Just because I haven’t commented on the apparent connection between the Muslim riots here and there and the Newsweek article claiming that pages from the Koran were flushed down the toilet at Gitmo doesn’t mean that I wasn’t angry at the mag for saying something like that.
David Brooks reminds us to refocus our animus against the bad guys, rather than the editors or the MSM in particular. He doesn’t want us to lose our focus: it is the rioters who are the real enemy. He quotes from a sermon delivered by a Sheik which ran last weekend on the Palestinian Authority’s oficial TV station:
"The day will come when we will rule America. The day will come when we will rule Britain and the entire world - except for the Jews. The Jews will not enjoy a life of tranquillity under our rule because they are treacherous by nature, as they have been throughout history. The day will come when everything will be relieved of the Jews - even the stones and trees which were harmed by them. Listen to the Prophet Muhammad, who tells you about the evil end that awaits Jews. The stones and trees will want the Muslims to finish off every Jew."
Dr. Schramm,
I agree with you observation that it is important to keep focus on who the enemy really is. I also agree that it does not excuse sloppy journalism. My observation is that the people involved in the riots were led by the enemy who is looking for any and every opportunity to denounce the United States and portray our citizens as evil.
It is a difficult thing to win the "hearts and minds" of people while trying to counter the probable campaign that the radical Islamists are waging. I hope that our leaders keep focus on the need to continue the battle on the front of the hearts and minds campaign. If anyone is interested, check out anysoldier.com. some of the soldiers in Iraq and Afganistan ask for items for the children of those respective countries as they see it as the best opportunity in the hearts and minds campaign. Other soldiers ask for things to help with morale and even their mission. It is a great website. Please pass along to anyone as you see appropriate.
Thank you
The fanatical followers of radical Islam are obviously to blame for this outrage, but please don’t let Newsweek off of the hook. They have blood on their hands!
Kelso & Co.,
I don’t know how you feel about the State Dept. or Joint Chiefs of Staff Myers this week, but this piece on the State Dept’s website certainly seems to complicate the simplistic "Blame Newsweek" approach.:
"However, Myers said an after-action report provided by U.S. Army Lieutenant General Karl Eikenberry, commander of the Combined Forces in Afghanistan, indicated that the political violence was not, in fact, connected to the magazine report."
It said "was not, in fact, connected to the magazine report." But please, don’t allow anything like this stop your campaign against Newsweek!
Also, just to keep current, I want to know - if an Afghan Muslim should say or write anything opposed to Karzai, Bush or the presence of the U.S. Military in their country, are they officially an "Islamofascist"??
Yes, clearly that stuff that Newsweek printed had to be fabricated from whole cloth, since we know our troops have a distinguished reputation for staying on a righteous, moral high road and treating all detainees in the most humane, respectful manner possible! Koran flushing??? Utterly impossible!!