists around the globe, including those inside America who may be preparing to strike domestic military bases. The enemy appears indefatigable, even more active now than before 9/11.
Are the terrorists really driven by self-serving politics and personal demons? Or are they driven by religion? And if it's religion, are they following a manual of war contained in their scripture?
Answers are hard to come by.
Maybe they are in the Pentagon, but all they have to do is pick up one of my books or tune in to this site...
Four years into the war on terror, U.S. intelligence officials tell me there are no baseline studies of the Muslim prophet Muhammad or his ideological or military doctrine found at either the CIA or Defense Intelligence Agency, or even the war colleges.
Appalling. I am considering, as my next project, writing a biography of Muhammad myself. (What do you think of that idea?) Perhaps I will do so and send a few copies over to the Pentagon brass.
But that is slowly starting to change as the Pentagon develops a new strategy to deal with the threat from Islamic terrorists through its little-known intelligence agency called the Counterintelligence Field Activity or CIFA, which staffs hundreds of investigators and analysts to help coordinate Pentagon security efforts at home and abroad. CIFA also supports Northern Command in Colorado, which was established after 9/11 to help military forces react to terrorist threats in the continental United States.
Dealing with the threat on a tactical and operational level through counterstrikes and capture has proven only marginally successful. Now military leaders want to combat it from a strategic standpoint, using informational warfare, among other things. A critical part of that strategy involves studying Islam, including the Quran and the hadiths, or traditions of Muhammad."Today we are confronted with a stateless threat that does not have at the strategic level targetable entities: no capitals, no economic base, no military formations or installations," states a new Pentagon briefing paper I've obtained. "Yet political Islam wages an ideological battle against the non-Islamic world at the tactical, operational and strategic level. The West's response is focused at the tactical and operation level, leaving the strategic level -- Islam -- unaddressed."
Unaddressed there. Addressed amply here.
So far the conclusions of intelligence analysts assigned to the project, who include both private contractors and career military officials, contradict the commonly held notion that Islam is a peaceful religion hijacked or distorted by terrorists. They've found that the terrorists for the most part are following a war-fighting doctrine articulated through Muhammad in the Quran, elaborated on in the hadiths, codified in Islamic or sharia law, and reinforced by recent interpretations or fatwahs.
Stop the presses!
"Islam is an ideological engine of war (Jihad)," concludes the sensitive Pentagon briefing paper. And "no one is looking for its off switch."Why? One major reason, the briefing states, is government-wide "indecision [over] whether Islam is radical or being radicalized."
So, which is it? "Strategic themes suggest Islam is radical by nature," according to the briefing, which goes on to cite the 26 chapters of the Quran dealing with violent jihad and the examples of the Muslim prophet, who it says sponsored "terror and slaughter" against unbelievers.
Amazing that they are just starting to notice this.
"Muhammad's behaviors today would be defined as radical," the defense document says, and Muslims today are commanded by their "militant" holy book to follow his example. It adds: Western leaders can no longer afford to overlook the "cult characteristics of Islam."It also ties Muslim charity to war. Zakat, the alms-giving pillar of Islam, is described in the briefing as "an asymmetrical war-fighting funding mechanism." Which in English translates to: combat support under the guise of tithing. Of the eight obligatory categories of disbursement of Muslim charitable donations, it notes that two are for funding jihad, or holy war. Indeed, authorities have traced millions of dollars received by major jihadi terror groups like Hamas and al-Qaida back to Saudi and other foreign Isamic charities and also U.S. Muslim charities, such as the Holy Land Foundation.
According to the Quran, jihad is not something a Muslim can opt out of. It demands able-bodied believers join the fight. Those unable -- women and the elderly -- are not exempt; they must give "asylum and aid" (Surah 8:74) to those who do fight the unbelievers in the cause of Allah.
In analyzing the threat on the domestic front, the Pentagon briefing draws perhaps its most disturbing conclusions. It argues the U.S. has not suffered from scattered insurgent attacks -- as opposed to the concentrated and catastrophic attack by al-Qaida on 9-11 -- in large part because it has a relatively small Muslim population. But that could change as the Muslim minority grows and gains more influence.
The internal document explains that Islam divides offensive jihad into a "three-phase attack strategy" for gaining control of lands for Allah. The first phase is the "Meccan," or weakened, period, whereby a small Muslim minority asserts itself through largely peaceful and political measures involving Islamic NGOs -- such as the Islamic Society of North America, which investigators say has its roots in the militant Muslim Brotherhood, and Muslim pressure groups, such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations, whose leaders are on record expressing their desire to Islamize America.
In the second "preparation" phase, a "reasonably influential" Muslim minority starts to turn more militant. The briefing uses Britain and the Netherlands as examples.
And in the final jihad period, or "Medina Stage," a large minority uses its strength of numbers and power to rise up against the majority, as Muslim youth recently demonstrated in terrorizing France, the Pentagon paper notes.
It also notes that unlike Judaism and Christianity, Islam advocates expansion by force. The final command of jihad, as revealed to Muhammad in the Quran, is to conquer the world in the name of Islam. The defense briefing adds that Islam is also unique in classifying unbelievers as "standing enemies against whom it is legitimate to wage war."
Right now political leaders don't understand the true nature of the threat,\ it says, because the intelligence community has yet to educate them. They still think Muslim terrorists, even suicide bombers, are mindless "criminals" motivated by "hatred of our freedoms," rather than religious zealots motivated by their faith. And as a result, we have no real strategic plan for winning a war against jihadists.
Even many intelligence analysts and investigators working in the field with the Joint Terrorism Task Forces have a shallow understanding of Islam.
"I don't like to criticize our intelligence services, because we did win the Cold War," says a Northern Command intelligence official. "However, all of these organizations have made only limited progress adjusting to the current threat or the sharing of information."
Why? "All suffer heavily from political correctness," he explains.
PC still infects the Pentagon, four years after jihadists hit the nation's military headquarters.
"A lot of folks here have a very pedestrian understanding of Islam and the Islamic threat," a Pentagon intelligence analyst working on the project told me. "We're getting Islam 101, and we need Islam 404."
Call me, fellows. I'd be glad to help.
The hardest part of formulating a strategic response to the threat is defining Islam as a political and military enemy. Once that psychological barrier has been crossed, defense sources tell me, the development of countermeasures -- such as educating the public about the militant nature of Islam and exploiting "critical vulnerabilities" or rifts within the Muslim faith and community -- can begin."Most Americans don't realize we are in a war of survival -- a war that is going to continue for decades," the Northcom official warns.
It remains to be seen, however, whether our PC-addled political leaders would ever adopt such controversial measures.
I will not be waiting by the phone.
Posted by Robert at December 14, 2005 8:12 AM
Print this entry
| Email this entry
| Digg this
| del.icio.us
Mr. Spencer: I often wonder, when I post links here to articles like that one, if I should not wait until you have analyzed it yourself. In this case I chose to wait...
Do I have a bias one way or the other? Yes. But I believe there are very good reasons for it.
I think a book on Mohammed would have to be the Most extensive bit of research you would ever end up doing- every source will have to be well neigh unassailable by islamic apologists.
Posted by: Gary![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.jihadwatch.org/nav-commenters.gif)
at December 14, 2005 8:24 AM
I'm sure CAIR will mobilize to squash this document. It is disturbing to realize how little understanding our leaders have of Islam.
Of course this is no surprise. If they did, we would have banned Muslim immigration years ago. We would have banned the buying of our university middle east nations by the Saudis.
At least finally we have moved off the start line, although 4 years late.
It also reflects the government's ignoring the first rule of war: know your enemy.
Posted by: John Sobieski at December 14, 2005 8:25 AM
This is surely encouraging to read about the Pentagon. this also gave me an idea, some of us might have friends, family, etc in the military, government, or know of good connections to pass along this website and Robert Spencer's book. you never just know how fluid this information can stream into the Pentagon.
Posted by: Lulu at December 14, 2005 8:30 AM
Okay, so write the book already, Mr. S. ;-) It will, no doubt, be another excellent one but will it be out in time to help us? I would suggest you dedicate it to the Pentagon and our lackidasical, still pro-Arab State Department and send copies to them and to all branches of our armed forces to serve as their personal manual. And drop copies of it from airplanes as leaflets are done to those cloistered (of mind) entities that maintain Islam is the ROP and the "radicals" mean no real harm. Impossible task, I know.
Posted by: bj at December 14, 2005 8:42 AM
Mr. S., Check out Fjordman, collaborate, please. He's focused in the same direction as you on this topic:
http://fjordman.blogspot.com/2005/12/online-workshop-part-3-what-are-islams.html
Posted by: bj at December 14, 2005 8:51 AM
Another way to help is to donate Spencer's books, as well as those of Bat Ye'or, Serge Trifkovic, Daniel Pipes, and Bernard Lewis, to ROTC offices at nearby universities. Most have an in-house library separate from the university's collection, and they would welcome a friendly face and a gift. Many of the cadre have spent time in Iraq and can't tell what, exactly, is so peaceful about Islam; and the cadets *thirst* for real information, since a university campus is the last place you'll find any on this subject. Over the long-term, a strategic plan will be much easier to implement if rising young officers already "get it."
Posted by: bullpup at December 14, 2005 8:53 AM
Oh happy day!!!! Check out: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/ca6ec07c-6b65-11da-8aee-0000779e2340.html
"A court in Italy has ordered the freezing of an Iranian government account held in a Rome bank in what lawyers say represents an unprecedented legal victory for three US families seeking compensation from Iran for its alleged support of Palestinian suicide bombings that killed their relatives."
Slowly the wheels of justice may turn. Would that more did the same and faster. To quote Dave Barry, "Sleep faster, we need the pillow".
Posted by: bj at December 14, 2005 8:58 AM
A hint of enlightenment, but note the continued blind spot:
"Today we are confronted with a stateless threat that does not have at the strategic level targetable entities: no capitals, no economic base, no military formations or installations"
The inability (or willful blindness) to recognise that there is indeed a state behind this threat -- with a capital, an economic base, and military installations -- is prolonging and exacerbating this war. This is where leadership and integrity -- tragically lacking at this point -- must rise again if we are to prevail.
at December 14, 2005 9:01 AM
"Now for the first time, a key Pentagon intelligence agency involved in homeland security is delving into Islam's holy texts to answer whether Islam is being radicalized by the terrorists or is already radical."
At long last!
Of course, the material has been available for some time. Still, an encouraging bit of information here.
Yes, expect CAIR to swing into action. But CAIR is losing credibility with some Americans, particularly since the firing of Michael Graham.
And the Guide is selling well and circulating in the library systems.
Posted by: WatchfulEye at December 14, 2005 9:14 AM
I guess if we are to believe that this is the first effort of an intelligence agency to sit down and begin to understand the militant tenants of Islam, I have to say that I would feel extremely disappointed in our federal agencies if they had not been doing this all along.
With thousands of military planners, and experts operating both in the pentagon, and the CIA I have to believe there is more studying going on then is made public in regards to these tenants.
One of the basic principals of military planning is to "KNOW YOUR ENEMY AND KNOW HIM WELL" which is a quote that was attributed to General Douglas MacArthur, one of our greatest generals who also served as the commandant of West Point during his illustrious military career.
Posted by: Mackie at December 14, 2005 9:47 AM
Hey Robert,
If you write a book on Monammed be sure not to include any sketches or caricatures of him. Otherwise, you will be even a more of a "persona non grata" like the newsmedia in Denmark.
Il Toscano
Posted by: il toscano at December 14, 2005 9:50 AM
More than four years have passed since the attacks of 9/11/2001. Iraq has been invaded, and grand plans made for its future and for "re-doing" the Middle East as a way to "win the war on terror." And now we begin to get a hint of a glimmer that someone somewhere thinks that just possibly, finding out not only about the Qur'an, but also the Sira -- Muhammad the Model for All Mankind for All Time -- needs to be examined. (And one assumes the Hadith, as well, will be looked at, in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim).
How extraordinary that this event of essential education, at this point, should fill us with such hope. And how extraordinary that so many of those critical of the Administration have not once mentioned the need to find out what Islam is all about, or even hinted at it synecdochically, by saying something along the lines of "well, let's find out about where that doctrine of Jihad comes from" and what do those "Jihadis" (for the moment, that will have to do) plan for us, and how do they regard the rest of the world, and just how strong are they, anyway?" And then proceed from there.
"Onward Muslim Soldiers" and "The Politically Incorrect Guide" should be flying off bookstore shelves at Fort Jackson, Leavenworth, West Point, the Pentagon bookshelf. And so should "The Dimmi" and at a slightly less rapid clip, "Islam and Dhimmitude" and "The Decline of Eastern Christianity Under Islam" and "Eurabia."And as a sourcebook of essays by Western scholars of Islam whose work has been carefully covered over, omitted, ignored by the army of apologists for Islam who have come to dominate the academic study of Islam and all subjects in which Islam plays the explanatory role (such as the Lesser Jihad against Israel, carefully reconfigured, and presented, as the "Palestinian" demand for "national rights" etc.). "The Legacy of Jihad." And then there are all the books ("Why I Am Not a Muslim") and brilliant websites edited by defectors from Islam -- and it those defectors who need to be listened to, consulted, so that insight into how Muslims think, how and why even the so-called "moderates" cling to it, what avenues to sow demoralization, division, and above all doubt about this belief-system, can be most cleverly explored and exploited (and this requires the testimony not merely of ex-Muslims, but of ex-Muslims from different backgrounds: what might work among disaffected Iranians might not be the right thing for Berbers, or Pakistanis in the West, and the Arabs are a special matter).
The Pentagon may not be fully aware of how the academic teaching of Islam, and of subjects related to Islam, has been so thoroughly taken over by apologists, both Muslim and non-Muslim. In the case of some (but not all) non-Muslim scholars, this simply reflects the power of Arab money. The other day the announcement of the tens of millions to be lavished on Esposito's "Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding" raised few eyebrows; the money spent on Georgetown "Centers" -- clearly intended to influence the "experts" available to "train" diplomats and others in the American government, and to offer up their "disinterested expertise" to lazy or naive journalists in the Washington press corps, explains why pride of place was given, in the spending order, to Georgetown. Whether or not Georgetown will continue to allow its name to be sullied by permitting Esposito to maintain his link, and his exploitation, of the "Georgetown" name, remains to be seen -- and perhaps James V. Schall and others at Georgetown can help out with a good pair of moral and intellectual glasses, fitted just right to correct any moral myopia on the part of Georgetown's Trustees and Admnisrators.
Harvard was another obvious beneficiary, for reasons of prestige, and it will be interested to see how that "disinterested" donation (with all those invisible strings, of remarkable tensile strength, attached to any Saudi "gift")is handled, and whether the Eck-Graham-Ahmad-Vogel-Mottahedeh school of semi-plausible apologetics prevails, or if Larry Summers watches the whole think like a hawk, and makes sure that those involved have not been, and will not be, part of the MESA Nostra School of Apologetics, Both Human and Divine.
Along with the right choice of texts -- and from Robert's efforts at mass divulgation, to Bat Ye'or's investigation of the treatment of Christians and Jews under Islam (and why stop there -- why not assign texts by K. S. Lal and other Indian historians on the subject of Muslim conquest and subjugation of Hindus in India?), to the texts so usefully brought together in Bostom's anthology, "The Legacy of Jihad" -- there is another matter.
The American government, together with other governments in the Western world, should be paying for, directly or indirectly (and there are all kinds of ways to do this) the translation of all of the books above, and another ten or twenty, into the major relevant languages. Surely there are those in the government who have the wit to see why "Eurabia," for example, needs to be translated not in a decade, not in five years, but right now, into the languages of Europe: French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Hungarian, Polish, Bulgarian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Russian, and whatever others I have overlooked. And come to think of it, so should all the other books mentioned here, whose authors may lack the connections and the resources to arrange this kind of thing themselves.
During the Cold War the C.I.A. spent tens or perhaps hundreds of billions of dollars. A very tiny amount went to support Encounter Magazine and the Congress for Cultural Freedom. An even smaller sum went into making available, to Soviet tourists, free editions of certain books that were either already in Russian ("Invitation to a Beheading"), or deliberately translated for that behind-the-Iron-Curtain audience into Russian ("Nineteen Eighty-Four," "The God That Failed").
Less "war" of the boots-on-the-ground type. More of the books-in-the-mind type.
And since clarity begins at home -- circualting these books up and down Capitol Hill, and shaming even journalists -- even Tom Friedman -- into actually reading and learning about Islam, before making self-assured pronouncements about everything under the sun -- would be welcome.
And a little tangible support for those engaged in what is essentially an effort at mass pedagogy about this most pressing matter, would also be welcome.
Posted by: Hugh at December 14, 2005 9:52 AM
This is quite possibly the best news to come along for the modern civilizations of the world and the West in a long, long time! At long last the Pentagon is waking up.
I’ve often wondered what’s taken so long. How has it been possible that this ideology has been in existence for generations upon generations, and yet no one on the American shores are even remotely aware of it’s presence or it’s future plans for the world? Amazing, really.
Of course, this report is a double-edged sword: simply by expressing that Islam itself is the root cause of the ‘radicals’ and, in the case of the Pentagon delving deeper into the Qur’an and exposing the religion as the cancer it truly is, will only serve to create more enemies who will want us dead and will bring more who wish to defend Islam. Simply by pointing to Islam as the threat that it is will make us an even bigger target and enemy against Islam.
But then again, what other choices do we have? None, really. We either acknowledge that Islam is a violent ideology under the guise of a religion or we simply put our heads back down in the sand and hope no one notices us. Meanwhile, we’ll continue to be a witness to the horrors being acted out in Islam’s name in countless other countries around the world with scattered outbursts here in the states, sure to grow in intensity and frequency.
The following quote:
"Today we are confronted with a stateless threat that does not have at the strategic level targetable entities: no capitals, no economic base, no military formations or installations,"
is only partially true. By naming Islam as the main threat, we can then name Islamic countries as those states and they, in turn, have many targetable entities …look at Iran, for example. The saber-rattling going on there with their continued calls for death to America combined their snubbing the international community in regards to nuclear fuel enrichment and being a hostile Islamic country should be reasons enough to attack them and demolish them.
This is the best news I’ve read in ages. Every day I’m confronted with bleak hopelessness when I read this site and see just how twisted and crazy the reality of this world is. Every day has been just a little bit darker than the previous one when I’m confronted with the evils being done in the name of religion, but this is definitely a nice wake-up call from the powers that be here in the states and, hopefully, they’ll not roll back over and take a nap again.
It may take awhile, but just the suggestion that Islam itself could be the enemy of the modern world and freedom-loving people everywhere gives me a slight ray of hope in these dark times.
at December 14, 2005 9:58 AM
Seems to me that tha Pentagon needs to read "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam". If anything, the Pentagon and the rest of this ccountry needs to wake up to the fact that there are very evil people that would nothing more than rid the world of the U.S. And would stop at nothing to reach that goal. Islam is more than a religion, it's a way of life. It guides these people. The koran itself is an order to war with nonbelievers. To win the world for Islam and Allah, their idol god. There is another book that helps to further explain true Islam and the prophet Muhammad, "the Islamic Invasion" by Robert Morrey. He goes into depth about Islam, the koran, the hadith, and the Prophet Muhammad. I recommand this book as well to any one wanting to understand the mental mindset of the Islamofeces and why radical Islam is true Islam.
Posted by: Ironman Hondo at December 14, 2005 9:59 AM
"Over the long-term, a strategic plan will be much easier to implement if rising young officers already 'get it.'"
-- from a posting above
Yes. But the Army cannot be separated from the political class, from diplomats, from the support of everyone else, which will require somethiing akin to mass education. And for that to occur in time (especially in Europe) there has to be huge support, either from the governemnt or more likely from foundations, if only to publish, translate, and diffuse material, pegged to every level of the various intended audiences.
Posted by: Hugh at December 14, 2005 10:03 AM
"I am considering, as my next project, writing a biography of Muhammad myself. (What do you think of that idea?)."
-- posted by Robert
For a long time I have feared that somebody would undertake Mohammed's biography. Once the editors get done with you, there will be so much Divide By Two conciliatory claptrap pasted to this monster that he will have been rehabilitated.
For example, will you have the balls to write at length about that fateful night when he first inserted his Johnson into the 9-year old girl? If you don't, then you'd be covering for ol' Mo.
PORK FOR MOSLEMS PORK FOR MOSLEMS PORK FOR MOSLEMS PORK FOR MOSLEMS
"In the war on Islam's terrorism the use of pigs blood has been mentioned as a weapon."
-- posted by seamystic
That's why I started my hog raising business. I'm aiming for Pentagon contracts.
In the novel Arabel, a CIA operative threatens to sew a Libyan smallpox maker's wife and child into a pig carcass where they would be left to die, their souls lost to Allah. He cracked.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 10:05 AM
Finally, the government is waking up and realizing who the real enemy is. Does this mean one day soon Bush will realize that his statement "Islam is a peaceful religion" is a joke?
As a member of the law enforcement community, I would like to see all cops and military read:
1. Politically Incorrect Guide/ Islam.
2. Holy War on Homefront (Kushner)
3. American Jihad (Emerson)
Can you say "required reading" ???
Posted by: Code4Code6 at December 14, 2005 10:09 AM
Might I suggest a military history of Mohammed, rather than a biography?
Perhaps in collaboration with Victor David Hanson?
Just thinking out loud here...
Posted by: Al Haganah at December 14, 2005 10:18 AM
"It argues the U.S. has not suffered from scattered insurgent attacks -- as opposed to the concentrated and catastrophic attack by al-Qaida on 9-11 -- in large part because it has a relatively small Muslim population. But that could change as the Muslim minority grows and gains more influence."
It must not be allowed to do so in the country. Period. Immigration must be stopped. Deportations, must be on the table, if necessary.
at December 14, 2005 10:27 AM
the best news I've heard in the last few years.
there are a few glimmers of hopes every now and then, the emperors nudity is getting harder and harder to hide..
But, this is by far the best news, if nothing else, then at least in that it shows that the military actually do understand that there is indeed "something rotten" in this whole picture..
more, more, more! now, now, now!
I'd say a complete roundup of all sheikhs, princes, mullahs, imams and members of any islamic organisation would make a good start.
Posted by: EuroDhimmi at December 14, 2005 10:27 AM
A few general answers about the Muhammad bio I am considering:
1. Of course I would base it exclusively on Islamic sources, and show that mainstream Muslims themselves use and value those sources. Most of this work I have done already; just haven't written it up.
2. I would not include any sketches of him but I would expect that such an effort would draw threats anyway, even if everything I said were extensively documented from Islamic sources (and it would be). I am not cowed by that. If our society is free, it is free; if we are silenced by threats, we are slaves. And I would rather that one of the threats be carried out than to live as a slave.
3. Although the phrasing of the question is needlessly crude, I will answer it: of course I would cover what the Muslim sources say about Muhammad's marriage to Aisha and other matters. Nor would any editor or publisher that I would care to work with remove such material. Have you found my other books to be politically correct and hesitant to touch on sensitive matters?
4. With all respect, I have no plans to collaborate with Victor Davis Hanson, and I am sure that he has no plans to collaborate with me.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at December 14, 2005 10:29 AM
This is a chance for young officers to gain insights their superiors never had. It a chance for young agents in the DOJ, too. Of course, State is a lost cause for now. (I used to have high hopes for Condi, but instead of cleaning out the cesspool, she has fallen in and become thoroughly mired in it. It will take a political "neutron bomb" at State to expose and jettison the hordes of paid arabists and the "multilaterists-at-all-cost".)
Still, this is the best news we've had in a long time.
Posted by: Infidel33 at December 14, 2005 10:36 AM
When US break relationship with the "saudi friend", I will believe
Posted by: Franze at December 14, 2005 10:42 AM
Long overdue! Someone woke-up at the Pentagon!
I believe those who have exposed Islam (first and foremost our esteemed host) are having an effect. Yes, I find it hard to believe that the Pentagon would have even considered the topic without the constant stream of books and articles from Robert Spencer.
Of course, there’s a long way to go.
Posted by: JasonP at December 14, 2005 10:42 AM
Mr. Spencer -
Please do write the Mohammed biography. It is greatly needed and you are the man to do it. God Bless You and your important work.
Posted by: karnage at December 14, 2005 10:45 AM
Mr. Spencer,
In regards your proposed book on Mohammed, I would recommend that you employ the poster here named "Archimedes" as an editor/researcher. He has shown, in dozens and dozens of posts here over the past few months, an amazing capacity for scrupulously marshalling citations from the Koran and Hadiths for all kinds of questions relating to Islam, including Mohammed.
Archimedes,
Re: the above, I'd suggest you contact Mr. Spencer.
Posted by: Dr. Pepper at December 14, 2005 10:48 AM
Robert, please do write the book. An army needs good information in order to wage an effective war.
Put me down for an advance copy.
Posted by: treehugger
at December 14, 2005 10:48 AM
"... Although the phrasing of the question is needlessly crude..."
-- posted by Robert
My question was not needlessly crude. It was *necessarily* crude because what I described in my question is exactly what happened.
The misplaced urge out of politesse to sugar-coat Mohammed and Moslems is one of the dozens of sources of power impelling Moslems' to their current unbroken winning streak.
SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS SAAS
"I have no plans to collaborate with Victor Davis Hanson."
-- posted by Robert
I'll second that emotion. I was driving cross country a few months back and caught Hugh Hewitt in an intense discussion with VDH on the source of resurgent antisemitism. Lotsa talk about modern Western European history, but not a peep about Mohammed or Moslems or oil money and the power it exerts.
All I could think of was if they could hear this what would the Jews of Yathrib think of this talk? I turned the radio off.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 10:49 AM
Thanks, Pep, but I actually have this material at hand.
All best
RS
at December 14, 2005 10:49 AM
APF:
I am not interested in sugarcoating but I am also not interested in adding an unnecessary emotionalistic and inflammatory cast to an already difficult subject.
In my work I try to let the facts speak for themselves.
Cordially
RS
at December 14, 2005 10:50 AM
Robert, I look forward to your book, and I will reprint the above article.
I make an effort to give away as many books as possible and to direct them to this website, to the TSO's that I work with.
Most have responded very well and now understand.
The most important struggle we under take, to protect our freedoms, is the war of information.
Let the truth ring true!
at December 14, 2005 11:07 AM
The men and women at the pentagon are charged with protecting the constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic and because they get the opportunity to see up close the price of that burden, they take it much more seriously than others , this is the first positive step towards saving the constitution in my life to the best of my recollection ,
I doubt that the president will be hauled of stage and shot next time he dares utter” Islam is a noble religion of peace that has been hijacked”, but I m fairly sure soon it will be some time be fore we hear that particular lie for some time .
at December 14, 2005 11:09 AM
Robert,
As much as I think a book of depictions and
caricatures of the pedophile prophet is necessary, your instincts are good; a biography
of the fiend is not the place for it.
Looking forward to it.
Glad about the news that the military is
looking into the Mein Kampf of this hate cult.
at December 14, 2005 11:17 AM
"In my work I try to let the facts speak for themselves."
-- posted by Robert
Well, good luck. Certainly, as a contributor I'm pulling for you all the way.
But, it is my feeling that all too often the facts of Islam do NOT speak for themselves. As you know, you are fighting the gravitional pull of Equivalence at every step.
For example, in a recent lunch with a friend (a columnist for a major American daily newspaper) he was amusing himself by beating me up about how wrong I am on Islam.
When I pointed to Mohammed's bloody resume, he countered that Arabs were warriors at that time and *of course* Mohammed did battle, just like the Catholics!
PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH PBUH
"I am also not interested in adding an unnecessary emotionalistic and inflammatory cast to an already difficult subject."
-- posted by Robert
The key word here is "unnecessary." The Moslems are all fired up world wide. Agitated and ready to go. For their part, the infidels are gray at the gills and half asleep.
Maybe we could use a little emotion on our side, to energize, at long last, a sustained resistance movement.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 11:18 AM
I think this is a very important strategic development for the US. Now if only the liberal sapheads in our US Congress will see the light that Islam is NOT a respectable religion of peace. The country as a whole needs to get real about the Koran & Islam, and about Muslims – especially Muslim immigration – in view of the three stage Muslim offensive described in the research.
Now that the formidable Robert Spencer is becoming much better known through his recent bestseller on Islam I think it behooves him to publish a life of Muhammad.
Maybe someday there will be open discussions on actually removing Islam from constitutional protection as a religion in the USA through a constitutional amendment – this can be done if enough of Americans realizes what the Pentagon is starting to realize: Islam itself is a major democracy undermining, terrorist inspiring and violently anti-American force.
at December 14, 2005 11:19 AM
Well, looks like militant muslim has been booted.
Too bad, in some way his nom de web kind of
proves the point!
at December 14, 2005 11:20 AM
American:
"Militant Muslim" was "Lord Lucan," (aka "Lord Byron" and "foxy"), a noxious racist, in disguise.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at December 14, 2005 11:22 AM
Militant Muslim:
Your comments where dishonest at best and Robert should rightfully remove them since you apparently do not pay that much attention to the comments that are posted here-- Please read the what is written below, because it is found on every article just before the comment section.
Comments
(Note: Comments on articles are unmoderated, and do not necessarily reflect the views of Jihad Watch or Robert Spencer. Comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying may be summarily deleted. However, the fact that particular comments remain on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Robert Spencer of the views expressed therein.)
at December 14, 2005 11:23 AM
Just out of curiosity, How many muslims are allowed in the US each year? Anyone know?
at December 14, 2005 11:28 AM
Robert:
If and when you write this bio on Mohammed, might you also spend time on his life before he went into the cave to listen to the Arch Angel Gabriel? After all he was already in his early forties before he began to formulate his new religion after spending years drawing from other religions as well as Arabian paganistic practices.
Posted by: Mackie at December 14, 2005 11:31 AM
I have said for some time now that the dark clouds of a great storm can be seen gathering. There's electricity in the air and its best that Muslims take shelter; for theirs shall be a terrible doom.
The sleeping giant may be slow to arouse, but once wakened the Muslim world will take great notice. Soon even Europe and England will be in the enemies camp. This war of ideologies is to the finish, for we have nowhere to go and few friends to support us.
I agree that this is good news, but without vigorous, vociferous support, this new "vision" could die an early death from PC (read Muslim) pressure.
The Pentagon has a lot of pretty smart people, most of whom are true patriots. Let their strength of conviction be heard across America. Believe me, they know Saudi Arabia is exporting terrorism and their hateful Whabanism (sp?)
I can hear CAIR now. What is encouraging is the simple fact that someone above the rank of lieutenant seems to be in the know.
Four years into this war and we are just now coming to know our enemy.
The next big step is to bring to light the depth of infiltration we have suffered. Purge the Muslim voice from our government and we stand a good chance saving Europe and most of all, Israel.
Posted by: a10billr at December 14, 2005 11:51 AM
Off subject, but fresh from the CAIR home page...
American Muslim News Briefs
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Australian Unrest Spreads to Other Cities
at December 14, 2005 11:53 AM
The West will wake up, eventually, to the Problem of Islam.
And the West will win.
The only question is, will the West do so before too many thousands, or hundreds of thousands, or even millions are mass-murdered, and maimed, and stricken with biological and/or chemical and/or radiation disease -- or only after such unnecessary tragedy?
The answer to that question depends on whether we can quarantine our rampant PC disease in time, so that our lions may be rampant again.
at December 14, 2005 12:02 PM
The president's October speech contained this now imfamous, exerpt driven assertion:
“Many Muslim scholars have already publicly condemned terrorism, often citing Chapter 5, Verse 32 of the Koran, which states that killing an innocent human being is like killing all humanity, and saving the life of one person is like saving all of humanity.”
In allowing him to make such a public claim, the president's staff failed him.
The same problems exist within DOD.
But there is hope, as the Frontpage article states, as does this:
Pace Seeks Ideas from Future Top Military Leaders
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today challenged military and civilian leaders being groomed for top leadership posts in the future to think outside the box in coming up with ideas to confront terrorism.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051201_3513.html
Here's a link to General Pace's office if you'd like to pique their interest with facts and unique points of view:
http://www.jcs.mil/jcs_comment.htm
at December 14, 2005 12:04 PM
I think the Quranic Concept of Power (War) by General Malik should be one of your sources for writing about Mo and his war against infidels.
I got if from the ILL. The General goes into great detail about all of the Prophet/Terrorist Mo's war campaign. But from a glory to Allah viewpoint of course.
In his Foreword, Zia wrote:
"I write these few lines to commend Brigadier Malik's book on 'The Koranic Concept of War' to both soldier and civilian alike. JEHAD FI-SABILILLAH is not the exclusive domain of the professional soldier, nor is it restricted to the application of military force alone."
"This book brings out with simplicity, clarity and precision the Koranic philosophy on the application of military force, within the context of the totality that is JEHAD. The professional soldier in a Muslim army, pursuing the goals of a Muslim state, CANNOT become 'professional' if in all his activities he does not take on 'the color of Allah'. The non-military citizen of a Muslim state must, likewise, be aware of the kind of soldier that his country must produce and the ONLY pattern of war that his country's armed forces may wage."
"I have read this book with great interest and believe that it has a useful contribution to make toward this understanding that we jointly seek as citizens of an Islamic State, soldier or civilian. I pray and trust that this book will be read by many. For a task so sincerely undertaken and so devotedly executed, the author's reward is with his Lord."
Posted by: John Sobieski at December 14, 2005 12:07 PM
"The West will wake up, eventually, to the Problem of Islam. And the West will win."
-- posted by Dr. Pepper
So, Doc, wanna explain to me how we'll overcome what Mr. Fitzpatrick calls Demographic Jihad? Do you foresee a period of mass expulsion? If you don't, then IMNSHO you are probably dreaming...
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 12:19 PM
Pentagon waking up? I certainly hope so.
Wouldn't it be delicious to learn that President Bush finally cracked open his personal copy of the Koran and earmarked certain pages that dispute the image of Islam projected by Norquist et al?
Earlier this week there was an article in the Financial Times that makes me wonder if our leaders have decided to look beyond the 'CAIR'fully crafted headlines to read between the lines . . or perhaps even online at JW/DW.
Hugh, they might even be reading your insightful commentary on foreign aid . . .
Financial times - registration required
Financial Times - Dec 11 6:34 PM
Bush plans agency overhaul to impose more control on US foreign aid budget
"The Bush administration is drawing up plans to carry out the biggest overhaul of the US foreign aid apparatus in more than 40 years in an attempt to assert more political control over international assistance, according to officials and aid experts."Posted by: justamomof4
at December 14, 2005 12:28 PM
APF,
The West will eventually do whatever it takes, as it did during World War II.
Deportations, internments, arrests, mosque seizures & closures, severing ties with Islamic countries, waging non-PC attacks against different parts of the trans-national Umma that is by accident refracted into different nation-states; etc.
Again, the only question is whether we will have to suffer untold casualties before our victory, while we too slowly wake up and cast off our PC disease; or whether we can cure ourselves in time.
Either way we will win, though it would be nice to win without too many of our own dead, maimed and ill, and without too much of our infrastructure damaged.
Posted by: Dr. Pepper at December 14, 2005 12:38 PM
"PC still infects the Pentagon, four years after jihadists hit the nation's military headquarters."
This is why little or nothing will happen. The author will be labeled an islamophobic right wing christian apologist by the "powers that be". This struggle will take decades of education and deprogramming at all levels of govenment to succeed. The Western culture and way of thinking does not allow islam to be viewed for what it really is. Western Civilization persists in thinking of islam as a religion by the Western Civilization definition of religion. Until this paradigm is broken we are doomed to repeat the European model of "come let us reason together".
And we all know how great things are working out on Europe! NOT! Cut the PC crap and get down to business.
at December 14, 2005 12:42 PM
Sobieski, where is this book available?
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 12:46 PM
"the Quranic Concept of Power (War) by General Malik should be one of your sources for writing about Mo and his war against infidels."
-- from a posting above
Yes -- Malik's book should be distributed in the Pentagon, and in the State Department as well, especially to those working on whatever Pakistan or Bangladesh or Subcontinent Desk may exist.
at December 14, 2005 12:47 PM
Regrettably, it will take much more than some pentagon wonks to change public opinion that islam itself and not the radical version of islam is the threat. For we confront not only the religion of islam, but more importantly the quasi religion of multiculturism, which is deeply imbedded in our society. This will be the challange, and the multiculturists will not go softly in the night.
For if the multiculturists believe to the bottom of their generous hearts that all cultures are equal, that equality is sacrosanct, that criticism of minority religions amounts to bigotry, then how can they ever accept that islam is what we all know it is? Just as it is difficult to penetrate the religous mind of the muslim, it is also difficult to change the faith and belief system of the multiculturist.
I believe that it can only be done through political action when candidates with enough moxy confront the conventional wisdom.
Posted by: GFB at December 14, 2005 12:53 PM
From an above post by Mackie: "I guess if we are to believe that this is the first effort of an intelligence agency to sit down and begin to understand the militant tenants of Islam, I have to say that I would feel extremely disappointed in our federal agencies if they had not been doing this all along."
I concur wholeheartedly in your assessment! During the Cold War all of us in the military studied the Soviet Union down to the minutest detail. One wishes that the present administration would employ at least that much emphasis to the study of Islam and all of its components.
However, the knowledge of Islam by the military is not enough. The armed forces, by themselves, can do nothing until directed by the national command authority. It is the political establishment that must study, identify Islam as the problem to the people, and finally grow a backbone to implement a military solution.
Posted by: Caratacus at December 14, 2005 1:10 PM
This post made my day. I can breathe a bit easier knowing that at least some folks in our government aren't in complete denial.
Posted by: kamala at December 14, 2005 1:35 PM
OK, let's see how long this stays up: (Sorry RS, I just couldn't help myself :^D )
The Bet
Two families moved from Saudi Arabia to the USA.
When they arrived the two fathers made a bet - in a year's time whichever family had become
more American would win.
A year later they met again. The first man said,
"My son is playing baseball, I had McDonalds for breakfast and I'm on my way to pick up a case
of Bud.
How about you?"
The second man replied, "F*ck you, towel head."
at December 14, 2005 1:35 PM
I have a nephew in the Pentagon who spent time in Saudi Arabia. The weekly executions and maiming of "criminals" was a spectacle the general public was encouraged to see. His first hand accounts are chilling and revealing.
First he's a true patriot. Second he's the equivalent of a bird colonel. Third he received my daily missals on Islam until his Pentagon posting. He knows about Islam and has tried to enlighten others in the military.
Believe me when I say there's some pretty smart folks that inhabit the Pentagon.
Their job is to win, and they know it. They also know that you must know your enemy.
America has always been slow to get into gear, but once started it's a regular jaugernaut, so don't get in the way or you'll be run over.
Believe me, they're not all lace pantie types in the Pentagon. All is not lost, but the fight will be long and hard, with many casualies along the way.
That we will win is not in doubt, but the cost will be enormous.
at December 14, 2005 1:44 PM
"That we will win is not in doubt, but the cost will be enormous."
It will be less enormous if we can shake off our PC disease, which infects and dominates everywhere in our society, from the top down, and from the bottom up.
I'll repeat myself like Paul Revere. I don't care.
Posted by: Dr. Pepper at December 14, 2005 1:58 PM
Not only should the Pentagon Intelligence agency should be looking at the texts of the Koran, but so should intelligence agencies in all infidel countries threatened by Jihad. And it is not only the Koranic texts they should be reading very carefully with beady eyes, but the many hadiths and the Sira, plus the principles of abrogation, to get a full flavour of Islam, and they should also study its 1,400 year history, how 83 wars were fought between Islamists and their neighbours in a period of 154 years between 624 and 777 AD. They ought to observe carefully how non-Muslim populations have dropped like a stone in many countries in living memory - like Lebanon, 60% Christian in 1960, 27% Christian today, Sudan - over 50% non-Muslim in 1950, probably 90% Muslim today, and look at the cruel treatment non-Muslim minorities are subjected to in Islamic countries. And there is the small matter of 3,800 fatal terrorist attacks carried out by Islamists since 911, and they ought to look at those reports of Muslims dancing in the street following 911. Then they should get the message that islam is a religion of infidel-hating psycopaths.
Posted by: Spirit Of 1683 at December 14, 2005 2:23 PM
Dr. Pepper said "It will be less enormous if we can shake off our PC disease, which infects and dominates everywhere in our society, from the top down, and from the bottom up."
The Axis powers of WWII were a larger military power than the Islamic nations are today, and that war was over faster than the "war on terror" which is ongoing with no end in sight.
As Dr. P suggests, it is only by our own choice that we string this thing out. Let's just be honest about the situation, and get it over with.
As for the Pentagon finally reading the Qur'an, footsoldiers on the ground didn't need to read Mein Kampf to understand that the Germans were not our friends. Ditto today, it is enough to watch the evening news for a couple of nights to see the pattern of where the violence in the world is coming from. Quick, name a continent that does not have a major conflict involving "radical Islam". But I would have hoped that after four years some top-level analysts somewhere were studying root causes to set long term strategy. The fact that they weren't/aren't suggests a lack of realism in the "war on terror" against the "religion of peace". When you don't bother to identify the enemy, it's difficult to defend yourself.
Posted by: special_guest at December 14, 2005 2:26 PM
I hope Mr. Sperry has enlightened his contacts at the Pentagon about the Saudis' purchases of major media outlets, both on the right (Fox i.e. News Corp) and left (Time Warner), that were discussed yesterday in the article, "Buying Fox News" 12/13/05 at
http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=20490.
Several months ago, after clicking around some sites probably beginning here on JW, I ran across some type of military evaluation (perhaps from an Army War College site or some related think tank site?)of the current "war on terrorism/Islam" that posited what Dr. Pepper is stating. Delaying the inevitable will result in enormous casualties on both sides; preemptive action will still result in large losses of the enemy but will result in fewer casualties overall. In particular, this evaluation...set up in a grid or table...showed that since the jihadists desire, or at the minimun don't care about, their own deaths, no matter what the West chooses, the jihadists will incur huge losses.
I usually save that type of info for future reference but alas did not. Has anyone else ever seen this particular evaluation or could anyone direct me to it?
Thanks.
Posted by: eve_anne_gelical
at December 14, 2005 2:36 PM
RS writes:
"Militant Muslim" was "Lord Lucan," (aka "Lord Byron" and "foxy"), a noxious racist, in disguise."
Gee, I thought we saw a sudden influx of right wing Brits all of a sudden.
At least I learned a bit about the BNP.
Posted by: American at December 14, 2005 2:44 PM
Robert Spencer said "Appalling. I am considering, as my next project, writing a biography of Muhammad myself."
Excellent idea. I can see the movie version already (hopefully not with Spielberg at the helm). Imagine seeing the 40 year old Muhammad cuddling in bed with the 9 year old Aisha, or the stabbing of the sleeping mother/poet with the suckling child, or the beheadings of the prisoners of Qurayesh, up there on the big screen in living color. It would have to be the most violent film ever made. All based purely on Islamic sources, of course. You can just imagine the lightbulbs going on in peoples' minds, "So that's where that comes from!".
Posted by: special_guest at December 14, 2005 2:44 PM
l can see when Robert Spencer's books are dropped from sky, and smacks some head of an islamofacists
terrorist and kills them. The P.I.G. to Islam book will be regarded a secret infidel weapon.
at December 14, 2005 2:45 PM
You can get the Quranic Concept of War (Power) from your library through the ILL (Interlibrary loan system.) Just ask your librarian. You can look it up in the world catalog and it will identify which libraries in the US that have the book. My libraries' online service allows access to the world cat and you can see the libraries in the US that have it.
I have read many books free through that service including Eurabia. It's a great resource. Generally takes 1 to 2 weeks for the book to arrive.
Posted by: John Sobieski at December 14, 2005 3:32 PM
Al Haganah -
Victor Davis Hanson is still wandering in the wilderness mumbling about radicals who have "hijacked one of the world's great religions, a religion of peace, yadah, yadah". So far, he has not mustered the will to say, "The problem is islam".
Hanson insists upon subterfuge and prevarication; speaking of "islamists, islamofascists", etc. He hasn't the courage to gaze directly into the face of islam. Hanson is no leader.
Posted by: Havoc at December 14, 2005 3:46 PM
Pentagon waking up?
Thats greatbut how long will it take to finish the coffe
at December 14, 2005 3:54 PM
"how long will it take to finish the coffee..."
-- from a posting above
Some months ago a special espresso was made expressly for a member of the government who has been a resident of the decision-making empyrean -- and I have reason to believe that his eyes opened very wide indeed.
Posted by: Hugh at December 14, 2005 4:09 PM
How to kill the quran as an effective inspirational document?
Where does the islamic attitude about jews come from?
Where does ' there is a jew hiding behind me, come and kill him' come from?
Might it be that the quran is in fact a RACIST document?
Might it be that teaching this stuff is in fact a hate crime?
Let's shine the sunlight on the question.
Let's see if the moderate muslims can force their conscience to repudiate the immutable, or let's face the music and dance
Posted by: epaminondas at December 14, 2005 4:12 PM
Dear Robert, Why wait? The war is against The Koran! This is nothing else but a religious war. It is a war against a religious cult that only differs from other religious cults by being much, much larger! But I don't think you are being completely candid. You make hints that maybe those idiots who believe that there has ever been, or ever could have been such a thing an Islamic entity which even had a slight chance of remaining "moderate" over a significant range of time! This is impossible and you know it! How could it ever be seriously moderate when the very heart of the authority of this religion is nothing else but a manual for war? How long could these imaginary "moderates" remain stupid and ignorant of what the only authority that supports this war religion and its war god, is 100% against lasting peace with anybody anywhere except for the completely conquered (even that is not real peace)? Will you please tell the truth! Please? The truth is that it is completely impossible for this abomination of desolation, the Koran, to be moderate in any imaginable circumstances what so ever! Please tell it!
Posted by: hal at December 14, 2005 4:36 PM
my dear "hal,"
This is a common misrepresentation of my views. Indeed, there is online a scurrilous and brazenly dishonest attack on me, constructed by a selectively edited presentation of my private emails, with those that did not fit left out, accompanied by glosses full of hostility, contempt, and outright misrepresentation of my actions and intentions. It attempts to establish that I believe roughly what you have claimed here. Perhaps you have seen it.
In fact, I have never ever stated in any way that the Qur'an teaches moderation or peace. Just the opposite. Nor have I ever actually made the "hints" to which you refer.
It is however a simple fact that there are Muslims all over the world who do not live lives based on Qur'anic literalism. Many are ignorant of what the Qur'an actually says. This is simply a fact. Only a thoroughly self-infatuated megalomaniac (and yes, I have one in mind) would claim to know what is actually in the hearts of such people.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at December 14, 2005 4:50 PM
..,er, sorry Robert - glad to hear you are way ahead of me - yes, moselim peoples, being human, are at base, very good people, and would make good citizens anywhere. I have come to have a superstition almost equal to those who believe that the Koran is made of immortal living words that are able to command wars to be fought throughout all time. The Power of the Mighty Koran amazes and dizzifies me. Of course, it is only a book, but how many books are able to reach out and kill you and your family if you should ever dare critize it? Regards, Hal
Posted by: hal at December 14, 2005 5:23 PM
Robert,
Write the book - you have the blessings and pledges of my whole family. Over the Thanksgiving holiday three hardline liberal members of my family were given early christimas gifts by yours truly. Care to guess what corrected their dhimmicrat line of thinking?
Hint: They ate a fair amount of PORK that evening after the wrapping paper came off.
You have provided truthful and unbiased vigilance to otherwise easy victims. They stand corrected and they thank you for your enlightenment.
NOW - regarding pentagon intelligence. What exactly will it take for the pentagon to recognize our ideological enemy if slamming an airliner full of innocent Americans did NOT make them more lucid?
Beyond an airliner breaching the pentagon itself, what exactly does the pentagon consider an act of war if this is not it?
Posted by: Quantum Infidel at December 14, 2005 5:42 PM
Robert, are any of your books carried in AAFES PX's? I would think that selling your book in a military market would help wake up some of the sleeping brass.
Posted by: Bohemond_1069 at December 14, 2005 6:16 PM
It's about friggin' time! I'm glad someone is this administration finally woke up. Let's see how the government behaves towards groups like CAIR and MSA (Muslim Student Association) after reading the Quran. It will be interesting!
Posted by: WineDrinkingInfidel at December 14, 2005 6:22 PM
Bohemond:
I'm on a military base and AAFES does carry Robert's books, mainly "Politically Incorrect guide to Islam". The book is so popular, men and women in uniform buy them before heading off to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Posted by: WineDrinkingInfidel at December 14, 2005 6:32 PM
An insightful article by The Middle East Forum
founded by Daniel Pipes. About the course of the War In Iraq and democracy,
Iraqi Beacon
by Michael Rubin
Wall Street Journal
December 14, 2005
http://www.meforum.org/article/874
at December 14, 2005 6:43 PM
Hurray for the Pentagon.
Rummy has been and still is one of my heroes.
It is vital that when one hears of Sir Iqbal (Muslim Extremist) Socranie or Salmon ("I support Islamic causes" Rushdie, we understand their ideology and know where they are coming from.
If you know who is funding CAIR (google it), one goes along way to pinpointing one's enemies.
Kudos to this site and its informed and spirited fighters.
Islam owes an apology to every infidel on the face of this planet or it merits death.
Posted by: dgene at December 14, 2005 6:55 PM
"Howard Dean and John Murtha may believe that the U.S. military has lost. Brent Scowcroft may think Arab democracy a pipe dream. They are mistaken."
-- from the article by Rubin to which a link is given directly above
Howard Dean and John Murtha are quite different in tone, in attitude, and in concerns. Dean appears to be less concerned about the American military, and apparently does not sense anything menacing about Islam. Murtha worries most about the state of the army, its size and quality and morale, and believes that the imposition of a primitive form of "democracy" makes little sense, though he does not spell out why he thinks it makes little sense, and one suspects he has not decided that there is no necessary nexus between "democracy" in the Arab and Muslim countries and a lessening of the power, and menace, of Islam, both from within those countries, and now all over the world, and especially, most disturbingly, in Western Europe.
Having lumped together, and mistasted summarily their views, Rubin then goes on to attack that so-called "realist" Brent Scowcroft for his view that "democracy is a pipe dream." The "realist" Scowcroft is in fact no realist at all; he is indifferent to democracy and to the Iraq venture; what he wants is the mixture as before -- and he certainly does not have the slightest idea that the menace might come from Islam, that the instruments of Jihad that are most effective are those of Da'wa and population growth within the Infidel lands, and oil revenues. And of course Scowcroft, now an agent of Turkey, and well-known for his complete lack of sympathy for Israel and its plight, is hardly the man to recognize that Iraq is a place where, while there is no such thing as "victory" much less "total victory," there is the possibility of weakening Islam throughout the world, merely by allowing the sectarian and ethnic divisions to fester and expand and possibly explode.
This is not the sort of thing politicians like to admit to. It is so -- so un-American. But for god's sake, that kind of thing is the oldest rule of warfare: divide and conquer. It is exactly what, for the past 30 years, the Arabs have been doing in Europe, playing on anti-Americanism and antisemitism and foolish desires to "withstand the American hegemony" (from De Gaulle on) by making Europeans forget that they, and the Americans, are part of the same West, and that the siren-song of some kind of understanding or alliance with the Arab Muslim world is complete nonsense, and very dangerous.
As some of them, looking at the state of their own countries, and now at Australia, must secretly be thinking to themselves, and still are not able to come to the kind of conclusions that, if they are to survive, or to avoid having to endure lives that can be, precisely to the degree that they tolerate large popuplations of local Muslims, unpleasant, expensive, and physically dangerous.
And that is not a future they need accept for themselves or their children, and they owe the creators of that legacy that they themselves inherited but did not sufficiently appreciate, a little more effort.
Yes.
Fais un petit effort. Not perhaps the most stirring of mottoes -- but it will do for now.
Fais un petit effort.
Posted by: Hugh at December 14, 2005 7:04 PM
My opinion is that all religions contain radicals along with all other organizations (radical democrats, radical republicans, radical atheists, etc). Only the leaders and culture turn the extremests violent or dangerous. Yes, there are radical jews, christians, and all other religions. And i prefer to define radical as "someone who believes that they are obligated to change the opinions of those who disagree with them, and believe their opinion to be undoubtly correct"
I am also of the somewhat radical opinion that all religions inspire radicalism, and thus a risk for radicalism
Posted by: R. Daneel Olivaw at December 14, 2005 7:50 PM
This pains me greatly.
I was under the optimistic belief that the miltary had Islam pegged as the problem by Oct 2001. Since the world is so PC, they just called it a WOT when in reality they were executing a WOI (admittedly rather clumsily, but a hell of a lot better then Kerry would do). I thought Bush's speech last month about radical Islam was them finally getting enough political courage to start taking on Islam with words also.
But now this. Could they really have had their head up their A$$ the past 4 years? I could delude myself and think that this is just a cover story to prime the public for the eventual powerpoint presentation to the public that "America, Here is your enemy....Islam ....who would have thunk it!"
Maybe GWB is as dumb as a brick and that's the reason we're moving so slowly. OTOH, I keep telling myself that a brick is better than the Dimmicrats. Damn, if only McCain could have pulled it off in '00. I read the recent article from him about Iraq and how he talks about it and conveys the issues and purpose. He F'in gets it! If the R's were really serious about winning this WOI, they would force GWB to kick Chaneys lard ass out of VP and get McCain to be the voice of the adminstration.
Posted by: foursuvs at December 14, 2005 7:55 PM
McCain to be the voice of the adminstration.
Posted by: foursuvs [TypeKey Profile Page] at December 14, 2005 07:55 PM
can you explain how come your McCain does not want the US military to be mean to the those poor terrorist,,, his meaning of torture, example, cant scare a terrorist with dogs, drape an Israelie flag on a terrorist.. this McCain has swiss cheese for brains.. he loves the damm TV too much!!! he is the idiot that wanted to bring in honesty in polictics, and created a worse mess, with George Soros money, a self hating Jew, who thinks he's God!
if you want someone with guts get the ex, NYC mayor, Rudi Guiliani!!!
at December 14, 2005 8:04 PM
Mr. Spencer,
Please DO write a thorough and detailed biography of Mohammed. I am currently trying to read Ali Dashti's "23 Years" and it is exceedingly difficult to read - very convoluted reasoning, interruptions of the train of thought, assumptions of familiarity with Iranian/muslim culture and very awkward grammar which makes it a lot of work to figure out exactly what is being said. I understand the difficulties of translation, but it doesn't make the book any easier to read. I mostly bought the book because Ali Dashti was killed for writing it, and I felt he should be supported also that if the islamofacists didn't want something to be read then by god I'm going to read it. But a biography on Mohammed that is easier to read and understand would be GREATLY appreciated. I also realize that writing such a book will present an enormous additional risk to your life.
at December 14, 2005 8:52 PM
"WhiteDemon"
I love Ali Dashti's "23 Years." I have read and reread it over the years. Such blazing honesty, unblinking questioning, even when it took where he clearly did not want to go. A great soul. I could never hope to surpass it. I would just hope to write something that would clear up a few pertinent questions.
Cordially
Robert Spencer
at December 14, 2005 8:56 PM
From Charles Karuthammer recent article.
According to Newsweek, in the ticking time bomb case McCain says that the president should disobey the very law that McCain seeks to pass--under the justification that "you do what you have to do. But you take responsibility for it."
Read it here in its full.
http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/006/400rhqav.asp
In the end, Krauthammer says that McCains dual-position is preening, I say its more like...
1) Pass a PC looking law that shuts up the MSM
2) Ensure that it has the necessary loopholes in it that enables you to get the dirty work done.
Rudy, would be fine also also. I'm not sure of Rudy's military background, but sure as hell Murtha wouldn't get away with draft-dodger statement about McCain.
Ruby, MacCain, either one. Just get Chaney the hell out, and he can take Rummsfield with him. MCCain for Rummsfield, and Rudy for the VP position to explain the "vision thing".
at December 14, 2005 8:56 PM
The military elite will probably be our last hope for the simple reason that they were not "educated" as Ivy League finishing schools, with the possible exception of Dartmouth all Marxist Hate Farms.
Not prone to self-loathing, and clear eyed about the need for victory, it is within the realm of possibility that the senior uniformed officers in the Pentagon will come to visit reality in connection with Islam.
I'm still predicting military coups in two or more devo Western democracies as they tumble into the hands of MSM Sharia.
Posted by: Alarmed Pig Farmer at December 14, 2005 9:04 PM
Mr. Spencer writes: "Today we are confronted with a stateless threat that does not have at the strategic level targetable entities: no capitals, no economic base, no military formations or installations," states a new Pentagon briefing paper I've obtained.
This is the only point with which I disagree. They do have targetable entities, every mosque and every piece of property they own in our nation and the world over. They do have an economy, that of terrorist financing. This too is and can yet be strongly targeted. If all else fails, they have a capital, Mecca, which we can take out if need be. They also have their most vaulable asset, their people, in our lands. We can get them out if we would get the political will.
Why don't we? I've come to the conclusion that we are self-destructive as a nation and as an ideology. As we, the West, have abandoned our Biblical ideology/roots, the sound teachings of the reality of human sin and its forgiveness, we have turned against ourselves. We've rejected God's judgment, only to judge ourselves. But without Christ, we know no real forgiveness. And so we will continue redeem and punish ourselves. May the church turn from the chaff of shallow social causes and return to the wheat of theology by which men's spirits are fed.
Sorry to jump from politics to theology (like Muslims do), but I'm both an American and a Christian. Thanks for reading.
Posted by: chaplain at December 14, 2005 9:32 PM
Little time to read in detail this lengthy thread but a rapid glance quickly informed me of the general tenor - some good degree of satisfaction mitigated by some dissapointment that it took so long for the Pentagon to grasp the fundamentals of jihad that Mr Spencer et al have spent so much time and effort explicating. It must amount to literally thousands of hours of effort, for which the many westerners who have been following this site are deeply grateful and grateful even on behalf of those who haven't a clue but if they did, would also be deeply grateful!
Bottom line is that this article is very good news indeed and it reminds me of that Oscar speech of Sally Field, in which she famously said, "You like me! You really like me!"
Today, after reading the Sperry article, I must be emotionally channeling Sally Field because what I feel is "They get it! They really get it!"
Posted by: Caroline at December 14, 2005 10:18 PM
"ISLAM IS AN IDEOLOGICAL ENGINE OF WAR (JIHAD)"
Very happy to know that the Pentagon is undertaking a strategic analysis of Islam. I hope their efforts are not thwarted by those intent on abridging freedom of thought, via "political correctness".
"WHETHER ISLAM IS BEING RADICALIZED BY THE TERRORISTS OR IS ALREADY RADICAL"
It doesn't matter whether Islam is radical or is being radicalized. Even if not radical already, it is incumbent upon "Moderate Islam" to reign in their own radical elements. One who would silently allow his religion to be highjacked is at worst an accomplice. If mainstream Islam can control the radicals among them, then fine. But if not, then it must be done for them. Mainstream Islam must decide.
Posted by: Jim at December 14, 2005 10:43 PM
It looks like the message has finally gotten through to at least some people at the Pentagon. This appears woefully delayed, if they truly were as naive as was implied in Sperry's article, but the news is encouraging nevertheless.
Dr. Pepper,
You are too kind, thank you, but I'm an amateur and I'm sure Mr. Spencer, as he says, has or can get anything he needs. I will be in touch with you about that pamphlet/booklet project.
Mr. Spencer,
I will be giving the _P.I.Guide To Islam_ as a gift this holiday and will continue to inform others of your JW/DW sites. I will look forward to your biography of Mohammad.
Posted by: Archimedes at December 14, 2005 10:53 PM
What the Pentagon is looking for can be found in Serge Trifkovic's outstanding book "THE SWORD OF THE PROPHET: Islam: History, Theology, Impact on the World." A well-researched study of Islam that is as terrifying as it is valid. It curled my hair like no other ever has. And it will curl YOUR hair I guarantee it!!!!!!!
THE PENTAGON NEEDS THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!
This book contains a fairly thorough biographical background on the "prophet" Mahommed--I think about as much as would be needed for the military's purposes. So I think Mr. Spencer really doesn't need to spend his valuable time and energy duplicating what Mr. Trifkovic has already provided the public very handily.
THE SWORD OF THE PROPHET is also very revealing of the malignance inherent in Islamic ideology and its effect on humanity. Few people will finish this book with any illusions about the brutal and bloodthirsty nature of Islam! Needless to say, this book is an EDUCATION as to the nature of islamic ideology.
This book also gets at what I have suspected all along: That Islam incorporates a lot of ancient warlike paganistic beliefs into its belief system. The Muslim world is just doing what has been going on since forever in the Middle Eastern region: killing.
at December 14, 2005 11:18 PM
SMOG ALERT!!!
I just heard on a PBS station that Frontline will do a presentation next Tuesday evening titled "Three Religions - One God: Christianity, Islam and Judahism" How wonderful, I am getting all warm and fuzzy as I think about it. This must mean that we are all really just one big happy family. Can't wait to see it. Ir must be that the God of Abraham is all encompasing.
Posted by: GFB at December 14, 2005 11:24 PM
This is encouraging, but the PC Gestapo won't stand for it! The astute and insightful people who finally did what should have been done four years ago will be pilloried, severely punished, possibly demoted, and probably sent to an indoctrination camp to be reprogrammed in the protocols of social justice, moral relativity, diversity, multiculturalism, and political correctness. If they are white males, which most probably they are, they could well be terminated and blackballed.
But this is still a giant leap in the right direction because no matter what the useful idiots and proponents of civilizational suicide do, the connection has officially been made between Islam and terror, and this article is now on the internet, where it will float around forever. Personally, I can't believe anyone still doubts the prolific evidence that Islam is a death cult, even those who haven't studied the doctrine of Islam. Actions speak louder than the Arabic filth in Islam's "holy" texts, but those diabolical canonical texts are readily available and clearly explicate the savage, demented attitudes and behavior of muslims.
C.A.I.R. will have a field day with this one.
Posted by: Susanp at December 14, 2005 11:44 PM
Yes, Mr. Spencer, please give us a bio of Mohammed, but to go off the deep end in the best sense, consider that a couple of graphic novels have recently been huge hits with adults and the intelligentsia -- Maus was one, and more recently Persepolis was huge. You should consider finding a graphics collaborator (probably one trained in graphics software, which has become extremely powerful and subtle) and creating an adult-targeted, full-length graphic biography, stuffed with footnotes. To appeal to adults, the graphic style would presumably have to be in a mode more akin to adult art than to children's comic book art. Perhaps various middle eastern styles of art could be employed.
If you recruit a collaborator who knows graphics software (a 3D software expert might be interesting), or who is just a talented graphic artist, you could create a 150- or 200-page, serious/compassionate/poetic/objective graphic biography that will blow people's socks off and have tremendous popular appeal to young and old, highly cultured and less educated alike. You could break new ground in the publishing world. And vivid images will stick with people long after prose is forgotten.
Or if you don't want to do a graphic bio, then my next choice would be to see the book in the style and format of your most recent PIG bestseller (i.e, short, leavened with sidebar paragraphs and all those bullet points and organizing headings that make it easy to read.)
Even if you don't go whole hog into a graphic biography, you might still consider including in the bio some image, photo, drawing, art reproduction, even if only in black and white, on every other page or so, and then your book will be unbelievably pleasant to read, and you'll really have a bestseller on your hands. I imagine a surfeit of black and white images would not make the book more expensive, but they would give it much more popular appeal.
Posted by: eduardo odraude at December 15, 2005 12:52 AM
GFB made an excellent comment above which has not been given enough attention.
One cannot convince our societies that Islam is a threat because the doctrine of multiculturalism will not allow it.
We cannot deal with the problem of islam as long as we are dismissed as "a minority" of fringe fanatics, racists, islamophobes, intolerants and so on.
I believe this power Islam has of making itself be defended by the multuculturalists within our own societies is nothing short of amazing and should not be underestimated.
Posted by: rocky at December 15, 2005 1:05 AM
eduardo odraude writes:
"...consider that a couple of graphic novels have recently been huge hits with adults..."
Indeed, my palindromic pal, a fancy comic book would be most welcome. Something a little better
than that islamcomicbook web site. No need for
crude caricatures in a graphic novel/history
work. Nothing against crude caricatures, but
horses for courses, right? The facts of Mohammads
life are ugly enough!
As people know more, some will wake up.
at December 15, 2005 1:43 AM
I am in complete agreement with the above posting from Pythagoras lauding Trifkovic's "Sword of the Prophet" - the book is as graphic and as effective a portrait of the monstrous Muhammed as one can conceive, while being entirely factual.
I am gratified, but not optimistic, about our government's belated efforts to study Islam in greater depth, finally accepting the possibility that Islam should be construed as an ideology inimical to the continuation of Western civilization - an implacable enemy which must be neutralized if we are to survive. As Paul Sperry knows, having written the book "Infiltration", our government repeatedly makes the mistake of turning to Muslims for intelligence gathering, inter alia. I fear that in attempting to better understand Islam, our government will seek the advice from the apologists and practitioners of this "religion", who will undoubtedly resort to taquiyya, arguing, e.g., that the Koran must be understood "in context", and that to interpret it properly, one must be able to read and understand classical Arabic, etc., etc.
It is to be hoped that we are wiser now, and will not repeat the same mistakes. Time, of course, will tell... but we are running out of time.
at December 15, 2005 1:43 AM
The pentagon "study" of islam is a really welcome development. We should be overjoyed.
The existence of this study comes to light shortly after the president made his shift in the description of the enemy. A decent interval has elapsed between the two events, but it is obvious they are tied.
Importantly, this also comes after Peter Pace has been named Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. A new leader, and a new outlook. Pace is no fool.
The most significant thing about this study is its very existence and the question it poses about the nature of islam. The field is now open for debate, and that means that competing ideas (that is, ideas counter to the multicultural mindset) are welcome.
Also, take note that this is an internal study. If the players cannot engineer the conclusions they want, with a great deal of agreement, the matter will be delivered to a Think Tank for further crunching. The choice of think tank will be a signal, too. Brookings, for example, would deliver a PC solution. I would expect that Brookings will be avoided.
The fact that the subject is now open for discussion is not to be taken that it is just now being thought about. Readers who moan about how long it has taken to "wake up" or "get it" don't understand the political process. There has been a lot of "moving the deadwood" and "lining up the ducks" and, of course, covering the ass, and part of what you are seeing is covering the ass for the "failure of democracy" in Iraq.
Everybody can count votes. Everybody knows what sharia is all about. Everybody knows the difference between Sunni and Shia. And nobody wants to be blamed for the "failure of democracy" that when the majority vote democracy out of existence, which is calculated to be just around the corner. Unfortunately, we may have to abandon the military bases we (I mean Halliburton) are building in Iraq to ensure our presence in the Middle East. But they are being built because we will need them if Iran goes nuclear and starts to get out of control.
This administration is not as stupid as it may at times look. They are playing chess, not checkers. And some observers just don't understand the moves.
Robert: You must write the book, just as you described it.
Bullpup: I like your idea if donating books to ROTC programs. I think "Onward Muslim Soldiers" is the best choice, because of the catchy title.
at December 15, 2005 3:25 AM
Hope at last, great news I have been close to despair at times that our leaders don't get it, I now see hope for my children because I have confidence in the USA, I just hope that the USA is prepared to come to the aid of the Europeans once more, though I think the USA can not afford to let Europe fall.
Also this was an excellent thread.
Posted by: Daffersd at December 15, 2005 5:14 AM
Texan:
Pace Seeks Ideas from Future Top Military Leaders
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2005 – The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff today challenged military and civilian leaders being groomed for top leadership posts in the future to think outside the box in coming up with ideas to confront terrorism.
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Dec2005/20051201_3513.html
Here's a link to General Pace's office for those who'd like to pique his interest with facts and unique points of view:
http://www.jcs.mil/jcs_comment.htm
(Note: The Comments section is provided in the interests of free speech only. It is mostly unmoderated, but comments that are off-topic, offensive, slanderous, or otherwise annoying stand a chance of being deleted. The fact that any comment remains on the site IN NO WAY constitutes an endorsement by Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch, or by Robert Spencer or any other Jihad Watch or Dhimmi Watch writer, of any view expressed, fact alleged, or link provided in that comment.)