Top Islamic Claric: "KILL THE JEWS!"

Top Islamist cleric, with rock star status acorss the Middle East, Sheikh Yousef al-Qaradawi has delivered a speech on Qatari television calling on Muslims to murder Jews "in the name of Islam." The speech has been translated by the Arabic translation service MEMRI. Again, this can 1) be ignored as the meaningless blathering of a maddman, or 2) should be taken as seriously as it was meant by the speaker. The Neocon goes with #2.

"Everything will be on our side and against Jews on Judgment Day, at that time, even the stones and the trees will speak, with or without words, and say: "Oh servant of Allah, oh Muslim, there's a Jew behind me, come and kill him." They will point to the Jews. It says "servant of Allah," not "servant of desires," "servant of women," "servant of the bottle," "servant of Marxism," or "servant of liberalism"... It said servant of Allah. When the Muslims, the Arabs, and the Palestinians enter a war, they do it to worship Allah. They enter it as Muslims. The hadith says: "Oh Muslim." It says "oh Muslim," not "oh Palestinian, Jordanian, Syrian, or Arab nationalist." No, it says: "Oh Muslim." When we enter [a war] under the banner of Islam, and under the banner of serving Allah, we will be victorious."
Sheik Yousef Al-Qaradhawi, aired on Qatar TV on February 25, 2006.

Arab nations urged to seek UN ban on slandering religion
Musharraf must be told some harsh home truths
What Bush wants in India
Debka: Al Qaeda ultimatum for departure of all non-Muslim foreigners from Gaza


European lefty Intellectuals finally step up to the plate and declare what is obvious to any mildly informed observer; that the world is facing another "isim" that will require sacrifice and courage to defeat. Naturally, they have not yet reached the ultimate conclusion about what real steps will be needed to win in this struggle, and use soft and rather vauge language in their "manifesto"
today.

However, the good news is that the European left is finally begining to get it. It will undoubtedly take many more attorcities before reality truely sinks in for them, but like treating any addict, the first step is to recognize that there is a poroblem in the first place. This Manifesto seems to be that initial recongnition:

MANIFESTO: Together facing the new totalitarianism

After having overcome fascism, Nazism, and Stalinism, the world now faces a new totalitarian global threat: Islamism.
We, writers, journalists, intellectuals, call for resistance to religious totalitarianism and for the promotion of freedom, equal opportunity and secular values for all.

The recent events, which occurred after the publication of drawings of Muhammed in European newspapers, have revealed the necessity of the struggle for these universal values. This struggle will not be won by arms, but in the ideological field. It is not a clash of civilisations nor an antagonism of West and East that we are witnessing, but a global struggle that confronts democrats and theocrats.

Like all totalitarianisms, Islamism is nurtured by fears and frustrations. The hate preachers bet on these feelings in order to form battalions destined to impose a liberticidal and unegalitarian world. But we clearly and firmly state: nothing, not even despair, justifies the choice of obscurantism, totalitarianism and hatred. Islamism is a reactionary ideology which kills equality, freedom and secularism wherever it is present. Its success can only lead to a world of domination: man's domination of woman, the Islamists' domination of all the others. To counter this, we must assure universal rights to oppressed or discriminated people.

We reject « cultural relativism », which consists in accepting that men and women of Muslim culture should be deprived of the right to equality, freedom and secular values in the name of respect for cultures and traditions. We refuse to renounce our critical spirit out of fear of being accused of "Islamophobia", an unfortunate concept which confuses criticism of Islam as a religion with stigmatisation of its believers.

We plead for the universality of freedom of expression, so that a critical spirit may be exercised on all continents, against all abuses and all dogmas.

We appeal to democrats and free spirits of all countries that our century should be one of Enlightenment, not of obscurantism.

12 signatures

Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Chahla Chafiq
Caroline Fourest
Bernard-Henri Lévy
Irshad Manji
Mehdi Mozaffari
Maryam Namazie
Taslima Nasreen
Salman Rushdie
Antoine Sfeir
Philippe Val
Ibn Warraq

Charter explicitly details Hamas’ agenda
Good Nukes, Bad Nukes
Islamistphobia-Phobia

Op-Ed of the Day: Dennis Prager: The Left Tries to Explain Evil Doers, Not Hold Them Accountable

1) "liberals tend to blame outside forces for evil. This emanates from the secular humanistic view of people as basically good -- and therefore human evil must come not from the bad choices and bad values of the evildoer, but from the unfortunate socioeconomic and other circumstances of the person's life."

2) "as you go further left on the political spectrum, it becomes increasingly difficult to blame the "weak" for any atrocities they commit. The Left does not divide the world between good and evil nearly as much as it does between rich and poor, and between strong and weak. Israel is stronger and richer, so Palestinian terror is excused. White America is stronger and richer than black America, so black violence is excused. The West is stronger and richer than the Muslim world, so Muslim violence is explained accordingly."

3)"liberals tend to be afraid of the truly evil. That's why the liberal newspapers of America refused to publish the Danish cartoons, probably the most newsworthy cartoons ever drawn, but have never had any hesitance about showing cartoons and photos that mock Jewish and Christian symbols. Christians and Jews don't kill editors."

The Islamist Attack on Intellectual Property
Port controversy exposes cold political realities
The Internet jihad
President Bush Goes to India
Why the Left doesn't blame Muslims for Muslim violence

A Top Spokesman for the Taliban Welcomed to Yale, On US Student Visa!

John Fund delivers a remarkable article today in the Wall Street Journal. As it turns out, Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, former official ambassador-at-large for the Taliban, is now studying at Yale on a U.S. student visa. The Neocon couldn’t make this stuff up even if we tried. Of course we at the Neocon Express are not "sophisticated" enough to understand what might have possessed Yale to accept this man as a student, or what might have possessed the US government to issue him a Student Visa. This is the same Taliban leader that appeared in Michael Moore’s film Fahrenheit 9/11 admonishing an American woman for being too “outspoken.” Unless Mr. Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi delivered Osama Bin Laden on a silver platter, surely he shouldn’t be in this country on a student visa, and surely he should not be welcomed with open arms by one of our finest universities. Is it just me?
Are We Playing for Keeps?
Coast Guard: Intelligence Gaps on Dubai-owned Port Company
Dubai ports firm enforces boycott of Israel
IAEA: Iran determined to expand uranium enrichment program
Report: Iran promises Hamas $250 million in aid

Op-Ed of the Day: David Warren of the Ottawa Citizen: The Gathering Storm

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Even after the experience of the Great War, and the Depression, people on the eve of the Hitler war could not appreciate what was coming. It is only in retrospect that we understand what happened as the 1930s progressed -- when a spineless political class, eager at any price to preserve a peace that was no longer available, performed endless demeaning acts of appeasement to the Nazis; while the Nazis created additional grievances to extract more."
The above quote is just a small taste from David Warren's strong piece in today’s Ottawa Citizen. Written with clarity, reason, and with history in mind; well worth the read and highly recommended by the Neocon.

Oncoming
Power, maturity steer Christian movement
What's the alternative to promoting freedom in the Middle East?
Fund: Jihadi Turns Bulldog
VDH: Jihad & Absolute Certainty

This interesting article in Slate,Europe vs. Radical Islam, shows that even the left in the US are begining to understand the emerging clash of civilizations. Although the article can't help but take a few swipes at some on the right, the reality is slowly sinking in, that both right and left will need to be in this together if a positive future is to be molded from this mess.

europe
islam
Iran Leader: U.S. Should Give Up Nukes



Many thanks for the memories Dennis Weaver.
RIP

George Will: Freedom is the Greatest Insurance Policy against Crackpots

George will’s column today in the Washington Post tackles one of the most difficult issues for many of us. Is it intellectually consistent, or productive for that matter, to jail holocaust deniers like David Irving in Austria, while at the same time defending the virtues of free expression as it relates to the Danish cartoon issue (as an example). Does this not expose a certain hypocrisy that Islamic radicals from Osama Bin Ladin to Iran’s Ahamadinajad can harp upon? Does jailing Irving not create a free speech martyr out of a man with despicable views? Is it not far better to confront and defeat the whacky assertions of holocaust deniers in the open market of ideas, rather than suppression through a legal system with enforceable speech codes? George Will has a long record of defending freedom and a long record of defending Israel, and the Neocon tends to extend great respect to Mr. Will’s view that placing our faith in freedom is the greatest insurance policy against the views of crackpots like Mr. Irving.

Fred Barns: Bush misjudges immigration and the ports issue.
Perhaps a little Islamophobia is in Order?
Steyn: Needing to wake up, West just closes its eyes
Newsweek: India Rising
Modern world civilisations more likely to collapse than collide
Will: Less Freedom, Less Speech

Christopher Hitchens' Stocks on the Rise

Christopher Hitchens is a man that for many years I held in low esteem, even though I always admired his way with words. Time and again, he eloquently waved the flag of left-wing radicalism in a would that had already passed such nonsense by, rendering the “fellow-travelers” embarrassingly out of touch. But over the last few years, Hitchens has experienced a remarkable personal transformation and his stocks are gradually on the rise again. A talented intellectual, a first rate writer… and still on probation: Christopher Hitchens seems to understand the titanic struggle of civilizations that is in its early stages and seems determined to come out on the right side of history this time.
A pro-Denmark and pro-free speech demonstration in Washington organized by Christopher Hitchens. (Hat tip to Vital Perspective and Atlas Shrugs)

Iran: Tom and Jerry Cartoons a Jewish Conspiracy
Paki Earthquake Aid Recipients protest US
Cartoon-newspaper wins prize




The Neocon salutes Don Knotts for all the memories. RIP.




Iran: U.S., Israel destroyed Iraqi shrine
Lebanon admits it okayed arms transfer to Hezbollah

US State Department Offers Aid to Hamas Terrorist-led Government

It is sometimes difficult for the average person to identify which country the US State Department actually represents. It was only a few weeks ago that the State Department was busy condemning Danish cartoonists and the free press instead of rioting hordes burning down Western embassies.

In the latest example of unbelievable hypocrisy and poor judgment, US State Department bureaucrat David Welch promised continued US aid to a Hamas-led Palestinian Authority. Never mind that Hamas is the terror group that pioneered the concept of the Suicide Bomber and is on the State Departments own list of terrorist organizations. Mr. Welch wrapped his promises in the usual diplomatic cover-language, using the term “humanitarian” aid, and naturally, he made the promise to Hamas indirectly through the more amiable but weak Fatah leader, Abbas, hoping that this will go largely unnoticed as the major policy blunder that it is. The aid is laughingly and embarassingly discribed as "Abbas focused aid."

"The United States has long been a supporter of the Palestinian people, through a substantial contribution of our foreign assistance funds... we continue to be devoted to the humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people and it shall remain so," Welch said, despite the fact that the “Palestinian people” that he supports just elected in a landslide one of the worlds most ruthless terror organizations as their representatives. So much for the “War on Terror.”


The fascists of free speech
John Howard: The sweetest anniversary
A Step Back From War
Kristol: The Long War
Buckley: It didn't Work, Iraq is Lost
Homeland Security Objected to Ports Deal
Al-Qaeda 'behind Saudi oil plot'
Blankly: All praise Prof. Alan Dershowitz
Coulter: SO, THREE MUSLIMS WALK INTO A PORT
Feder: Islamic immigration & The Death of Europe
State Department to Hamas: US aid Money to Continue
Terrorism
Bush’s Port Jihad

Another Day, Another Horror in the War of Civilizations

Cries of "vive la France" and "la justice" accompanied President Jacques Chirac, his wife Bernadette and Premier Dominique de Villepin last night as they left the memorial evening held here yesterday for Ilan Halimi.
The ceremony, which was held in the Grand Synagogue on rue de la Victoire, was seen by many in the Jewish community as the state leaders' formal declaration that anti-Semitism was to blame for the horrific kidnapping, torture and murder of the 23-year-old Parisian.

At 5 P.M., two hours before the ceremony's official opening, police cars surrounded the synagogue area. Police at roadblocks inspected the bag of everyone who entered the area. Hundreds of thousands of people crowded on either side of the street, waiting their turn to enter the synagogue. At the synagogue's entrance police used metal detectors and checked the identity cards and passports of all who pushed in.

The synagogue's 3,000 seats were full, dozens more mourners stood in the aisles and many thousands remained outside and could not get in.

During the chilling ceremony, an 8-year-old read the Psalm "I will raise my eyes to the mountains, whence will come my help?" near a giant picture of Halimi.

Halimi's family and others in the Jewish community said that had the authorities admitted earlier that the young man had been attacked for being a Jew, he could possibly have been saved.

Halimi was found dying, covered with burns and cuts, on Monday February 13. He had been kidnapped three weeks earlier, after a Muslim gang sent a blonde to seduce him. Halimi had agreed to meet with her after meeting in a chat room. Immediately after his abduction his mother went to the police, saying he was kidnapped by anti-Semites. Sources in the community said three Jewish youngsters had managed to escape similar abdications in recent months.


The police told Halimi's mother, Ruth, to stop all telephone connection with the kidnappers, as a way of forcing them to use electronic mail, which was traceable.

The police did not know that during the five days in which the kidnappers tried in vain to contact Halimi's family, Halimi suffered terrible torture. One of the kidnappers said, "We put our cigarettes out on him because he was a Jew."


A Dubai Finesse
If Bush Has an Argument, Let's Hear It
Why The Left Should Cringe at The Mention of Hugo Chavez
Guards Foil Bombers at Saudi Oil Site
Iran: We'll strike Israeli Nuke Plant In Response to U.S. Attack
A Failure of the Press
Terrorism

The Neocon must concentrate entirely on business for the next 48 hours and apologies for the absence. I'LL BE BACK.

Nuke Nightmare: Living on Borrowed Time

Over ten years ago, the Neocon met with Newt Gingrich in a small private meeting in Los Angeles, in which Gingrich expressed the view that “in our life time, it is probable that we will witness the elimination of a major population center by a nuclear terrorist attack.” At the time, I remember thinking that Mr. Gingrich was probably something of an alarmist, and although I thought that he was theoretically correct, I certainly did not view it as a realistic, real-world scenario. The past few months however have convinced me that Mr. Gingrich’s fears were far more realistic than I had imagined, and I now tend to share his frightening view. This article in World Magazine is a worthwhile read on the disturbing subject.

Hamas Boosted By Iran Leader
Cash vs. Terror
Ridge: White House should explain port deal

Bad News for Bush: Carter Supports Him on The Port Issue

Bad news for President Bush on the US port issue. Former President Jimmy Carter has come to the Presidents defense on this escalating matter, which is a sure indication that the President is on the wrong side of the issue. The Neocon is generally a strong supporter of the President, but this is a no-win political situation for the President, as well as a real potential security miscalculation. Mr. President, when Jimmy Carter is coming out for you, you know it’s time to reconsider.
Joe Gelman
Security
Russia's role in the Middle East


QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"Our nation is on the threshold of new energy technology that I think will startle the American people," Bush said. "We're on the edge of some amazing breakthroughs - breakthroughs all aimed at enhancing our national security and our economic security and the quality of life of the folks who live here in the United States."
President George W. Bush
>

Insider Exclusive: Steve Emerson and Daniel Pipes Update on Terror War.

By Si Frumkin
Between the two of them Steven Emerson and Daniel Pipes probably know more about the ways of Islamic terrorism than any other pair of experts anywhere.

Steven Emerson heads up an organization that has penetrated and exposed the anti-American Jihaddist network long before 9/11. His book and video “American Jihad – the Terrorists Living Among Us” are acknowledged to be the basic sources of information about domestic terror cells within the Moslem community. Our intelligence establishment prior to 9/11 largely discounted his opinions and advice but this has changed. The evidence and analysis he provided turned out to be both invaluable and accurate, and he is now working closely with our security organizations as an advisor, partner and colleague.

Dr. Daniel Pipes is a prolific author and columnist with a doctorate from Harvard. He believes that the Middle East crisis can only be solved by a decisive Israeli victory. A founder of Campus Watch, a website that identifies and opposes pro-Islam and anti-Israel bias on college campuses, Dr. Pipes was recently appointed, by President Bush, to the prestigious Board of U. S. Institute of Peace, a Congressionally sponsored think tank. The appointment was made over vociferous objections of the ACLU, Tikkun, the usual Muslim groups, liberal Jewish leaders and left-leaning Senators, including of course, the two from California as well as Ted Kennedy.

I have known both Emerson and Pipes for a number of years and was invited to hear them both at an evening event in a secluded Beverly Hills restaurant. It was a fundraiser – underwritten by an anonymous sponsor – that drew over 300 people who paid $500 each to listen, question and learn.

With Dennis Prager as the moderator, Emerson and Pipes presented a disturbing view of a problematic future for Israel and the U.S. We are facing a time of struggle, conflict and – just maybe, if we remain steadfast - an eventual victory for our side.

Steven Emerson surprised many of us when he said that the FBI is now doing a good job in penetrating and keeping track of Moslem groups. He was, however, somewhat critical of the FBI’s policy of legitimizing some of the groups that are seen as non-violent and, therefore, not dangerous: our government makes a clear distinction between ideas and actions and is willing to coexist with those who limit their activities to ideas. .

Both speakers emphasized that their primary goal was to give credible information to political leaders so that policy could be formulated by knowledge rather than wishful thinking. Both praised the administration for its refusal to compromise the nation’s security for the sake of political expedience and both gave credit to President Bush for the absence of terror attacks in the U.S. for the last 4 years. U.S. has responded with force after 9/11 and has continued fighting terror both at home and abroad. Any hesitation under previous administrations has always been interpreted as a weakness by our enemies leading to an increase of terror activities. During the Clinton administration when our responses to terror were weak, ambiguous and ineffectual. – Somalia and USS Cole are prime examples – the terrorists were encouraged to strike again.

One of the main points of the evening’s presentation was the ongoing self-examination searching for causes of hatred by the Islamic terrorists. Both Pipes and Emerson emphatically agree that the “What did we do to make the Moslems so angry?” question is largely responsible for the pressure by the West on Israel. Israeli occupation and oppression, Palestinian suffering, the security fence, Sharon’s visit to the Temple Mount and U.S. support for Israel are used as explanations – as wrong as they are - for Arab rage. This makes criticism of Israel almost obligatory, moral and even admirable while at the same time minimizing the responsibility of the Islamo-fascists. Their hatred is too irrational to explain or comprehend; in the words of Steven Emerson, “If there is no reason for the violence then one must be created, even if it goes back to the Crusades”.

Daniel Pipes believes that Western elites are educated to believe that there have to be rational explanations for human behavior. But this mentality does not seem to exist in Moslem societies. Our goal must be, therefore, to defeat the enemy, not to rehabilitate him. On the other hand, Islam itself is not the root of the problem – there is nothing to prevent Islam from being interpreted more rationally.

It was during the question and answer part that I asked a question which, to my surprise, appeared to stump both experts. But I did get a surprisingly simple answer to it, from another venue, just a few days later.

I asked why the Iranian Moslems who represent about 80% of U.S. immigrants from Iran have not been involved in anti-American activities or propaganda. Even as tensions between Iran and the U.S. have grown, there are no demonstrations, pronouncements and statements by American- Iranians. (Most recently, in New York, on February 15, a Moslem demonstration against the 12 Danish cartoons was described by the media as “…drawing South Asians, Arabs, African-Americans and others” with no mention of any Iranian participation.) Both Emerson and Pipes appeared surprised by the question, acknowledged that my premise was correct and seemed to have no explanation.

I will address this topic in a future article.
Terrorism

Most Honest World Leader: Australia's John Howard

Always searching far and wide for the world’s most impressive leaders, the Neocon keeps coming back to conservative John Howard of Australia. Entering his 10th year in office, reelected time and again, sometimes controversial but widely respected for his straight talk and clear thinking.

Howard’s latest remarks have caused a stir in Australia: “…a commitment to jihad and extreme attitudes towards women are two problems unique to Muslims that previous intakes of migrants from Europe did not have….We want people when they come to Australia to adopt Australian ways, we don't ask them to forget the countries of their birth, we respect all religious points of views and people are entitled to practise them but there are certainly things that are not part of the Australian mainstream. There is within some sections of the Islamic community an attitude towards women which is out of line with mainstream Australian society It needs to be dealt with by the broader community, including Islamic Australia. There is really not much point in pretending it doesn't exist." Bravo john howard
Congressmen threaten probe of U.S. seaports deal
Islamic Radicals Call for More Protests
Cheering tidbits lighten otherwise grim week
What Will Europe Really Do?
When Cartoons Met the Muslim World
Cartoon protesters threaten to join al Qaeda

University of Teheran Openly Recruits Suicide bombers!

Fox News showed images Sunday night of an auditorium filled with well-dressed and well-spoken students at the University of Tehran, lectured on the glories of suicide bombing and urged to "sign up."
Upon attending the course, students were asked to choose against whom they would most like to carry out a suicide bombing. Among the choices were Israel, Americans in Iraq, and Salman Rushdie, who has an Iranian death sentence on his head for the publication of his book The Satanic Verses.
The students were shown videos as incitement, including a mob burning a Danish flag, Palestinians clashing with Israeli forces, and footage from the war in Iraq. On the stage was a sign in English, Hebrew and Persian. The text in all languages said the same thing: "Israel must be wiped off the map."
A student leader of the organization that set up the recruitment event said that they currently have 1,000 loyal and trained suicide bombers, with another 5,000 on a waiting list.

REFRESHING: Boston Paper Admits its Cartoon Decisions Based on Fear

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: We are not publishing the cartoons..."Out of fear of retaliation from the international brotherhood of radical and bloodthirsty Islamists who seek to impose their will on those who do not believe as they do. This is, frankly, our primary reason for not publishing any of the images in question. Simply stated, we are being terrorized, and as deeply as we believe in the principles of free speech and a free press, we could not in good conscience place the men and women who work at the Phoenix and its related companies in physical jeopardy. As we feel forced, literally, to bend to maniacal pressure, this may be the darkest moment in our 40-year publishing history."

The Neocon Express wishes to congratulate the Boston Phoenix (Boston's "alternative" Newspaper) for being the first and only paper in the country to openly admit to fear as the primary reason for their failure to publish the cartoons. The Neocon respects the Phoenix's honesty. It is not the Phoenix, but the other slimy double-talking Editors who claim high-minded motives for their hypocritical dishonesty that disgusts the Neocon. Fear, as the Phoenix admit, is bad, but dishonesty is far worse.
When fear cows the media
Islam
mohammed cartoons
Chertoff defends Arab control of U.S. ports; Says "assurances provided."
Muslims Assault U.S. Embassy in Indonesia
Cartoon protesters defy ban in Pakistan
Irreconcilable differences

Thank You Mr. Flemming Rose, Stay Strong

Dear Mr. Flemming Rose,
Cultural Editor of Jyllands-Posten.
This letter is to thank you for your recent article in the Washington Post explaining the entire cartoon issue with such clarity and reason. But more importantly, to thank you for your courage, which is more than can be said for most editors here in the Untied States who have proven themselves to be pathetic cowards and hypocrites. The public threats against you, the bounties put on your head by fanatic Islamic Imams are no laughing matter and I'm quite sure that you did not seek to be in this uncomfortable position; a symbol of Western freedom and resolve against tyranny and fanaticism. But now that you have been thrust by circumstance into this position, I ask of you to continue to show resolve and strength, unapologetic and proud, in the name of all of us who cherish our freedoms in the West. If there is any issue that is worth taking a risk for, it is freedom, and you should feel privileged to have been given the opportunity to carry the flag. Thank you.
Joe Gelman

The Neocon urges all its readers to send a quick note of encouragment to Mr. Flemming Rose, a man under siege for having published the rather miled Danish cartoons that have created this manufactured hysteria in much of the Muslim wolrd. Mr Rose is the Cultural Editor of Jyllands-Posten and is under constant threat. Mr.Rose can be reached at:flemming.rose@jp.dk
Cartoons
Precriminations
Make no mistake folks, this is what we are up against, in their own words.

The Intelligence Summit In Washington Releases Saddam Tapes

The International Intelligence Summit in Washington DC released hours of audio tapes and transcripts of recordings of private Saddam Hussein conversations discovered in Baghdad following the arrival of US forces. The Neocon has not had time to sift through this rather extensive treasure-trove of information, but encourages all blogers with some time on their hands to spend time analyzing this material and posting observations. Undoubtedly, as has happened before on other issues, the blogospher will uncover details and angles that others may have missed.

WSJ: 'Pappy' Shot Down by University of Washington Ignoramuses

It's well known that college students today aren't as educated in our nation's history as they should be, but it's still hard to grasp the mind-bending political correctness just displayed by the University of Washington's student senate at its campus in Seattle.

The issue before the Senate this month was a proposed memorial to World War II combat pilot Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, a 1933 engineering graduate of the university, who was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his service commanding the famed "Black Sheep" squadron in the Pacific. The student senate rejected the memorial because "a Marine" is not "an example of the sort of person UW wants to produce."

Digging themselves in deeper, the student opponents of the memorial indicated: "We don't need to honor any more rich white males." Other opponents compared Boyington's actions during World War II with murder.

"I am absolutely bewildered that the Student Senate voted down the resolution," Brent Ludeman, the president of the UW College Republicans, told me. He noted that despite the deficiencies of the UW History Department, the complete ignorance of Boyington's history and reputation by the student body was hard to fathom. After all, "Black Sheep Squadron," a 1970s television show portraying Colonel Boyington's heroism as a pilot and Japanese prisoner of war, still airs frequently on the History Channel. Apparently, though, it's an unusual UW student who'd be willing to learn any U.S. history even if it's spoonfed to him by TV.


As for the sin of honoring a rich white male, Mr. Ludeman points out that Boyington (who died in 1988) was neither rich nor white. He happened to be a Sioux Indian, who wound up raising his three children as a single parent. "Colonel Boyington is luckily not around to see how ignorant students at his alma mater can be today," says Kirby Wilbur, a morning talk show host at Seattle's KVI Radio. Perhaps the trustees and alumni of the school will now help educate them.

-- John Fund

Cartoon Riots: The Liberal News Media are Mickey Mouse

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
"If the liberal news media in America admitted they feared being hurt if they showed the cartoons, then one would have respect for their honesty, if not for their courage. But the liberal news media's lack of courage coupled with their dishonest justifications make for a devastating commentary on American news media.
When it comes to taking on conservatives, Catholics, Evangelicals and the like, liberal news media are Supermen. When it comes to confronting real evil, however, the news media are Mickey Mouse."
Dennis Prager

Islamic truths
Why No Nukes for Iran?
Iran's Defensive Strategy
We Should All Be Cheering for General "Mush"
Hamas Takes Over; Rejects Recognition of Israel
15,000 Demonstrate Against Cartoons in London
Italian Embassy Torched in Lybia
16 die in cartoon protests in Nigeria
mohammed cartoon
Muslim Minister: Behead Danish cartoonist
Prosecutors probe Russian editor who reprinted Danish cartoons San Francisco Supervisor calls for disbanding of the US Military
Chief Mufti of Russia Urges Violence Against Gays:
Small Town US Paper Threatened Over Cartoons
A Mullah’s-Eye View of the World

US sides with Muslims in cartoon dispute

Fashionable Thinking About Defense Ignores The Great Threats Of Our Time

Below is part of an essay (linked in full above) written by Ralph Peters for the Weekly Standard, about "The Counterrevolutions in Military Affairs." I found the below observations of the Suicide Bomber to be insightful and disturbing. Well worth the read:

Not a single item in our trillion-dollar arsenal can compare with the genius of the suicide bomber--the breakthrough weapon of our time. Our intelligence systems cannot locate him, our arsenal cannot deter him, and, all too often, our soldiers cannot stop him before it is too late. A man of invincible conviction--call it delusion, if you will--armed with explosives stolen or purchased for a handful of soiled bills can have a strategic impact that staggers governments. Abetted by the global media, the suicide bomber is the wonder weapon of the age.

The suicide bomber's willingness to discard civilization's cherished rules for warfare gives him enormous strength. In the Cain-and-Abel conflicts of the 21st century, ruthlessness trumps technology. We refuse to comprehend the suicide bomber's soul--even though today's wars are contests of souls, and belief is our enemy's ultimate order of battle. We write off the suicide bomber as a criminal, a wanton butcher, a terrorist. Yet, within his spiritual universe, he's more heroic than the American soldier who throws himself atop a grenade to spare his comrades: He isn't merely protecting other men, but defending his god. The suicide bomber can justify any level of carnage because he's doing his god's will. We agonize over a prisoner's slapped face, while our enemies are lauded as heroes for killing innocent masses (even of fellow believers). We continue to narrow our view of warfare's acceptable parameters even as our enemies amplify the concept of total war.

Islamist terrorists, to cite the immediate example, would do anything

to win. Our enemies act on ecstatic revelations from their god. We act on the advice of lawyers. It is astonishing that we have managed to hold the line as well as we have.

The ultimate precision weapon, the suicide bomber simultaneously redefines the scope of "legitimate" targets. Delighted to kill our troops, this implacable enemy who regards death as a promotion is equally ready to slaughter men, women, and children of unknown identity who have done him no harm. His force of will towers over our own. He cannot win wars on the traditional battlefields we cherish, but his commitment and actions transcend such tidy limits. In the moment of his deed, the suicide bomber is truly larger than life. The world's a stage, and every suicide bomber is, at least briefly, a star.


We will develop the means to defeat the majority of, if not all, improvised explosive devices. But the suicide bomber--the living, thinking assassin determined to die--may prove impossible to stop. Even if we discover a means to identify him at a distance from our troops, he has only to turn to easier targets. Virtually anything the suicide bomber attacks brings value to his cause--destruction of any variety is a victory. The paradox is that his act of self-destruction is also an undeniable assertion that "I am," as he becomes the voice from below that the mighty cannot ignore. We are trained to think in terms of cause and effect--but the suicide bomber merges the two. The gesture and the result are inseparable from and integral to his message. Self-destruction and murder join to become the ultimate act of self-assertion.


And his deed is heralded, while even our most virtuous acts are condemned around the world. Even in the days before mass media, assassins terrorized civilizations. Today, their deeds are amplified by a toxic, breathtakingly irresponsible communications culture that spans the globe. Photogenic violence is no longer a local affair--if a terrorist gives the media picturesque devastation, he reaches the entire planet. We cannot measure the psychological magnification, although we grasp it vaguely. And the media's liturgical repetition of the suicide bomber's act creates an atmosphere of sacrament. On a primal level, the suicide bomber impresses even his enemies with his conviction. We hasten to dismiss his deed as a perversion, yet it resounds as a vivid act of faith. Within his own cultural context, people may hate what the suicide bomber does, yet revere his sacrifice (and, too often, they do not hate what he does).



We may refuse to accept it, but suicide bombing operates powerfully on practical, emotional, and spiritual levels--and it generates dirt-cheap propaganda. To the Muslim world, the suicide bomber's act is a proof of faith that ensnares the mind with a suspicion of his righteousness. He is a nearly irresistible champion of the powerless, the Middle East's longed-for superhero, the next best thing to the Mahdi or the Twelfth Imam.

We praise Nathan Hale's willingness to die for his cause. Now imagine thousands of men anxious to die for theirs. The suicide bomber may be savage, brutal, callous, heartless, naive, psychotic, and, to us, despicable, but within his milieu he is also heroic.


The hallmark of our age is the failure of belief systems and a subsequent flight back to primitive fundamentalism--and the phenomenon isn't limited to the Middle East. Faith revived is running roughshod over science and civilization. Secular societies appear increasingly fragmented, if not fragile. The angry gods are back. And they will not be defeated with cruise missiles or computer codes.

Neocon Op-Ed Winner of the day: VDH; Appeasement 101: Dealing with bullies. Interview of the Week Goes to Newsweek

Victor Davis Hanson wins the Neocon Op-Ed of the day. With clartiy, reason and truth, VDH cuts through the bull, provides historic context and shows the way forward with confidence:

"...either the West will continue to stand up now to these reoccurring post-Sept. 11, 2001, threats, or it will see the bullies' demands only increase as its own resistance weakens. Like the appeasement of the 1930s, opting for the easier choice will only guarantee a more costly one later on."

The Inerview of the week goes to Rod Nordland of Newsweek Magazine for an interview by telephone of Mohammed al-Asaadi, a Yemini Editor jailed and threatened with execution for "insulting the prophet."

U.S. asks Palestinians to return $50 million in aid
In Libya, 11 reportedly die in cartoon protests
US lags in propaganda war: Rumsfeld
Venezuela Warns It May Halt Oil Sales to US
American news media: little courage and little honesty

DEVELOPING: Religious Fatwas And $1,000,000 Bounty for Killing of Danish Cartoon Creators!

The Cartoon war took an ominous turn today. Now Islamic clerics are beginning to offer up to $1,000,000 bounties on the heads of the Western cartoon creators. One Mosque is offering $25,000 and a car for the head one of the Danish cartoon creators. Talk about intimidation! The Western Editors who caved in to this type of intimidation are only guaranteeing that it will have the effect that these clerics are looking for, and more importantly are guaranteeing an ever mounting escalation of intimidation, as we now see.

Appeasement 101: Dealing with bullies
Al Gore's Embittered Remarks
Saudi Arabia bad spot for Gore attack on U.S. policy
Ahmadinejad on the warpath
Iran calls on UK troops to pull out of Basra
Interesting Times: Playing pretend
Chavez Calls U.S. 'Crazy'
Western and Islamic ideologies clash
cartoons
Hamas: Hizbullah funded us
What is Al Gore thinking?
Uproar over U.S. ports

Why Israel Should Keep Its Nukes

By Abraham Rabinovich Feb 16, 2006,

JERUSALEM, Israel (UPI) -- Defenders of Israel`s right to possess nuclear arms note that it is the only nation threatened with annihilation by neighbors. An argument no less telling is that Israel is the only state to have refrained from using, or flaunting, its alleged nuclear capability even when its back was to the wall.

In calling this month for a Middle East free of unconventional weapons, the International Atomic Energy Agency was clearly pointing at Israel in an attempt to make efforts to block Iran`s nuclear program more palatable to Muslim countries.

Israel, however, has already demonstrated an impressive measure of responsibility in matters nuclear. On the fourth day of the Yom Kippur War, its leaders were facing a situation more dire than any envisaged in worst case scenarios. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan returned from Sinai before dawn to the underground war room in Tel Aviv to report the failure of Israel`s counterattack on the southern front the day before. The division commanded by Ariel Sharon, one of the few generals not stunned into ineffectiveness by the surprise Egyptian-Syrian attack, had been dispatched over his objections on a fruitless maneuver while the remaining Israeli forces were driven back with heavy losses. On the Syrian front, part of the Golan Heights had already fallen and the front commander was preparing possible retreat from the rest of the heights.

The vaunted Israeli Air Force, which six years before had virtually won the Six Day War by itself, was neutralized over the battlefields by Soviet-supplied anti-aircraft missiles. Having been caught with its reserves un-mobilized, Israel was still unable to find its footing.

As Gen. Yisrael Tal, deputy chief of staff, would put it years later: 'The war was perceived at that point not just as desperate but as a war for our physical and national existence, nothing less.'

Gripped by that black vision, Dayan, Israel`s military icon, was warning those about him that 'the Third Temple is in danger.' The first two temples in Jerusalem had been destroyed by the Babylonians and Romans in antiquity. The Third Temple was analogy for the modern state of Israel.

Prime Minister Golda Meir was so unnerved by Dayan`s gloom that she briefly contemplated suicide, as she would later reveal in her memoirs. The situation was desperate enough for Dayan to propose distributing anti-tank weapons to civilians in case the Arabs broke through.

On that fourth morning, as Chief of Staff Gen. David Elazar reviewed options with his generals, one of them suggested resorting to 'special means,' according to published reports. This term is generally taken to mean nuclear weapons. Gen. Rehavam Ze`evi, who would years later found a right-wing party, supported the idea. However, it was vigorously opposed by Tal and another general. Chief of Staff Elazar, whose steadiness was one of Israel`s major assets, let the suggestion die.

Within hours, the tide on the Golan began to turn in the fiercest tank battles since the Second World War and Israel was spared the ultimate moment of truth.

It can be presumed that any nation possessed of nuclear weapons would give at least a passing thought to their use if it senses existential danger. The fact that Israel did not even threaten their use in its darkest hour reflects a sense of responsibility that negates any equation with Iran which has threatened Israel`s annihilation even before it has a nuclear bomb.

The high command did decide on one far-reaching measure that day -- an air strike against Syrian military headquarters in Damascus. Prime Minister Meir at first opposed any bombing of a city. She was finally persuaded that the Syrians needed to be reminded of their vulnerability to deter them from sending their armored divisions across the border. She insisted, however, that civilian targets be avoided.

The Nobel Prize-winning scholar Thomas Schelling has cited four instances in which a country possessing nuclear weapons might have been tempted to use them against a non-possessor but didn`t -- the early stages of the Korean War, Vietnam, the Yom Kippur War and the Soviet war in Afghanistan. Of these, he suggests, the most impressive

example of restraint was Afghanistan since the Soviets, never suspected of
squeamishness, proved willing to lose a humiliating war rather than play their nuclear card. However, Israel was not confronting defeat in a foreign adventure but its own mortality. Given its record and given its neighborhood, Israel deserves the comfort of a discreet weapon of last resort.

(Abraham Rabinovich is the author of 'The Yom Kippur War,' hailed as the definitive study of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war.)
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