FOREIGN AFFAIRS- THE ISLAMIC FASCIST PROBLEM
RETURN TO AMERICAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS
11/04/07 President Pervez Musharraf, for the 2nd time, declares military rule in Pakistan. We have been watching a very dicey political situation in Pakistan for some time now, with an increasing threat of an IslamicFascist political takeover of a nuclear armed country. Consistent polling suggests that a solid majority of Pakistanis are not inclined jihadists, however, infiltration by jihadists into key intelligence and national security positions, and the courts, have made control of the situation difficult for Musharraf. So he has made his move. Let us pray that he is correct. It remains to be seen; everything in Pakistan, and Waziristan, is at stake; a very touchy situation. JES
06/20/07 Again it is time for the Mountain Observer to be blunt about Iraq. Our activities in Iraq are central to the entire effort against IslamicFascism. In the opinion of this observer, our efforts there have been successful way beyond the hopes and plans of the original authors of the policy of pre-emption against Saddam Hussein. The original thinking was "better over there than in Central Park", and that was, and remains, the fundamental logic. Far more successfully than many originally imagined, the IslamicFascists have taken the bait, and by their own admission have bought into the idea that Iraq is the focal point of the fight. They recognize, and have openly acknowledged, that it is in Iraq that they will succeed or fail. We have got them right where we want them. There has been a steep learning curve on our part, and mistakes in tactical strategy have been made along the way, however the underling strategic logic has been correct all along. Our primary problem today with the whole matter of confronting IslamicFascism is not Iraq, Iran, Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, or the French. Our problem today is ourselves and our willingness to believe in ourselves and the legitimacy of our own American Purpose. In our history we have been up against this wall before; again our national character is being tested. We can either choose to prevail, which we most certainly can do, or slink back into the backwater of history with the condemnation and approbation of future generations that appeasement and surrender would most surely deserve. I could go on. General David Petraeus, carry on. JES
06/08/07 Finally, thankfully, the inside brokered deal in Congress over amnesty for illegal immigrants falls apart in the Senate. We have just witnessed Congress at its worst. In the opinion of this observer, passage of this legislative monstrosity would have been fatal to the continued existence of the nation. George W. Bush, you are now on your own. In the course of this process, you have stabbed us, your own base, in the back. This came as no surprise; we have watched this storm approaching for a long time. I do not doubt your honesty and sincerity, and never have. Your recognition of the threat of the international threat against the West after 09/11, and your decision to preemptively target Afghanistan and Iraq as you did were absolutely correct. However, in the execution department you are an absolute bumbler, both foreign and domestic. I am too disgusted at the moment to write the list here now, and in any event I would just be repeating myself anyway. This matter of your ideas about border security and amnesty for illegal aliens however, just pushes everything over the top. General David Petraeus, who is now running the show, carry on. I look forward to your forthcoming report in September. For Iraq, it will be determinative. It is ironic that your boss in the White House, by his own actions and operational decisions, has done as much to undermine the War on IslamicFascism in several ways as all the Democrats and RINOs in Congress, and those Americans who elected them. This observer fears that another 09/11 event, perhaps nuclear, will be necessary to get folk's heads on straight. JES
01/12/07 President Bush outlines some adjustments in policy and procedure for Iraq on 01/10/07. For the complete text of his speech, and comments by the Mountain Observer, go to GEO. W. BUSH NEW LOOK AT IRAQ. The President is finally headed off in the right direction. In his defense, in the matter of combating IslamicFascism, we should all acknowledge that the nature of the challenge is without precedent in modern times; a learning curve for all has been at hand. I repeat words from his speech: "And all involved [with objections or new ideas] have a responsibility to explain how the path they propose would be more likely to succeed." Whether you agree with the President, or not, overall, or in the details, the fact of the matter is that he is the first Commander-in-Chief to draw a line and stand up to IslamicFascism, decades in ascendancy. It disturbs our comfort. I will be more direct about it than he. If you just think Bush is a liar, or are otherwise unable to say anything intelligent, then just shut up and go sit in the corner. JES
12/24/06 On a recently surfaced tape Ayman al Zawahri, al Qaeda No. 2 man (the Egyptian doctor), talks directly to U.S. Democrats: "The first is that you aren't the ones who won the midterm elections, nor are the Republicans the ones who lost. Rather, the Mujahideen -- the Muslim Ummah's vanguard in Afghanistan and Iraq -- are the ones who won, and the American forces and their Crusader allies are the ones who lost, --------and if you don't refrain from the foolish American policy of backing Israel, occupying the lands of Islam and stealing the treasures of the Muslims, then await the same fate," Zawahri quite evidently feels himself and the IslamicFascist cause well puffed up, as we predicted they would. We eagerly await Nancy Pelosi's response. JES
11/15/06 Within the orbit of Iraqi politics it has grown increasingly apparent that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is the weak link in the chain, and in a sensible world, should be removed. Meanwhile, the so-called Baker- Iraq Study Group, an euphemism for How Best to Surrender Without Telling Anybody Group, emboldened by a voter decision to cut and run, like most committees, flounders around in its attempt to substitute defeat for victory. What none of this motley bunch seems to realize is that we had the jihadists right where we wanted them: over there, not over here. The war in Iraq had been more successful than originally anticipated in drawing IslamicFascists physically to a central point where they could have been dealt with in a terminal fashion. But no, we have inverted victory into defeat, as will become apparent in the years ahead. The likes of Osama bin Laden, and John Francois Kerry, the French looking guy, ex-pretender to the office des le roi des Etats Unis, who also served in Vietnam, seem to have prevailed. Americans, be proud of yourselves. What an absolute mess. JES
11/08/06 History will come to record that yesterday the worldwide IslamicFascist agenda scored a huge victory in its war with the west. Osama bin Laden was right: America cut and ran, Such is the objective reality of the situation, forthcoming denials of reality notwithstanding. The consequences will take decades to repair the damage, if, indeed, that will ever be possible at all.
As for the Democrats, the mob will demand a revolution, and the professional politicians, having overfed the fish, will be unable to deliver. The problem with their rhetoric in opposition is that it has been totally lacking in substance, for years. Socialism does not work, and neither will a policy of "cut and run", however disguised. Terrorists will see it for exactly what it is: retreat and surrender, making inevitable another 09/11 event(s). Today our country is in a world of hurt, and apparently most do not even recognize this. As reality unfolds, expect the Dems to start fighting among themselves in a more public way. The handy target, and excuse, will continue to be George W. Bush, sufficiently so that an alert GOP might be able to capitalize on voter weariness of this overworked point before November 2008. However I would bet against such GOP capability. The party is feckless and as intellectually broken as the Democrats are mentally ill. Among other things, what we have just witnessed is the death of Compassionate Conservatism, a silly idea from the beginning. The party, and George W. Bush, ran away from their own base; betraying us with huge spending, walking away from small government, surrendering on certain social issues, e.g. affirmative action, and failing to take borders seriously be they with Mexico or Iran and Syria. The war in Iraq, never successfully portrayed as at the heart of the worldwide war against IslamicFascism that it certainly is, has been crippled from the beginning with too much pandering to an international audience most of whom are not our friends. The President has allowed his policies to be subverted by Vladimir Putin, Kofi Annan, Hu Jintao, Teddy The Swimmer, "Pinch" Sulzberger, Susan Estrogen, and Vicente Fox (This, of course, the short list).
What many do not seem to realize is that the Lord cannot be voted out of office, however much some try. JES
11/01/06 Now as it turns out, in chasing Osama bin Laden, perhaps we have not been chasing the real guy, but a decoy so to speak. A new theory is beginning to emerge within the intelligence community that, perhaps, the real guy is one Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, aka KSM, aka Mukhtar, currently in detention somewhere as a guest of U.S. intelligence assets. KSM is a member of al Qaeda, but this was not always so. As Mukhtar, he is described as the real mastermind behind the 09/11 attacks, as well as a number of the now well documented al Qaeda attacks throughout the '90's. He was captured 03/01/03 in Pakistan. The link-up with al Qaeda seems to have occurred when Osama bin Laden fled to Afghanistan from the Sudan, as a matter of mutual interests. To more fully understand the significance and importance of KSM, it is necessary to reach back before the al Qaeda link. KSM is a tribal product of Baluchistan, a non existent nation much in the mold of Kurdistan, more familiar to the West as a challenge looming over the horizon. While there is reason to believe we could do business with a Kurdistan, such is not the case with a Baluchistan. To make a long story short, a very extended tribal family of whom KSM is a part, was responsible for the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, some of whom are now in jail. There is much, much more to all of this, but I'll get to it later. Meanwhile, for your information, Baluchistan touches Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and it is the Iranian connection that arouses interest because of some apparent cooperation between the Baluchistani's and Saddam Hussein during the Iraqi-Iranian war. Much more to follow, including the real objectives and motives of what we have come to know as IslamicFacism. JES
10/23/06 Regarding recently rising U.S. casualties in Iraq: while there are several possible reasons for this development, however the Mountain Observer dismisses the largely convenient explanation of Rahmadon. There is no doubt in my mind that what is going on here is IslamicFascist participation in the American elections, with seeming success. Clear-eyed objective observers should have little difficulty in gauging IslamicFascist preferences. We pray that American voters are as astute. JES
10/19/06 Irrespective of the outcome of the American elections in November, a major war, most likely involving nuclear exchange, is on the way. I have no desire to sound hyperbolic, nor do I grandstand. I am simply connecting the dots of objective reality, and it is not pleasant. JES
10/07/06 Somalian Ayaan Hirsi Ali. We hope to hear more about her, and from her, in the future. Welcome to America. Pay attention to this woman's story. JES
10/07/06 How much longer are we going to allow Iran and the United Nations to run our foreign policy before we lower the boom ? JES
09/28/06 The difficulty with a Senate almost evenly divided along partisan lines, in the more subtle sense of Liberal v. Conservative, is the power of individual Senators, drunk with self-importance, to disrupt what is in the interest of the polity, especially dangerous in times of war. Dressed in apparently principled, but frequently self-serving rhetoric, and perhaps even believing it themselves, certain Senators seem not to be able to resist the temptation to stand on the tracks of history. So it is that a Senate, forced by a similarly puffed up Supreme Court decision to extend beyond recognition Article 3 of the Geneva Convention, is charged with the duty of fabricating a band-aid fix to the Court's transgression. Enter John McCain, and two wannabes, offering specious arguments irrelevant and counter-productive to the issue at hand. The issue at hand is the ability of American intelligence operatives to question and obtain information from captured terrorists without themselves being subject to prosecution by either the so-called International Court or Senator Dick Durbin and friends.
Finally, after weeks of political grandstanding, and an explanation by the President that in the face of an unsatisfactory product from Congress the relevant programs would grind to a halt, the Senate caves, having been thrown a couple of fish to ease the hurt. Operations at Guantanamo will continue in a fashion already much too comfortable for the guests. JES
09/27/06 For the last few days I have stood by and witnessed in wonderment at the absurdity of the most recent attempt on the part of cut and run appeasers to undermine and subvert the real American Project against IslamicFascism, aka the War on Terror. Again, subversives from somewhere within the sprawling Intelligence Community selectively leak portions of the recently updated National Intelligence Estimate, properly classified for national security reasons, to the New York Times, the national flagship of anti-Americanism and the semi-official mouth piece of those with a far Left, or otherwise fortress America, agenda. The President, caught in the midst of a highly divided and partisan political season, concludes, for political reasons, that he has no choice but to declassify the entire document, enabling the IslamicFascist world insights, knowledge of which iare detrimental to our national security and the safety of our own forces, raising again the true motives of those who clamor so for the blood of our President (They continue to recommend impeachment and/or assassination). The central focus, or "revelation", has to do with claims in the report that our policies, especially relating to Iraq, have been counterproductive by creating hatred and new waves of jihadists that did not previously exist.
Perhaps, and perhaps not. Given the twisted mental conditions of Islamic fantasizers, how does one actually measure, or differentiate, between those previously and consciously committed from those consciously or sub-consciously ripe for the call? The difficulties we have encountered in Iraq have only elevated the wisdom of the original effort by drawing out into the open the full dimensions of the worldwide problem for the West of IslamicFascism. As the IslamicFascist world has exposed itself, we have removed some of their key players. The President correctly stated after 09/11 that we faced a long tough pull against forces that we admittedly did not well understand. It took the West 70 years to defeat the threat posed by the USSR, a battle arguably still not closed. Against an asymmetrical challenge posed by non-statist proxies of an extreme fascist ideology dressed up as a religion, we have yet to recognize that there is no political solution, and that attempts to speak and act otherwise are only read as weakness and cause for encouragement.
After 09/11, to have avoided the inevitable confrontation with Saddam Hussein, consistent with the foreign policy constructs of the previous administration, would only have continued to add fuel to this fire. Afghanistan was not enough, nor is Afghanistan and Iraq. Many of our current problems arise directly from the existence of our own domestic dispute, demonstrably encouraging to the jihadists. There is a portion of the Constitution that is cogent, but we have had patience, aka compassionate conservatism, and would prefer to defer to a diagnosis of Left wing idiocy.
So, for the sake of discussion, let us stipulate as accurate the premise and conclusions of the National Intelligence Estimate, that our policies have created jihadists that would not otherwise exist. My response to this is "So What". Our choice is to continue to cave before thuds and bullies, or to say "enough is enough". "Nuanced" responses are a cave-in, fooling only ourselves, and feeding the crocodile one fish at a time. Objections that we committing ourselves to a project for which we do not have the resources to sustain only invite the question as to how seriously do we take our own survival. The United States, real Americans, are not interested in empire; we just want to live alone in peace. That requires that sometimes it is necessary to dust off the guns. Those who hate cowboys need to get out of the way, or move to France. The existential reality is that it is High Noon at the OK corral. JES
09/16/06 It seems that Pope Benedict XVI has offended the Muslim world. or, more correctly, the Muslim world, much practiced in western theories of victimization, has embraced the opportunity to be offended. The Pope, attempting to open a dialogue about religiosity v. violence has rather met Islam as it is. Surely he will apologize for the result of his effort, but I pray for his insight to refuse, as kindly as possible, apology for his words. He spoke the truth. One hopes this will bring the world, and the Pope, to a closer understanding of the real nature of this conflict. Go to WHAT THE POPE ACTUALLY SAID 09/12/06. JES
09/01/06 Well folks, 08/31 has come and gone, and Iran has dug in its heels. From their point of view, the West has no credibility, and perhaps they are right. What they understand, and too few people in the West understand, is that there is no political solution to this problem. The problem is religious, and non negotiable. From the Islamic perspective Christians, Jews, and Secularists are all infidels and subject to destruction. It is Allah's will, and martyrdom in Allah's name is blessed. There is no room here for negotiation. This is a form of theocratic fascism completely out of control. We, of course, could simply let them twist in the wind, except for the nukes, and the suicide bombers, all very portable. Islamic believers, not simply content with their opinions, but invested with the self-righteousness of the active destruction of all non-believers, are the functional equivalent of rabid dogs, a fact not anticipated by western multiculturalists and the high priests of moral equivalence. Perhaps something to keep in mind when you go to vote this Fall. Meanwhile, the folks at Ellsworth AFB and on Diego Garcia hopefully are in a preparation mode. High noon at the OK corral is fast approaching. JES
08/27/06 Reality is fast approaching, and Iran has made its position very clear on its nuclear intentions. The West is blinded by self denial, liberal guilt, moral cowardice and intellectual obfuscation of the real world choices confronting the future of civilization. There is a choice to be made, and not much time left. President George W. Bush, you are the only person left on the planet in a position to make that choice. It is high noon at the OK corral. I believe you know that. Which way is it going to be? JES.
08/15/06 Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the Israeli Cabinet surrender to the United nations and Hezbollah in a shocking display of incompetence that Israel will surely pay a heavy price in blood for at a future date. It is a major victory for Hezbollah; that is a simple fact. About this, I am speechless. JES
08/11/06 In accepting a UN ceasefire proposal, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert screws up. Where is Benjamin Netanyahu? Absolutely unbelievable. It's not clear here whether this was the direction Bush actually intended things to go. Need more details. JES
08/09/06 Back to Lebanon. Folks, I would propose that right now the most serious question before the world is whether or not President George W. Bush is caving in to the "international community" on the issue of a "cease fire", or whether he is engaged in a strategy of "rope-a-dope", with or without Israeli complicity. Given the public record, either case could be made. Arguing the "rope-a-dope" scenario, August 22 looms large (see 08/08/06 below). Israel is in the midst of adjustments in its strategy, folding toward an ever more aggressive pursuit in Lebanon of its Hezbollah (Iranian) tormentors. No predictions here, either way; the public record is yet too murky. Either way, we are coming upon some dangerous moments that could heavily define the Century before us. The decision points that matter are Washington, Jerusalem, Tehran, Moscow and Beijing. The rest is a side show. JES
08/04/06 Shiites demonstrate in Baghdad in behalf of Hezbollah, raging against both Israelis (Jews) and Americans. What are we to make of this? To start with, we don't make out of it proof that Bush is a dunce and our intervention in Iraq was an error. What we make out of it is that there are young hot heads of both Sunni and Shia persuasion, also willing to cut each others heads off. Our presence and efforts in Iraq have been directed at drawing out the potential in Islamic culture for the political growth and survival of cooler heads of a more moderate temperament. Much very tough love is called for, including such measures as Israel is currently delivering to Hezbollah. Now the Iraqi government and people are free to disinvite our presence anytime they wish. That is a calculated risk on our part, as it is on theirs. The Mountain Observer makes no hard predictions in this regard. However things work out eventually betwen Sunnis and Shia in Iraq, little notice is being given to our smashing success with the Kurds. Is there a Kurdistan in the future? Possibly, however a very delicate matter on several levels. Some forward thinking on our part is called for. Meanwhile, the toughest political issue in the entire Middle East has to do with the acceptance of Israel by Islam. That is an issue that we run away from at our peril. The resolution of this issue demands our ongoing support of the moderately inclined of the muslim persuasion coupled with an unambiguous rejection of those who resort to violence and intimidation outside the parameters of civilization as we understand it. No apologies or guilt trips are welcome here.
Repeating myself from 07/19,"during the 1930's, there were those who said of the Nazis that "first they went after the Jews, but it did not affect me. Then they went after the Catholics, but if did not affect me. Then they went after the Protestants, and the Liberals and people of color, but it did not affect me. Finally they came after me, and it was too late." America, you really need to wake up." JES
08/01/06 48 hour pauses aside, Israel Prime Minister Ehud Olmert correctly rejects ceasefire proposals pending destruction of Hezbollah capacity to launch missile attacks. Following the unfortunate bombing of civilians in Qana last weekend, perhaps civilians will take more seriously the warning leaflets dropped in their midst. A painful readjustment from the ineffective habits of concession over the years. The Hezbollah tactic of hiding behind innocent women and children to launch attacks against other innocent women and children can only be ended by soldiers, not diplomats. JES
07/29/06 The fact of the matter is that things are not going well in Iraq. For months, all kinds of criticisms have been hurled at the Bush Administration, and while errors have been made, most of the complaint falls wide of the mark. The underling premise of most of the complaint is that our intervention in Iraq was an option ill chosen. It was an option only in the sense that the alternative was to do nothing about the existence of the Saddam Hussein regime. In the opinion of the Mountain Observer, that was not an option, and the President was correct to act. Today our real problem, inclusive of Iraq, is the larger issue of Arab culture in the extended Islamic sense. It was recently called to my attention that there is no direct translation in Arabic for the word, or concept of, "curiosity". Think about that, and the implications. Absent curiosity, one must be so self focused as to exclude consideration of others, and others ideas. Invested heavily in an Islamic perspective, there is no room for openness or tolerance. We are confronted by a culture never touched by the Enlightenment that so opened up the cultures of the West. The Marines can't fix that.
The Mountain Observer has, at times, expressed our concern that our efforts in the Middle East have occasionally strayed from the priority of staying focused on matters of our own national security and tempted toward broader irrelevances. I have been patient with the President's argument for regional "democracy" as a utility to serve our interests, and in theory he is correct decades in the future. The learning curve for all of us has been to understand the practical limits of deploying this idea today in the face of the existentialist threats of terrorism, including WMD, against us. Wading into the Iraqi thicket has been productive in forcing the IslamicFascist disease into the open. Better there than here. The destruction of Saddam destroyed the only credible center of Sunni military power, allowing attention to be focused on the more dangerous matter of Persian based Shia pretensions out of control. Which is the point of the current distraction in Iraq. We cannot "cut and run", but neither can we long afford the burden. The Mountain Observer has no easy answers to this problem, other than perseverance and patience. Pulling the plug on Iranian nukes would be helpful. There is a Sunni (Wahabi) v. Shia death struggle to be exploited so as to distract. Disarming Iranian nukes is a task that must be done sooner of latter anyway. There are those who argue that there is a current opportunity to do so. I would certainly agree with that. To delay and wait could be fatal. JES.
07/28/06 The President and Tony Blair push for an international peacekeeping force in Lebanon, and an early end to the violence. However, if you read carefully between the lines and consider their qualifications, do not expect anything in this department to happen so soon. While undoubtedly sincere on a theoretical level, what has been set up, at least by the President, is a straw man, and a challenge, to the United Nations, the Lebanese, and everyone else with a stake in the issue to either put up or shut up. The Israelis have not been put under any deadlines in so far as I can tell. The first priority is their own assessment of their own national security, which is as it should be. True peace can only come when IslamicFascists are defeated, not coddled. War is hell, but sometimes it is the only road to peace. JES
07/19/06 People who are jumping on Israel as "over reacting" are either uniformed or just plain nuts. Israel hasn't come close yet to deploying the force it could, and perhaps should. Cease fires are no different than pushing a "pause" button on your VCR player, affording an opportunity for the animals to rest and re-arm. Nothing is acceptable short of the destruction of Hezbollah. Do not even talk to the Mountain Observer about the United Nations, international club of crooks and thugs. And yes, Pat Buchanan, you are displaying your historic prejudice against Israel again, with unclear purpose. Perhaps you should re-register as a Democrat and go sit at the table of John Murtha.
Folks, during the 1930's, there were those who said of the Nazis that "first they went after the Jews, but it did not affect me. Then they went after the Catholics, but if did not affect me. Then they went after the Protestants, and the Liberals and people of color, but it did not affect me. Finally they came after me, and it was too late." America, you really need to wake up. JES
07/17/06 I am impressed so far with the leadership of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in the current battle with Hezbollah and Hamas. Under his leadership, Israel is finally coming to grips with reality, forcing open the splits, always there, between Shia and Wahabi, Arab and Persian and calling the bluff of IslamicFascists and gutless Western Francophiles, including most American Democrats. Ehud Olmert, just keep sending your pilots in hard and low: pound, pound, pound. Just chase Hezbollah back into Syria, and I would hope, follow the road to Damascus. Do not be afraid of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, lurking in the background. Hopefully he will be lured into a truly foolish act providing the pretext we need to "make our day". Meanwhile, we pray for the protection of the Israeli people, and the souls of those who have paid the highest price. America, real Americans that is, stand behind you. JES
06/21/06 Speaking of matters Iranian, go to www.cfr.org/content/publications/attachments/Ahmadinejad%20letter.pdf . You may not be impressed, but millions of Muslims are. JES
06/17/06 The President has had a good week on Iraq, and he deserves it. Aside from the timely passing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a treasure trove of intelligence data was captured, enabling our team effort with the new Iraqi government to really run down trouble makers. All indicators point toward a further collapse of al-Qaeda in Iraq.
Our next problem in the "War on Terror", aka WW IV, is Iran. The issue here is not whether to take out Iran's developing nuclear weapons program, but when, a largely political matter on several levels. The military effort called for here would involve massive highly targeted air strikes, and aside from some very limited Special Ops assignments, no boots on the ground. Post Nuke, Iranians can work through their own political problems, which are considerable, although we should be standing by to assist pro-democracy elements in their political battle from a distance. The critical political challenge will be continuing good relations and cooperation with Iraqi Shia, now the dominate force in Iraq. At play are the loyalties of Arab v. Persian, or common Shia v. new Iraqi national freedom. We also need to be prepared to counter, from Iraq, any possible ground assaults from Iran against Iraq, but again, I would imagine this to be a largely tactical air problem.
Now it so happens that as this is written, reports are coming in that North Korea is possibly immanent with a long range missile test. It occurs to the Mountain Observer that a highly targeted air strike on the launch pad would accrue a number of productive results politically, diplomatically and militarily, about the world. It is sad that, perhaps, none of this discussion might have been necessary had The West been more alert and responsive to these threats years ago. Left unattended, cancer spreads, ultimately requiring radical surgery. JES
02/05/06 Since 09/11 the Western World, aka Christendom too many years ago, has been walking on eggs around what has by now become clearly evident. Radical fundamentalist elements of the worldwide Muslim "community" (I really hate this use of the word) for over 100 years have been slowly advancing an aggressive agenda of subverting the West. Contrary to the fevered imaginations of the political Left, it is not George Bush's fault, nor did he start it, nor has our policy against Saddam Hussein and Iraqi Baathism been an error. The President himself has done his best to characterize our response to 09/11 as a "War on Terror", when he himself has since admitted that a "war on IslamicFascism" might be a more correct characterization of the effort. He has always followed up quickly with the caveat that the "extremists" are a minority of the world wide Muslim "community", without every explaining his sources of measurement. While it is true that most Muslims are not (yet) throwing bombs, there is no accurate or reliable yardstick concerning the quiet thinking and dispositions of these folks regarding their preferred desires for the future of the West, aka "Crusaders". Truth is that the entire Western World has been more than cautious about drawing conclusions as to what is really going on here, and properly so, for the implications are enormous, and peace is at stake.
So it is that the current worldwide Muslim "community" outrage over some Danish cartoons directed at the Prophet Muhammad throws new relief on the discussion. Similar cartoons directed at the Pope would draw cheers, not only from Muslims, but also the still dominate Western Secular Left. Conservatives such as myself would prefer that cartoons inspired by actual hate should not be directed at anyone, while at the same time recognizing a distinction between malice and necessary hard edged political commentary. Freedom of the press in the Western World, aka Christendom too many years ago, is a generally recognized political and social value, conflicting directly with the fundamental interpretation of Islamic Law which forbids any depictions of the Prophet Muhammad for fear they could lead to idolatry. So it is that Denmark's Jyllands-Posten has found itself in trouble with "millions" of Muslims, and certain Westerners fearful of defending their own values in the face of Muslim threats. Like the recent rebellions in France (sorry, but there was more to that than finding a job) the worldwide Muslim "community" may be edging closer to a more open and honest display of their agenda with this current set of tantrums, perhaps displaying a frustration with their own failures to find traction. (Sort of like the histrionics of the Massachusetts KKK (Kennedy Kerry Klan) over the elevation of United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr.) Now there is Iran, not only threatening Israel, get real, but the entire Western World, aka Christendom too many years ago. They take these matters very seriously. So to, do we need to also. JES
01/21/06 Osama bin Laden offers the U.S. a "truce" in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is not worth the President's time. Vice President Dick Cheney says "We don't negotiate with terrorists, I think you have to destroy them", and he is absolutely correct. The only problem here is the fact that the Vice President found it necessary to respond at all, standing as testimony to the effectiveness of al-Qaeda's intellectual penetration of the American Democratic Party and American "Liberalism". And that is a real problem. Those who legitimize this as a discussion are arguably giving aid and comfort to the enemy. That a "truce" has been offered is a sign of their weakness, whoever "they" are. Has Osama bin Laden registered as a Democrat, or has Dick Durban signed up with al Qaeda; which way is it? It's getting hard to tell the difference. Are Democrats renting rooms to would be al-Qaeda terrorists? Is that their real fear of the NSA? Real Americans will press forward. JES
12/02/05 We need to recognize the honesty and courage of king Abdullah II of Jordan for his recent initiative in coming before a gathering of American rabbis in Washington DC. It took guts, and he was entirely candid about the regional problems relating to Israel and its neighbors. I am not aware of any other Arab leader ever being so forthcoming, and honest, in extending a hand of reconciliation on these matters. The king deserves our total support in his efforts. JES
08/13/05 The President steps up to the plate and categorically states the obvious: that the United States has a military option with regard to the issue of Iran's nuclear future. Unlike a certain recent Presidency, when a decision to exercise the obvious would not have been so obvious, this President has found it necessary, given the ambiguous signals of his predecessor, to further state that which ought to be obvious, which is that he will exercise the military option if left with no other choice. His statement accomplishes two things at once. Immediately, he is goosing the diplomatic process for a solution, which everyone would prefer. He is also taking the United States off the table of those who believe that diplomacy can be effective if the primary trump card is removed. Had the military option always and unambiguously been on the table, diplomacy perhaps could have already produced a meaningful result. That, of course, has not happened, nor will it. The belief by the Left that diplomacy can function in the absence of credible military force, which includes a willingness to use that force, prolonged the Cold War, and could be fatal in the face of Islamic Fascism. The tragedy here is that Islamic Fascist leadership has been mis-led for so long by western left-wing kumbaya diplomacy, provoking Islamic notions of weakness that does not exist except in the hearts of Democrats, that the world may have to learn this lesson the hard way. It is the prediction of this writer that, sadly, that is the way it will be. JES
MO 05 01 The Bush trip to Europe makes it very clear that we are not going to tolerate a nuclear Iran, and are preparing to draw the line. It was clearly the primary purpose of the trip to make this point, and to educate Europeans accordingly. They were invited to get "onboard", which is to say that failure to do so, and the consequences thereof, would become an European problem in history yet to be written. We are at war with Islamic Fascism, as we ought to be; those who fail to understand this are delusional. Americans are not enthusiastic about foreign adventure, and properly so. We are not imperialist by nature, nor is that our present purpose. Americans do believe in the right to defend themselves from threats to hearth and home. So it is that we have too patiently endured decades of violent incidents against us by Islamic Fascists mistaking our reluctance to respond for weakness. However, September 11, 2001 was a step too far. We have, as President, a real American, who can cut through the cloud of post modern nonsense that pollutes the minds of professors and their journalism students, and who knows how to call the bluff of international card sharks. Jocko Shearock, Gearhard Showturd and the Iranian mullahs should understand that High Noon is approaching fast. In a nuclear age, an age of missiles, shipping containers, international air travel and the internet, the luxury of hiding behind two oceans has disappeared. On the American frontier, is has always been unquestioned wisdom that it is best to remove the rattlesnake's head before it is necessary to remove its fangs. The fancy word on the east coast is preemption. Meanwhile, Americans continue to not be about imperialism, but freedom. God Bless cowboys, you know, the "stupid" ones. JES
11/03/04 The President should roll out the new bunker buster bombs and just get on with business in Iran, with free tickets in the press box for Kim Jong Il and Abu Musab al Zarqawi.
RETURN TO AMERICAN FOREIGN AFFAIRS
FMOWEB 110-045 FOREIGN AFFAIRS- THE ISLAMIC FASCIST PROBLEM