THE THREAT to a free world and the advancement of American values and the right to live free(ly) is in grave danger from Radical Islam. For decades Western democracies co-existed with Islamic countries. In the early part of the 18th Century, the rulers of Saudi Arabia came, through marriage, under the influence of a strict sect of Islam called Wahhabism. In 1938 with the discovery of huge quantities of oil, the Saudi’ Royal family, under the House Of Saud, began to amass a huge fortune with which it began to export it’s Wahhabist views. When the Muslim Brotherhood was banned in various Middle Eastern countries, Saudi Arabia gave refuge to Brotherhood exiles. Saudi lay people, government officials and clerics have donated many tens of millions of US dollars to create religious schools, newspapers and outreach organizations.Wahhabist schools now “educate” their “students” in fundamentalistic Islam. This form of “religion” inculcates children from the age of 5 to hate everything Western—and preaches killing anyone who does not believe in Allah and his Prophet, Mohammed. Nothing else is taught in these “schools.” Today, Wahhabist schools thrive in Egypt, Pakistan, Somalia, Indonesia, Qatar, Hamas, and is the only tolerated religion in Saudi Arabia. In these countries, government approved daily newspapers spew hatred for Western culture, Christianity, and Judaism. A Saudi billionaire, Osama bin Laden and Zacarias Moussouai are practicing Wahhabists. 15 of the 20 9/11 killers were Saudis.In recent decades a Westerner could travel anywhere in the Middle East with impunity (that’s without fear, to you in Palm Beach County). Now, Saudi couriers and banks ship suitcases full of money to other countries, to teach hatred, and to train Islamists to murder Westerners and anyone who disagrees with them.SINCE THE inception of the Democratic State of Israel in 1948, terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, (."Islamic Resistance Movement") have popped up whose sole mission is to destroy the state of Israel. Hamas, best known for its suicide bombers, is a client organization of the fundamentalist Islamist rulers of Iran. Many of its leaders and gunman, who are trained to murder women and children, are trained in Syria and Iran. Syria also has trained Al Qaeda and PLO terrorists. Now Iran is developing the bomb. When that task is completed, they can row a boat with an H-Bomb out from their bath tub navy into the Straits of Hormuz, and blockade 50% of the worlds oil supply. While John Kerry is “finding room for negotiation,” and Barack Osama is “opening up dialogue,” and Bill Richardson is hauling ass out of Iraq, and Dennis Kucinich is hiding in his sand box with Madeleine Albright, Mike Gravel, Chuck Hagel, and “newsman” Chris (the dumb one), Americans will be freezing their butts off in the Northeast, and reading by candlelight in Ohio. WOW, that’s a tough one. After all, I understand that the problems in the Middle East and around the World, for that matter, are all caused by us Americans (especially, Dick Cheney, and . . .um . . . Halliburton, and . .and . . Those right wingers at the Fox Network).It must be so, because President Obama has told veryone around the globe that our differences are all caused by the bad old Americans, and by golly, he, President Obama intends to make it right. And it didn’t help that former President Bush repeatedly opined that “Islam is a religion of peace.” And golly I want the Islamists and the Europeans to really like us, especially the French. So what to do? Negotiate further as John Kerry, Chris Dodd, and Neville Chamberlain have suggested? Just pull out as John Mirta, Chuck Hagel, Sean Penn, Madonna, et al demand? Let the countries in the Middle East settle their own differences? After all, the war is only about oil. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm ! !On September 11, 2001, they brought their terror to our own shores. It’s time we fought back. By the time I assume office those in Somalia, South Yemen, Egypt, Sudan, and Al Jazeera, who have made war on us better have changed their thinking (“Seen the Light” as we Christians call it). You rulers of Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Iran, should have updated your Last Will and Testament, and have made your peace with Allah—and if you still don't like us - we'll just have to get over it. When the Soviet Union Invaded Afghanistan in 1979, the mujahadeen declared a holy war on those non-believers. The well-armed Soviets took exception and proceeded to kill Afghan men, women and children. Armed with Tanks and Armored Hind Helicopters, the Soviets blasted anything that moved. Initially the mujahadeen fought back bravely with WWI Era Enfield Rifles supplied by other Muslim Countries - and died by the thousands.Enter the American CIA, eager to kick commie asses anywhere it could (especially if someone besides Americans are dying), and bent on payback for Russian support of the Vietcong and North Koreans. Soliciting Israeli, Saudi, Egyptian, Swiss, and Pakistani support (I'm not kidding) and considerable logistical and training expertise of its own - along with some nifty weapons systems - to make a long story short - 28,000 dead Russians later, the Soviets hightailed it out.Some of the Mujahedeen leaders that we bailed out in the 80's were behind the 9/11 attacks in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania. Whatever happened to GRATITUDE ? President Bush, rightfully, went after the Taliban mujahedeen and their El Qaeda friends, who ruled the country. But with the ensuing war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan got put on the back burner. Why ? I suspect it was because we lacked the manpower to wage a two-front war. Again, why ? Since World War II it had been the avowed policy of our political leaders to maintain enough military capability to wage and win a two-front war; you know, like Japan and Germany. Hmmm. Today, through the unsuccessful "War on Poverty," after liberals have given trillions of tax dollars to people who simply chose not to work, President's Carter and Clinton gutted the Defense budget from 14% of our GNP in the Sixties to about 4.9% of GDP today.Of course in the interest of getting reelected, our "leaders" told us that we were capable of fighting two wars. While President Clinton "cut taxes" by cutting the Defense Budget (the "peace dividend," as Madeleine Albright put it), he sent his toady Chairman of the Joint Chiefs (the well-tanned General Sheldon) up to Capitol Hill where he testified (with a straight face) that our Army and Navy were perfectly capable of fighting two wars. Where? They can't beat Rutgers and Notre Dame. Apparently General Sheldon was mistaken.It would be simple to find fault with Barack Obama,s handling of the Afghan War; the ponderous debate over troop increases for starters. But prosecuting a winning strategy in this neck of the world is a President's nightmare. That we belong there is obvious: they attacked our country, and that means war (although had Al Gore stolen the 2000 election, we would still be debating going in). Our military leaders have asked the Obama Administration to put the pressure on Pakistan to attack Taliban strongholds in Western Pakistan. So far the Pakistanis have balked, and subtly shown their resentment toward our pressuring them. The Taliban control their ancient tribal lands with a population of 30 million in what is known as Western Pakistan. They can't get along with villagers two valleys over, let alone with the rest of the world. Are the Pakistanis justified in not committing to an all-out war against the Taliban? The U.S. has a history of leaving friends in a lurch, most especially whenever Democrats are in power. Pakistan remembers how in one of this country's darkest hours, the Democratic Congress cut off all funding for the Vietnamese , resulting in millions being slaughtered and enslaved. Many remember how President Reagan departed from Lebanon after 250 marines were killed in a bombing there, our how Jimmy Carter abandoned 50 of our own citizens who were kidnapped by the Iranians in 1979, or how Bill Clinton hightailed it from Somalia after Blackhawk Down. With Barack Obama making the incredibly dumb decision to announce a pullout of our troops in Afghanistan in 2011, the Pakistanis fear having to go it alone. Already, their sworn enemy, India, once a client of the Soviet Union has resumed relations with Afghanistan and China.The visceral hatred that almost every member of the Obama administration has for the military doesn't help. I wish the President good luck in this tough situation, but I hold out little hope given their utter failure in everything alse they have done since taking office.The reasons for invading Iraq were valid enough but the political rationale leaves much to be desired. President Bush wanted his Nation Building campaign to bring Democracy to a United Iraq. In response to a question concerning Joe Biden's idea to divide Iraq into three separate countries to represent those separate areas heavily occupied by Sunnis (South and Southeast), Kurds (Northwest, and Shias (Northeast) Karl Rove said on the Hannity Show (as I recall) that was a terrible idea saying "I'l have that debate right now."Essentially modern civilization, including invention of the wheel, books, civil and criminal law, began in Mesopotamia (Arabic 'Sumerian?] for "between the rivers" - as in Tigris and Euphrates. We all learned that stuff in school and I hope students still do. I digress.That region's alignment as part of the Ottoman Empire came to an end when that empire was broken up after WWI. At the Cairo Conference of March 1921, the British set the parameters for Iraqi political life that were to continue until the 1958 revolution; they chose a Hashemite, Faisal ibn Husayn, son of Sherif Hussein ibn Ali former Sharif of Mecca as Iraq's first King; they established an indigenous Iraqi army; and they proposed a new treaty. To confirm Faisal as Iraq's first monarch, a one-question plebiscite was carefully arranged that had a return of 96 percent in his favor. The British saw in Faisal a leader who possessed sufficient nationalist and Islamic credentials to have broad appeal, but who also was vulnerable enough to remain dependent on their support.During World War II, the British reoccupied Iraq and in 1947, through the treaty at Portsmouth on January 15, 1948, Salih Jabr negotiated British withdrawal from Iraq. The July 14, 1958 Coup in Iraq marks the overthrow of the Hashemite monarchy established by King Faisal in 1932 under the auspices of the British. In 1958, the coup overthrew King Faisal II, the regent and Crown Prince Abd al-Ilah, and Prime Minister Nuri al-Said, all of whom were perceived as minions of the British. The coup established an Iraqi Republic and was a result of a number of different grievances with Hashemite Iraqi policies.CIA Director Allen Dulles told President Eisenhower that he believed the coup was the hand of Egypt's President Nasser that implemented this coup.The reinstated Hashemite monarchy lasted until 1958, when it was overthrown by a coup d'etat of the Iraqi Army, known as the 14 July Revolution. The coup brought Brigadier General Abdul Karim Qassim to power. He withdrew from the Baghdad Pact and established friendly relations with the Soviet Union, but his government lasted only until the February 1963 coup, when it was overthrown by Colonel Abdul Salam Arif. Salam Arif died in 1966 and his brother, Abdul Rahman Arif, assumed the presidency.In 1968, Rahman Arif was overthrown by the Arab Socialist Baath Party, a military-backed coalition that included the minority Christian community. Ahmed Hasan Al-Bakir became the first Baath President of Iraq but then the movement gradually came under the control of Saddam Hussein al Tikriti, who took over the presidency and control of the Revolutionary Command Council (RCC), then Iraq's supreme executive body, in July 1979. Saddam Hussein al Tikriti, in 1979, Saddam Hussein took power as Iraqi President after knocking down his close friend and the leader of his party (Ahmed Hasan Al-Bakr) and killing and arresting his leadership rivals.Shortly after the war ended in 1991, Shia Muslim and Kurdish Iraqis engaged in protests against Hussein's regime, resulting in an intifada. Hussein responded with violent repression against Shia Muslims, and the protests came to an end. It is estimated that as many as 100,000 people were killed, including hundreds of Kurds killed by gas.Karl, there is no historical Iraq and you just read the history to prove my case. Here's my argument. These people are tribal. They don't get along. Kurds kill Sunnis; Sunnis kill Shias; Shias kill everyone. Some of their disputes go back 3,000 years, and George Bushes dream of a Democratic Iraq is pie in the sky. If one country under Democracy was such a firm American Policy, why didn't we favor keepingYugoslavia together as one country after Communism fell. Well, that policy had nine ethnically-diverse areas killing each other. Now we have nine separate countries and no one is dying.If it was such a good idea then in Yugoslavia, why isn't it a good idea today in Iraq, Karl?Now it looks like I am agreeing with Joe Biden. Not so fast.1. This was my solution for Iraq before we even invaded them.2. Joe Biden didn't share his epiphany until three years AFTER we invaded Iraq. 3. You can bet that someone else gave this brainstorm, because he is too dumb to have an original thought.The fight against worldwide terrorism, from the American point of view, revolves around the fight against radical Islam, which may come as a surprise to our political leaders (those who care). Islam, after all, "is a religion of peace." Is not.Is so.Is not, is not, is not.When President Bush (both of them) traveled, cap-in-hand, to Saudi Arabia, obstensibly on a goodwill tour, but likely on a mission to get more oil at a cheaper price, they were told by the ruling House of Saud, that the Saudis were working very hard, thank you, to help us with world terrorism. Ummm Hmmm.Of course, Wahhabist schools, paid for by our friends the Saudis were indoctrinating 'students' in most middle eastern countries (oh yeah, in the U. S. too).In 1740, the House of Saud, in order to consolidate control over the Arabian Peninsula, invited members of the Wahhabist Sect, a very conservative Islamic Religious group, to live in neighboring areas. These settlers brought their families and friends and concluded a ruling partnership with the House of Saud that has continued to this day.Then came 9-11. Fifteen of the 20 killers of 3,000 American men, women, and children were Saudis. Osama Bin Laden is a Saudi. All were Wahhabists.A study by the NGO Freedom House found Wahhabi publications in a number of mosques in the United States preaching that Muslims should not only "always oppose" infidels "in every way", but "hate them for their religion ... for Allah's sake", that democracy "is responsible for all the horrible wars of the 20th century", and that Shia and certain other non-Wahhabi Muslims were infidels.Thought you should know.FYI: When Iranian students rallying behind the exiled Ayatollah Khomeini marched against and eventually overthrew the Shah, they shrugged off the possibility of the Ayatollah establishing an Islamic state (trust me).Dec. 12, 1983 Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Kuwait- 6 people were killed, and more than 80 others were injured. The suspects were thought to be members of Al Dawa, an Iranian-backed groupMarch 16, 1984 CIA Station Chief William Buckley and 3 others were kidnapped by militant Islamic extremists in Lebanon. U.S. officials believed that the Iranian-backed Hezbollah .Dec. 3, 1984 Hijacking of Kuwait Airways Flight 221, was hijacked and diverted to Tehran. June 14, 1985 Hijacking of TWA Flight 847 - hostage Robert Dean Stethem, a U.S. Navy diver, was shot and his body dumped on the airport tarmac. U.S. sources implicated HezbollahOctober 1985 - Achille Lauro hijacked Leon Klinghoffer, a 69-year-old disabled Americant was thrown overboardJune 25, 1996 Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others by members of Hezbollah.Aug. 7, 1998 In Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs exploded almost simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and injuring about 4,500. A federal grand jury had indicted 22 men in connection with the attacks, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who remained at large. The same Bin Laden that been held by authorities in Sudan and offered to American authorities, who declined on orders from Bill Clinton.Oct. 12, 2000 Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed.Sept. 11, 2001 ; New York City, Arlington, Va., and Shanksville, Pa.: hijackers crashed 2 commercial jets into twin towers of World Trade Center; 2 more hijacked jets were crashed into the Pentagon and a field in rural Pa. Total dead and missing numbered 2,9921: 2,749 in New York City, 184 at the Pentagon, 40 in Pa.June 14, 2002 Karachi, Pakistan: bomb explodes outside American consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12. May 12, 2003 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: suicide bombers kill 34, incl. 8 Americans.June 11–19, 2003 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: terrorists kidnap and execute Paul Johnson Jr., an American.Dec. 6, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: terrorists storm the U.S. consulate, killing 5 consulate employees.Nov. 9, 2005, Amman, Jordan: suicide bombers hit 3 American hotels, Radisson, Grand Hyatt, and Days Inn, in Amman, Jordan, killing 57. Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility.And now they are developing the nuclear bombUPDATE: And one day after the Iranians are caught delivering weapons to the Taliban, Mr. Holbrooke extends his hand for Iran to sit at the 'peace table.'
