A victory for realistic analysis over fantasy-based policymaking. My latest in PJ Media:
The Left is in hysterics over John Bolton replacing H.R. McMaster as President Trump’s national security adviser: He will start a war with Iran! He once wrote a foreword for a book written by Pamela Geller and me! He is a right-wing extremist! Back in the real world, however, Bolton replacing McMaster is a victory for realistic analysis of the jihad threat, and a defeat for the fantasy-based policymaking that has prevailed throughout the Bush and Obama eras, and beyond.
McMaster has insisted: “The Islamic State is not Islamic.”
A source that has asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals informed me that he was present in August 2014 when McMaster was the featured speaker for the President’s Lecture Series at National Defense University in Washington, D.C. McMaster addressed an assembly of all the students in the colleges of the National Defense, including the National War College, the College of International Security Affairs (CISA), the Dwight D. Eisenhower School for National Security and Resource Strategy (formerly the Industrial College of the Armed Forces), and the others. In his address, McMaster said flatly: “The Islamic State is not Islamic.”
That was during the Obama administration. One may forgive McMaster for following the company line, but McMaster did not change his tune when Donald Trump became president. On the contrary, he doubled down.
In February 2017, according to CNN, “at an all-hands meeting of the National Security Council,” McMaster “said jihadist terrorists aren’t true to their professed religion and that the use of the phrase ‘radical Islamic terrorism’ doesn’t help the U.S. in working with allies to defeat terrorist groups.”
Speaking in May 2017 about President Trump’s trip to the Middle East, McMaster dug even deeper, observing that “the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stance against radical Islamist ideology.” Those who were aware of how badly U.S. foreign policy has run off the rails over the last fifteen years should have been deeply disturbed. McMaster added that jihad terrorists were operating according to “an ideology that uses a perverted interpretation of religion to justify crimes against all humanity.”
How many times since 9/11 has an American spokesman declared that “the United States and the entire civilized world expects our Muslim allies to take a strong stance against radical Islamist ideology”? And what do we have to show for this expectation?
How many years must we expect this before we realize that our “Muslim allies” have vastly different priorities from what mainstream counterterror analysts would wish to believe?
McMaster’s pollyannish views were a holdover from the Obama regime, which established fantasies about Islam having nothing to do with terrorism as the official policy of the U.S. government. This was in contrast to President Trump, who repeatedly criticized his predecessor (and his 2016 election opponent) for not being willing to call the problem of jihad terror by its right name.
McMaster was therefore a disastrous pick as national security adviser. He continued the willful ignorance of the Obama administration, hamstringing efforts to understand, and counter effectively, the motives and goals of the enemy.
Enter John Bolton. The incoming national security adviser has not said much about the ideological roots of the jihad threat, but what he has said indicates that he will be a clear departure from McMaster’s fantasy world.
In a 2009 interview with Pamela Geller, Bolton made it clear that he disagreed with Mitt Romney’s contention that jihad terror had nothing to do with Islam. Said Bolton: “As the saying goes from the Franklin Roosevelt era, somebody said, ‘not all Democrats are horse thieves, but all horse thieves are Democrats.’ Taking that forward, the terrorists today are Islamic fundamentalists, that’s where the threat lies, worldwide, and the worst threat of all, is obviously getting nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.”…
Read the rest here.
Barbara says
Bolton’s analysis is realistic, but I fear he will encourage involvement in foreign wars again, just as he supported the war in Iraq.
christianblood says
Barbara posted
(.. I fear he will encourage involvement in foreign wars again, just as he supported the war in Iraq…)
You are very right, Barbara!
Bolton thinks secular leaders like Assad, who are actually protecting Christians and other minorities in Syria are more of a threat than islamic jihadists like the SaudiArabian-backed ISIS, Al-Qaeda and many other similar jihadist groups. Please read more about where Bolton may lead Trump and the US on the link below:
https://russia-insider.com/en/west-going-war-russia/ri22876
Andy says
8 reasons why Trump’s John Bolton appointment is causing a frenzy among Jews
http://www.jpost.com/american-politics/8-reasons-why-trumps-john-bolton-appointment-is-causing-a-frenzy-among-jews-546961?obOrigUrl=true
Andy says
John Bolton Is Not Dangerous—the Hysterical Reaction to Him Is
https://www.thetrumpet.com/blogs/62-richard-palmer/17078-john-bolton-is-not-dangerous-the-hysterical-reaction-to-him-is?utm_source=Trumpet+Brief&utm_campaign=3f94e8beff-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_03_27&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_a399ec29cc-3f94e8beff-56416059
WESTPAC Spy says
Heaven forbid we have anyone who is capable of realistic analysis as Trump’s National Security Advisor. Let’s just bring back McMaster and his fantasy world.
That’s what you’re saying.
WESTPAC Spy says
By the way, I supported the war in Iraq. In fact, since I was on active duty in the Navy I volunteered twice to go and help fight it.
Well, that’s not exactly true. When I was recalled to active duty following 9/11/2001 I actually volunteered to be an adviser to the Filipino Navy and Marines who were fighting the Islamic insurgency in the southern islands. So I didn’t volunteer to go to the sandbox that time.
It’s crazy to back away from the fact that not going to Baghdad in 1991 was a huge mistake. And that the invasion of Iraq 12 years later was the right move.
Joe Biden on Larry King in 2010, taking credit for the Bush administration’s success in Iraq (not that Bush and his team didn’t screw a lot of things up, and I would not have made the same mistakes he and his father made).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLteUGkvpOc
“In 2010, Biden Predicted Iraq Would Be ‘One Of The Great Achievements Of This Administration'”
Right before Obama decided to screw the pooch and “end the war” in Iraq.
You either win wars, or lose wars, you don’t “end” wars because the enemy gets a vote.
The ancient and still traditional military/naval term for what Barack Obama did when he created that vacuum with his premature withdrawal is “abandoning your allies in the field.” The Democrats have a long history of that. See “the fall of Saigon” for more information.
christianblood says
WESTPAC
John Bolton is ALL about war, war, war!
Scroll down to the middle and please watch the video clip below:
https://news.vice.com/en_ca/article/3kjdpb/watch-a-brief-history-of-john-bolton-advocating-for-war
Phil Copson says
Having even one person on board who recognises the basic insanity of giving unlimited amounts of money, weapons, influence, and visas to backward nations who actively oppose Western civilisation, is at least a start.
balam says
Phil: You are absolutely right. The Muslims can never assimilate in the Western society because of clash of their Islamic values .Muslims are DEVIOUS by nature. Thanks to the Ideology they follow.
Carolyne says
I agree with Phil and balam. As an American President once said, “We have nothing to fear but fear itself,” and I think this also applies to pacifying Muslims who wish nothing more than to see us all dead. Call a spade a spade. Bolton does that. The fear of war must not lead to our surrender to the barbarians. I would rather go out with a bang than a whimper.
balam says
Bolton s a very good choice by the great president TRUMP. .That would take some wind out of the ISLAMIC TERRORIST and the ISLAMIC STATES that support them directly or Indirectly..
christianblood says
balam
Bolton thinks secular leaders like Assad, who are actually protecting Christians and other minorities are more of a threat than islamic jihadists like the Saudi-Arabian-backed ISIS, Al-Qaeda and similar jihadist groups.
WESTPAC Spy says
There is absolutely nothing Bolton can mess up as badly as the Obama/Clinton policy of kicking the table over in Libya. Creating the conditions for the flood of non-refugee Islamic opportunists across the med into Italy.
You’re confusing John Bolton with John “I served in Vietnam” Kerry/Hillary “the grifter” Clinton. Bolton is perfectly aware of the old Arabic saying, “It’s the lion that keeps the wolves away.”
If you don’t know what that means, ask John Bolton or yours truly.
On the other hand feel free to keep discrediting yourself.
christianblood says
John Bolton is a neocon (regime-change) warmonger who thinks secular leaders like Maduro, Assad, Saddam, Qaddafi, Kim etc are much more of a threat than the global islamic jihadists. Like all US neocons and liberal interventionists do, he actually believes in collaborating with islamic jihadists like ISIS and Al-Qaeda and Saudi Arabia and others to overthrow secular governments like Syria etc.Let us remember Bolton is the architect or one of the architects of the illegal invasion of Iraq 15 years ago, on the false premises of WMDs. And now, he will surely advice Trump to attack Syria, Venezuela, DPRK or Iran and any of such attacks by the US can trigger a WW3 that can culminate into a nuclear exchange! (…The West is going to war with the East. The likely initial targets are Syria, and Iran. Any attack on Iran or Syria is a declaration of war on Russia…) Please more of this on the link below:
https://russia-insider.com/en/west-going-war-russia/ri22876
mortimer says
Take your Russian propaganda to a Russian website. No one here is buying it. Russians are FANTASY-MONGERS promoting a myth of Russian virtue. Today’s Russia is the biggest KLEPTOCRACY in the world, one of the greatest in history.
Dishonesty and lies in the corrupt Soviet system have merely been transferred to even greater DISHONESTY, CORRUPTION and LIES in Putin’s MEGA-KLEPTOCRACY.
We are NO BUYING YOUR RUBBISH. Get lost.
mortimer says
CB, get lost. No one is buying your RUBBISH. Russia is now the GREASTEST KLEPTOCRACY in history. It is a society based on unending lies, corruption and deception… as much or more than in the Soviet Union.
Save your DECEPTIONS for delusional Russians who love such conspiracy theories. The KLEPTOCRATS are laughing at you all the way to the bank. You are totally hoodwinked.
christianblood says
mortimer
Not a Russian ‘propaganda’. John Bolton is a neocon warmonger who, along with others, should go to jail for the illegal war in Iraq, a war that was based on FALSE premises of “WMD”. That war destroyed that country, took the lives of at least one million Iraqi civilians and thousands of US soldiers and trillions of dollars of US taxpayer money. Now Bolton, may lead to America into a nuclear armageddon becoause of his delusional and criminal mentality. Just today, In response to the US and its Western allies false flag poisining set up in the UK, Russia has just expelled 60 US diplomats and closed down the US consulate on the second city in Russia! Mortimer, please understand that Bolton and his satanic ‘deep state’ neocon allies are in bed with Saudi Arabia and with other islamic jihadist groups in Syria and elsewhere and as Saudi crown prince has just said yesterday “..The Spread of Wahhabism is done at the request of the US and the West request..” Not my words, Mortimer. Please read the words of the Saudi prince on the link below: https://www.jihadwatch.org/2018/03/saudi-crown-prince-spread-of-wahhabism-done-at-wests-request-during-cold-war
Mortimer, the fact is that is that the US and its anti-Christ, pro-islamist and satanic Western allies are in bed with the head-chopping Saudis, with ISIS, with the muslim brotherhood and with Al-Qaeda and it is NOT Russia that supported these groups in Libya, in Kosovo, in Bosnia, in Egypt and now, in Syria. It is not Russia that has bombed Christian Serbs and created not one by two islamic states (Bosnia & Kosovo) in the heart of Europe! Please watch the video below and see what the US-backed, US-armed, US-trained islamic jihadist head-choppers did to hundreds of ancient Serbian Christian churches and monasteries in Metohija:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHSav7TbYBM
gravenimage says
Now Christianblood is claiming that objecting to Russians poisoning people on Western soil is “satanic”. As for “false flag” operations, is he now ranting that 9/11 was done by the bad old West to make Islam look bad? He’s not far from it…
WESTPAC Spy says
So, I take that among your other misrepresentations and falsehoods you’ve never read the Congressional Authorization for the Use of Military force in Iraq?\
Please, keep discrediting yourself. Bush dotted his “I”s and crossed his “T”s before taking the US into Iraq. There were multiple bases for use of military force and Saddam’s pursuit of WMDs was only one.
Please, please, please continue to revise history in order to claim that the war in Iraq was illegal. Hint: there were two places in the world that no U.S. President could have “illegally” started a war in 2002. Anyone care to guess where those two places were, and why it couldn’t be illegal?
christianblood says
gravenimage posted
(…As for “false flag” operations, is he now ranting that 9/11 was done by the bad old West…)
Graven, I am not a “Truther”. I 100% believe that 9/11 was an attack by Saudi-sponsored Islamic jihadists on America and yet the American government and its liberal establishment elites are still in bed with the head-chopping ISIS=Saudis. Please remember, as the lawyer for the 9/11 families have recently pointed out, Saudi 9/11 Collusion Included Aid to Hijackers and Cash for al-Qaeda hijackers’
families and yet the US government is still preventing the 9/11 families to seek justice from Saudi collaborators of 9/11. Please read more of this on the link below:
https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201803301063063329-911-families-lawyer-sputnik-interview/
George Williams says
A Russian propaganda site if I’ve ever seen one. Unfortunately, there are many fools in this country who fall for this crap.
Kepha says
You lost me when you spoke of “secular leader” Kim–Jongeun, with his dad Jongil and granddad Ilsung, I presume.
The Kims of North Korea are a reversion to Pharaonic worship of the ruler as the embodiment of the state. Observing the progress of post-Christian 20th century totalitarianism is one of the things that convinced me that atheism does not truly exist; that we really have idolators who are unwilling to admit that they are makers of pathetic little gods (perhaps little tin gods, as an earlier generation of Britons might have put it). One of the issues with each of the “secular” leaders you mentioned is that they all fell for the [ancient Chinese] Legalist/Hobbesian position of thinking that since people are going to be nasty, they need to be controlled by an overwhelming government. In short, curtail human sinfulness by allowing someone to unleash the full force of his own sinfulness to keep others down. It was against such a point of view that the idea of political compact arose, originally argued by Western theologians (especially Calvinists) who sought to limit power precisely to keep one sinner from destroying his fellows through tyranny.
I’m willing to wait and see with John Bolton. He understands that the USA has enemies who will hate us for who we are, no matter what we do (the hard lesson Democrats have learned over and over again and forgotten over and over again for as long as I can remember). Further, as our ambassador to the UN, he was unusually clear-eyed and aware of what we are up against.
WESTPAC Spy says
That’s crazy talk.
Bolton is not a neocon. Only someone who doesn’t know the difference between a neocon and a paleocon could hallucinate themselves into believing what you are asserting.
Bolton shares Trump’s views in many areas, unlike McMaster who actively undermined Trump. And Bolton knows he can’t turn Trump into a warmonger. Nor does he want to. Trump believes that invading other countries is fundamentally unamerican. It’s part of Trump’s “America first” philosophy. Which Bolton has been advocating longer than Trump.
Yes, Bolton like Trump believes in an assertive foreign policy. Because it works. According to the jellyfish and other invertebrates that populate our foreign policy establishment Trump’s bellicose talk would have us in the middle of a nuclear war with the NORKs by now.
Are we in a nuclear war with the NORKs right now?
Carolyne says
I have listened to and admired John Bolton for many years. I support him wholeheartedly. He does not mince words, he understands the threat of Islam and most importantly, he is fearless. If that leads us to defeat the Muslim hordes, I am for it. I support John Bolton. I am not afraid of doing whatever must be done to support civilization.
mortimer says
“McMaster’s pollyannish views” are correctly assessed and criticized by Robert Spencer as FANTASY-BASED.
A fact-based assessment of Islam is that the MOTIVE of ISLAM is the bigoted HATRED of dirty KAFIRS ‘for the sake of Allah’. All Muslims have a duty to CRUSH the dirty kafirs.
ISIS was performing that DUTY and thus ISIS was the MOST ISLAMIC of all Islamic organizations.
McMaster is the MASTER OF FANTASY.
christianblood says
mortimer posted
(..CB, get lost. No one is buying your RUBBISH Russia is now the GREASTEST KLEPTOCRACY in history. It is a society based on unending lies, corruption and deception..)
mortimer, do you want to read who is the greatest kleptocratic entity in the world? Please read the moving advice (An open letter to the American people) that this Texan who lives in Ukraine is giving to the American people:
https://russia-insider.com/en/texan-ukraine-american-people-overthrow-your-kleptocratic-oppressors/ri22745
gravenimage says
Christianblood *does*realize that the United States is a democracy?
Perhaps we will have to explain what that means. After all, recently he lamented that Putin wasn’t *enough* of a dictator.
Sylvia says
Good choice. This is the same John Bolton who is a chairman of Gatestone Institute, yes?!
Excellent articles to be read there as well
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Mr Spencer and CO’s myopic argument accepted by savage mad devil Trump that terrorist groups represent orthodox or main stream Isam is beoming isolated in the West. In fact mad devil Trump’s logic that all muslims are potential terrorists because they believe in the same Quran and Hadith as sources of terrorism, and as such ready to confront all of them together with his recognition of whole Jérusalem as capital of fascist evil zionist state of Israel is costing apartheid evil united states a lot. The economy is now declining to recesssion then dépression. Will people of thought in the evîl united states allow this suicidal trend to continue ?
Andy says
Ibrahim itace muhammed
Sign the petition, so we can have a free and open discussion on your “Religion of Peace”
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/203615
George Williams says
Unfortunately for you and your friends, Ibrahim, there’s a growing awareness of the sickness that is Islam, in Europe and the U.S. You lose a battle every day that passes when a Muslim expresses his hatred of the infidel in public. There will come a day when Islam is looked upon as ugly as the KKK, Nazism and Stalinist Communism, making it the pariah that it should be. Islam is not the religion of peace, but the expression of all that is evil in the world.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
George Williams, mithraist christianity is religion of genocide and brigandage which Nazis carried out as crusaders did all pursuant to obnoxious Bible. You are now happy that new security secretary Will lead apartheid evil united states to another round of brutal crusade wars against all muslims pursuant to Biblical verses of genocide.
gravenimage says
Ibrahim itace muhammed wrote:
Mr Spencer and CO’s myopic argument accepted by savage mad devil Trump that terrorist groups represent orthodox or main stream Isam is beoming isolated in the West.
………………………………..
Really? And yet, Ibrahim itace muhammed *himself* has affirmed that any Muslims may slaughter Infidels who do not submit to Islam.
More:
In fact mad devil Trump’s logic that all muslims are potential terrorists because they believe in the same Quran and Hadith as sources of terrorism, and as such ready to confront all of them together with his recognition of whole Jérusalem as capital of fascist evil zionist state of Israel is costing apartheid evil united states a lot.
………………………………..
Costing us a lot? Well, sure–Ibrahim itace muhammed would much rather we threw civilized, democratic Israel under the bus. Sorry, Mohammedan…
More:
The economy is now declining to recesssion then dépression. Will people of thought in the evîl united states allow this suicidal trend to continue ?
………………………………..
The absurd Ibrahim itace muhammed has made this claim for years now–that the US economy is being destroyed by Islam, and that the Muslim world now has a higher standard of living than does the West. Of course, this is just his fanatasy–that Muslims are finally enslaving us.
And no–standing against the horrors of Islam is not suicidal–rolling over for them would be, though.
Carolyne says
Ibrahim, where do you get your comedic material? Maybe you should write for a situation comedy, because you make no sense here. Just really rabid foaming at the mouth.
duh swami says
John is one cranky, mean spirited, nasty SOB, who has a low opinion of Islam,,,Perfect for the job…
mummymovie says
Yep- He’s cantankerous, and meaner than a sack full of rattlesnakes!
Perhaps a blunt tool, not much different than DJT, is just what is needed to help counter the global jihad and the enemedia’s islamofascist cover-up if it’s increasing existence.
Writings by Bolton, as Chairman of Gatestone Institute, the articles from which (though usually not Bolton’s, necessarily) often immediately follow Jihad Watch on my nightly reading program:
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/author/John+R.+Bolton
dsinc says
Yes, all the complaints about him prove that he is the right man for the job.
mummymovie says
Agreed.
And importantly- I do hate neocons, but if Bolton’s there, Gatestone has his ear, and Gatestone is Counter-Jihad.
infidel says
God alone save America, Israel, and India.. the last bastions of free thought and speech and of course non-Muslims..
Carolyne says
“Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
Infidel, if you an Indian these fascists consider you less than dogs. why wasting your time seeking alliance with evil united states and fascist evil zionist state of Israel slaughtering muslims in India ? fascist evil zionists Will slaughter you Hindu barbarians like the cows you worship. Beaware !!
Paddy says
You can’t have people creeping around The Whitehouse holding totally diverging views than The Present himself. Bolton is upfront and a breath of fresh clean air. Best of luck to him.
Carolyne says
Some of the “Creepers” are holdovers of the Obama Administration, an anti-American group if there ever was one. They are part of the “Deep State” working to overthrow our government and accomplish their One World goals. Obama is and was a Muslim who had one objective: The overthrow of the West and install One world Government which would become the Islamic Caliphate for which Muslims have fought for 1400 years. I do not wish to hand them the civilized world on a platter without one hell of a fight.
Politicianophobia says
The truth is that Islam not only changes concepts and attitudes, but also systems and modes, laws and customs, since this change is fundamental that no relationship can remain with the jahili way of life, the life that mankind (peoplekind to Trudeau followers) is living.
John Bolton and President Trump get what the Religion of Peace folks: scholars, Imams, the Muslim Brotherhood and all the other hoods like Ibrahim are saying, “Our first task is to REPLACE jahiliyyah with ISLAMIC IDEAS and traditions”.
So Ibrahim, the thighing Master, Mad Devil Trump is on to you and your kind, but you keep looking through your rose-coloured glasses. God Bless America.
wm1 says
Finally! Some semblance of sanity and courage from this administration in facing the Islamic threat head-on.
I rather viciously offered scathing commentary, repeatedly, regarding the ill-conceived appointment of McMaster.
So, in all fairness, the president should be commended for elevating John Bolton to this strategically-critical position where he was desperately needed a year ago.
Thank you, Mr. President, for finally waking up!
Now Mattis and Kelly must go! They, too, are Islamic sympathizers (Obama holdovers) and will do whatever they can to undercut and undermine Bolton at every turn if you don’t.
Tony Holland says
Lots of hysteria over Bolton’s appointment but Trump has demonstrated very clearly that HE is head honcho and all decisions are his for a very good reason,—NorthKorea,wind the ‘rocketman’ up by exchanging insults and ‘bingo’ for the first time ever he has drawn him out of his fortress,talks with China (his only friend) and talks with Trump are on the table.Trump maybe unconventional for sure but he knows exactly what he’s doing and I think he has brought in Bolton as a ‘cattle prod’ to wind up the likes of Iran with strong rhetoric to provoke a response,good cop,bad cop.