I Love New York!

The Neocon was in New York City on Business over the past few days. Between meetings, I took the time to visit Ground Zero, Wall Street, and a few other New York landmarks, mostly on foot. I had been through New York many times on my way to other places around the world since 9/11, but this was my first real stay in the city since that terrible day.

I found the Ground Zero visit fascinating. A pathway has been constructed enabling pedestrians to walk around the entire base of the former towers with views of the “hole in the ground” from every direction. I was there early in the morning before my first meeting, and the usual demonstrators and conspiracy nuts were nowhere to be seen. I did notice a small group of young Arab tourists, men, and women wearing Burkas, smiling and photographing themselves in front of the gigantic empty space that was the WTC. I realize that it was likely an innocent scene, but it bothered me non-the-less. I imagined them going back home and sharing the photo’s with friends and getting a good laugh out of it. I was probably wrong of course, but I couldn’t help imagining it. To the casual outside observer, New York has more than just “recovered” since 9/11. The city is, as always, an awesome display of American power and vibrancy, pulsating with non-stop activity and movement with construction going on everywhere. I visited Wall Street where the market was poised to make a record high that day (and came up 4 points short). I walked into a number of the little shops down the street from Ground Zero; the same shops that sheltered countless pedestrians running for their lives as ash and debris descended down on them from the collapsing towers. The shops were full and business was good. That evening I walked from Times Square to Central Park and back, every store and restaurant seemed packed; I felt safer there than in my own city, average folks in the street seemed eager to give directions to various landmarks, and were unfailing courteous and polite. Truly a great city; far better, far cleaner, far safer than I remember it in the early 90’s during my last real visit. So I say without any sense of reservation: I LOVE NEW YORK.
Mozart and Islam

Business Calls, Back in a Few Days

The Neocon needs to focus exclusively on business until the end of the week so I will be unable to post until Saturday. Please forgive me. In the meantime, enjoy the video on the right with every major Democrat speaking on Iraq before the war. Also, enjoy the quote below from Caroline Glick:
"With their ghoulish presentations at the UN General Assembly, both Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez made clear their hostile intent, disdain for freedom and their foes, and their fanatical intent to use all murderous means toward their totalitarian ends. The men were so hostile that even their usual apologists in academia and the political Left were too embarrassed to be seen in their company."
Caroline Glick.

Send Out the Clowns
Benedict Attacked for Confronting Evil
Rice Calls for Sanctions on Syria
A Battle Lost in the War on Terror

Islamic Fascism 101: All They’ve Done to Earn the Term

In this powerful piece by Victor Davis Hanson of the Hoover Institute, Hanson makes a strong case for the term “Islamic Fascist,” which is so protested by various Islamic organizations, including “moderate” ones. Below is a sample: but I do encourage you to read the entire piece on VDH’s site:
Make no apologies for the use of “Islamic fascism.” It is the perfect nomenclature for the agenda of radical Islam, for a variety of historical and scholarly reasons. That such usage also causes extreme embarrassment to both the Islamists themselves and their leftist “anti-fascist” appeasers in the West is just too bad...Because fascism is born out of insecurity and the sense of failure, hatred for Jews is de rigueur. To read al Qaeda’s texts is to reenter the world of Mein Kampf (naturally now known as jihadi in the Arab world). Envy and false grievance, as in the past with Italian, German, or Japanese whining, are always imprinted deeply within the fascist mind. After all, it can never quite figure out why the morally pure, the politically zealous, the ever more obedient are losing out to corrupt and decadent democracies — where “mixing,” either in the racial or religious sense, should instead have enervated the people. We can argue whether the present-day Islamic fascists have the military means comparable to what was had in the past by Nazis, Fascists, and militarists — I think a dirty bomb is worth the entire Luftwaffe, one nuclear missile all the striking power of the Japanese imperial Navy — but there should be no argument over who they are and what they want. They are fascists of an Islamic sort, pure and simple.

And the least we can do is to call them that: after all, they earned it.

German opera house cancels provocative Mohammed staging
Under Egypt’s Volcano
The wages of spin
Islam Needs a Pope
Lebanon's Christians scoff at Hizbullah's claims of 'victory'

ANOTHER BETRAYAL BY FRANCE

Today is another day, so we may expect another French betrayal. Having coddled and protected Saddam Hussein to the last, having flip-flopped on their Lebanon Peace-keeping commitments; now comes the reversal on an even more serious situation, Iran. "Iran should not be asked to stop uranium enrichment as a precondition," Chirac said in a stunning reversal. "And there is no sense to refer the Islamic Republic back to the Security Council” (for sanctions). In short, France, like the Vichy regime of the past, once again joins the enemy, abdicates all responsibility and leaves it to the rest of us to clean up the mess.

The UN’s Dictator Tour 2006
How Many Divisions Does the Pope Have?
John Howard: I've always admired Israel's fortitude

George Allen: Everyone's Jewish

In this great piece by Charles Krauthammer, he dissects the trend of numerous politicians discovering their here-to-fore unknown ethnic and religious origins. Potential Republican Presidential contender, Virginia Senator George Allen is a particularly interesting character to discover his Jewish roots. Krauthammer’s wonderful piece:

Krauthammer's Law, Everyone's Jewish: Strange doings in Virginia. George Allen, former governor, one-term senator, son of a famous football coach and in the midst of a heated battle for reelection, has just been outed as a Jew. An odd turn of events, given that his having Jewish origins has nothing to do with anything in the campaign and that Allen himself was oblivious to the fact until his 83-year-old mother revealed to him last month the secret she had kept concealed for 60 years. Apart from its political irrelevance, it seems improbable in the extreme that the cowboy-boots-wearing football scion of Southern manner and speech should turn out to be, at least by origins, a son of Israel. For Allen, as he quipped to me, it's the explanation for a lifelong affinity for Hebrew National hot dogs.

For all its tongue-in-cheek irony, Krauthammer's Law works because when I say "everyone," I don't mean everyone you know personally. Depending on the history and ethnicity of your neighborhood and social circles, there may be no one you know who is Jewish. But if "everyone" means anyone that you've heard of in public life, the law works for two reasons. Ever since the Jews were allowed out of the ghetto and into European society at the dawning of the Enlightenment, they have peopled the arts and sciences, politics, and history in astonishing disproportion to their numbers. There are 13 million Jews in the world, one-fifth of 1 percent of the world's population. Yet 20 percent of Nobel Prize winners are Jewish, a staggering hundredfold surplus of renown and genius. This is similarly true for a myriad of other "everyones" -- the household names in music, literature, mathematics, physics, finance, industry, design, comedy, film and, as the doors opened, even politics.
But it is not just Jewish excellence at work here. There is a dark side to these past centuries of Jewish emancipation and achievement -- an unrelenting history of persecution. The result is the other more somber and poignant reason for the Jewishness of public figures being discovered late and with surprise: concealment.

Nasty in Virginia — and what to do about it
Human Ingenuity Trumps Status Quo


Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Gaza preacher: Flag of Allah to be raised above Vatican
Chavez: Just following the Democrats lead
‘Jihad’ car commercial upsets U.S. Muslims

Get Along Home, Cindy

Although I find Cyndy Sheehan off her rocker, I also found this video produced by Sparks From the Anvil, well done, and he deserves credit for a fine production. I encourage folks to visit his site.

"When you are tempted to blast his mom, remind yourself of this man’s sacrifice and heroism and assume as I do that he loved his mom deeply and would defend her like the fine son he must have been even if he disagreed with her politics."
Hugh Hewitt

Does AP stand for Al-Qaeda Propaganda?
London: Police to Notify Panel of Muslims before Antiterror Raids
Hurricane Chávez, a petro-bully
Pope Apologies Seen as Weakness

Once Again, The English-Speaking Peoples Find Themselves in the Forefront of Protecting Civilization.

In this excellent article by Andrew Roberts in today’s UK Daily Telegraph, Roberts studies Churchill’s acclaimed series “History of the English Speaking Peoples” to understand the current conflict with Islamic Fascism, and how it will eventually be won. A small sample below:
Bush's foreign policy is denounced as neo-conservatism because of its reliance on pre-emption. Yet was George Canning a neo-con when he destroyed the Danish fleet to prevent it falling into Napoleon's hands in 1807? Was Churchill a neo-con for having bombarded the Dardanelles outer forts in November 1914? Or in June 1940, when he ordered the sinking of the French fleet at Oran to prevent the fleet from falling into Nazi hands? The right of self-protection from Napoleon, Hitler and movements such as al-Qa'eda and its Taliban protectors is, as Enoch Powell pointed out during the Falklands crisis, "inherent in us", since it existed "long before the United Nations was ever thought of". By far one of the most justifiable wars in recent history is the one we are presently fighting in Afghanistan against the Taliban, the government that hosted and protected al-Qa'eda when it killed nearly 3,000 innocent people – including 67 Britons – on 9/11. Today, that war is principally being fought by 15,000 Americans, 4,500 Britons, 2,200 Canadians, 550 Australians and special forces contingents from New Zealand. Germany has confined its troops to the quiet north, France to guard duty on the Khyber Pass.

Once again, therefore, the English-speaking peoples find themselves in the forefront of protecting civilisation.
West vs. Islamofascism: We're Too Nice
Answer Chavez
Thousands o Muslims Rally Against Pope in Mideast
Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Delahunt and Others Much Too Cozy With Chavez

From Investors Business Daily: Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass. (seen on the right), Sen. Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I., and Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., went on junkets to Venezuela to admire Chavez's "revolution" in his dog and pony shows. Worse, they've willingly gotten themselves into Chavez's political debt by accepting subsidized heating oil for their supposedly underserved residents. But none have been as involved with Chavez as Rep Delahunt D-Mass, who brokered Chavez's cheap-oil program. He called Chavez's attack "silly," but then told the Boston Globe it was all Bush's fault. Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y., Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Rep. Ed Markey, D-Mass., all helped with deals for 40 million gallons of cheap oil via Venezuelan-owned Citgo...These same friends-of-Chavez congressmen vote against every single offshore drilling bill and proposed natural gas pipeline when those bills come up in Congress. Chavez desperately wants high oil prices, and to see pro-Chavez congressmen voting against bills that would cut energy prices not just for the poor but for everyone is, frankly, suspicious.
After the Shiite bomb, a nuke for Sunni Egypt?
Bush 'Taken Aback' by Musharraf Comment
What CAIR-Saudi Connection?
Chavez, Even a Broken Clock....

GOP Chairman: "We Face a Radical Global Movement of Islamic Fascists"

In a hard hitting article today in the Wall Street Journal, GOP Chairman Ken Mehlman predicted that the Republican Party would beat defeatist expectations in the media and retain control of the US House of Representatives and the US Senate. Mehlman declared that we are facing “an extraordinary and dangerous global war” against “Islamic Fascists.” He declared that should Democrats succeed, they would “weaken America and surrender key tools we need to defeat the global jihad.”

Europe pathetically caves in to Islamist Threat
Israelis pessimistic on eve of Jewish New Year
Iran warns of 'lightning' response to any attack

Musharraf: US Threatened to Bomb Pakistan "Back to the Stone Age" after 9/11

In an interview with the CBS news magazine show "60 Minutes" that will air on Sunday, Pakistani President Musharraf reveals for the first time that the US threatened to attack his country if he didn't help in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan. He claims a US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage threatened to return his country to the'stone age' if Pakistan didn't help the US. "One has to think and take actions in the interest of the nation, and that's what I did," Musharraf said. Documents show Armitage met the Pakistani ambassador and the visiting head of Pakistan's military intelligence service in Washington on September 13 and asked Pakistan to take seven steps. Musharraf agreed to all seven US requests the same day. Musharraf reacted with displeasure to recent comments by Bush on Wednesday that if he had firm intelligence bin Laden was in Pakistan, he would issue the order to go into that country. "We wouldn't like to allow that. We'd like to do that ourselves,"

FLASH; FLASH; FLASH
On another front, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announced today that he is interested in developing nuclear power: "We do not start from a vacuum, and we possess a knowledge of these techniques which enables us to proceed." This is not at all surprising, Iran opened the door and numerous rival regimes will undoutedly feel the need to follow suit. This could quickly turn into a mad rush on the part of potentially shaky Arab regimes to go nuclear. How long will it take for a nuke to fall into the hands of a shady third party?

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Harkin defends Venezuelan President's U-N speech against Bush
Are Videotaped Beheadings Covered by the Geneva Convention?
Krauthammer: Tolerance: A Two-Way Street
Hosni Mubarak Should Call Benedict XVI

Rep. Rangle Extended Honorary Neocon Membership for the Day.

It is refreshing when a Liberal stands up for America. So unusual in fact that the Neocon felt compelled to extend to Rep. Rangle honorary Neocon membership for the day. please view the video of his statement here.

Interesting follow-up: Since this post, I have received a number of e-mails from folks who actually think there is such a thing as Neocon "membership." Good lord!

Musharraf: Worldwide "Ban" on 'Defamation of Islam' Needed

One speech that went largely unnoticed at the UN was that of President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan. Understandably, most media were consumed by the colorful ranting of Iran’s Ahmedinejad, and Venezuela’s Chavez that other speakers went largely ignored. In some aspects however, the speech by the “moderate” Musharraf of Pakistan was as troubling as that of Ahemedinejad and Chavez. Musharraf called for a worldwide ban on the “defamation of Islam.” Who could possibly be against "non-defamation," right? Putting aside the minor issue of freedom of expression and who would be the judge of what coonstitutes "defamation" in the legal sense and who would enforce the ban, it is fascinating that the “moderate” President of Pakistan and I presume the leaders of many other Muslim nations, wish to impose a special speech-code status for Islam on non-Muslims. If such a speech code would also apply to Muslims who regularly defame Hinduism, Christianity or Judaism, virtually every Imam in the Muslim world would be arrested for defamation, since slandering “non-believers” is a daily occurrence in Mosques across the Muslim world.
Bush: I take Ahmadinejad's threats against Israel seriously
Chavez-Chomsky Axis: Dancing with the Devil
THE THUG-OF-THE-DAY CLUB
Call for ban on 'defamation of Islam'
Jacoby: Muslim Violence

Chavez's address to the UN - 9/20/06

George Will: Hirsi Ali is Speaking Back to Islamists

In this excellent piece at Real Clear Politics, George Will of the Washington Post introduces us to Hirsi Ali, a unique immigrant to America from Holland via Somalia. Ali is well known to those of us who follow the clash of civilizations closely but is likely completely unknown to the American general public who will undoubtedly get to know her soon. I encourage our readers to take a few moment to read the entire article, but we give you a small sample: Born 36 years ago in Somalia, Hirsi Ali has lived in Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands, where she settled in 1992 after she deplaned in Frankfurt, supposedly en route to Canada for a marriage, arranged by her father, to a cousin. She makes her own arrangements. She quickly became a Dutch citizen, a member of parliament, and an astringent critic, from personal experience, of the condition of women under Islam. She wrote the script, and filmmaker Theo van Gogh directed, "Submission,'' an 11-minute movie featuring pertinent passages from the Koran (such as when it is a husband's duty to beat his wife).
It was shown twice before Nov. 2, 2004, when van Gogh, bicycling through central Amsterdam in the morning, was shot by an Islamic extremist who then slit his throat with a machete. Slender, elegant, stylish and articulate (in English, Dutch and Swahili), she has found an intellectual home here at the American Enterprise Institute, where she is writing a book that imagines Muhammad meeting, in the New York Public Library, three thinkers -- John Stuart Mill, Friedrich Hayek and Karl Popper, each a hero of the unending struggle between (to take the title of Popper's 1945 masterpiece) "The Open Society and Its Enemies.'' Islamic extremists -- the sort who were unhinged by some Danish cartoons -- will be enraged. She is unperturbed.
George Will

This Video Clip is fairly typical of what is going on in the UK. Muslim thugs are not afraid and have no shame of standing outside Westminister Abby and confronting worshipers emerging from Sunday mass. In this clip, Home Secretary John Reid is literally shouted down by a thug who is treated with kid gloves. The Brits seem completely intimidated by the radicals in their midst.

Bush: I would send troops inside Pakistan to catch bin Laden
Theocracy, Theocracy, Theocracy
Opening Day, It was a doozy.
Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Chavez: "Bush is the Devil," as he Promotes Noam Chomsky's Book at the UN

In a tirade that would put Nekita Khrushchev to shame, Venezuela’s President insulted President Bush and used extreme…shall we say...colorful language to describe the US:
“The Devil [Bush] came here [to the UN] yesterday, I can still smell the sulfur (as he gave a sign of the cross)…he came here talking as if he were the owner of the world.” He then proceeded to propose moving the UN out of the United States, called President Bush the worlds leading terrorist and the United States a terrorist nation, a nation that “harbors and supports terrorists.” During the speech, Chavez held up the leftist Bible; Noam Chomsky’s ‘Hemogony or Survival’. And described anti-US forces in the Middle East as his "Arab brothers." He continued: “The United States empire is on its way down and it will be finished in the near future, inshallah," ending the statement with the Arabic phrase for "God willing." Maybe it’s just me.

The Pope and Kissinger Warn the World
The Pope Was Right
The U.S. vs. Iran

Freedom of Expression is at the Core.

There are those who believe that The Popes quotes regarding Mohammad, or a few silly cartoons depicting Mohammed are of greater negative noteworthiness than the fanatical ensuing reactions to them in the Muslim world. These mostly well- intentioned folks woefully misunderstand the larger issue at hand; which is eloquently and succinctly described in the quote below by Dr. Daniel Pipe of the Middle East Forum:

"The Muslim uproar has a goal: to prohibit criticism of Islam by Christians and thereby to impose Shar‘i norms on the West. Should Westerners accept this central tenet of Islamic law, others will surely follow. Retaining free speech about Islam, therefore, represents a critical defense against the imposition of an Islamic order."
Dr. Daniel Pipes

In other words, criticizing expression (however misguided or not) over rioting hordes seeking to stifle free thought and free expression, only plays directly into the hands of those who would impose speech codes and thought control on us all.

Bring Them Freedom, Or They Destroy Us
Translating the Pope
Jihad Enablers
Turn the Other Cheek? Go to Hell!
How Important Is the Israel Lobby?

The Church – Part of the Problem or Part of the Solution?

This hard-hitting peice from The Burssels Journal is a must read. It is also important for every person to clearly understand the concept of Dhimmitude, many bloggers take for granted that people understand the basics of this struggle when in fact most folks havent even reached first base in truly understanding the nature of the threat:

Our Western “moral and ethical values” are profoundly influenced by Judeo-Christian thinking. Will our openness to outsiders, our democratic system and our Christian compassion, precisely the values that we cherish the most, render the West incapable of withstanding Jihad? A good Christian has to turn the other cheek and love his enemies. How are we to reconcile this with the reality that Muslims regard this as a sign of weakness? And how can we fight sharia when bishops and church leaders are the first to call for a “compassionate” immigration policy that allows masses of Muslims to settle here?

Christians need to understand that there can be no peace or understanding with the Islamic world. They want to subdue us, pure and simple [not a question of will, but means]. Church leaders of all denominations, Protestant, Catholic, Orthodox, must stop stabbing Israel in the back and campaigning for a de facto open borders policy while Muslims are threatening to swamp our lands. Yes, Christianity teaches compassion, but it also teaches identifying evil and standing up to it. At the end of the day, the Church must decide whether, in the defense of civilization, it wants to be a part of the problem or a part of the solution.

Benedict the Brave
Ahmadinejad: The worm in the Apple
Sweden turns right
US preparing to get tough with Iran
Iran's prez skips chance to razz Bush
Thai army chief leads coup
Stoning Women to Death: Iran's Cheif Comes to the UN
Frum's Diary: Sep. 19, 2006: The UN Speech
Muslims Prove Papal Infallibility

Enough Apologies!

Anne Applebaum hits the nail on the head with her article in todays Washington Post:
"...nothing the pope has ever said comes even close to matching the vitriol, extremism and hatred that pour out of the mouths of radical imams and fanatical clerics every day, all across Europe and the Muslim world, almost none of which ever provokes any Western response at all. And maybe it's time that it should...I don't feel that it's asking too much for the West to quit saying sorry and unite, occasionally, in its own defense. The fanatics attacking the pope already limit the right to free speech among their own followers. I don't see why we should allow them to limit our right to free speech, too."

A Special Place in Hell For Richard Armitage

For over 3 years Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald investigated the so-called CIA leek story. As it turns out, Mr. Fitzgerald, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell knew who the leeker was all along; it was Deputy Undersecretary of State Richard Armitage, who early on informed them that he was the source. All three men kept that information secret for over 3 years and let a phony scandal unfold; millions in taxpayers funds were spent, reporters went to jail; careers and lives were ruined, reputations dragged though the mud; an entire administration was distracted with nonsense during war-time, and even the oposition Democrats were falsly lured into making hay of an issue that turned out to be complete farce. Yet, these three men sat back, watched it all unfold and said nothing. What a disgrace. Armitage is disgrace number one, with Colin Powell and Patrick Fitzgerald coming in a close second.

The Unholy Alliance Rolls Over the Pope
Muzzling the Pope
How to Play Hardball
MSNBC: Islamic Militants Vow War
Iranian leader urges more papal protests
Reflections on the Regensburg lecture by Pope Benedict
MSNBC's Ongoing Series: Islam In Europe
Islamic intolerance
Pope’s Statement of Regret Fails to Quiet the Storm
Suicidal Hand-Wringing

Muslim Leader: The Pope Must Die!

We could not make this stuff up even if we tried: A leader of a radical Muslim group in London, Anjem Choudary, said in a demonstration in front of Westminister Abby that those who insulted Islam would be "subject to capital punishment...the Muslims take their religion very seriously and non-Muslims must appreciate that and thay must also understand that there may be serious consequences if you insult Islam and the prophet...Whoever insults the message of Mohammed is going to be subject to capital punishment...I am here to have a peaceful demonstration. But there may be people in Italy or other parts of the world who would carry that out...I think that warning needs to be understood by all people who want to insult Islam and want to insult the prophet of Islam." Meanwhile, al-Qaeda in Iraq warns Christians that: "the worshipper of the cross...you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose head tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (killed by) the sword."
Israel: Few months to avoid nuclear Iran
Anti-U.S. allies back Iran nukes
Iran leader says pope remarks part of US-Israeli conspiracy
Vatican tries to calm Pope row as militants vow war
Pope burned in effigy
Iraq al-Qaeda: Pope, West are doomed
Why the Pope was right



***I highly recommend this article by Sam Harris in today's LA Times: Head-in-the-Sand Liberals: Western civilization really is at risk from Muslim extremists

The Face of a real Martyr: Murdered nun, Sister Leonella, asked forgiveness for killers as she lay dying

As regular readers of the Neocon know, I am not particularly religious, but it seems to me that Sister Leonella, murdered by Somali Muslim gunmen angered over the Popes words is the face of a true martyr, and hopefully will be recognized as such by her Church. I noticed this observation on Malkin’s site and I agree with it entirely. A woman who dedicated her life to the service of others and to her faith; she choose to abandon all personal comforts and go to one of the worlds poorest countries, to assist the weakest of the weak and the poorest of the poor. She wore no suicide bombers belt and drove no truck bomb; her sacrifice was for life not death. She was gunned down in cold blood by fanatics of a high-jacked and perverted faith. Even in her death she did not abandon her principles, asking for forgiveness for the evil perpetrators. I deeply admire but cannot share that sentiment. We should look for justice and let God decide if he wishes to forgive.
Al-Qaeda threatens jihad over Pope's remarks
Archbishop of Sydney: Muslim Violance Prove Pope was Right
Where are the Moderate Muslims?

The Pope must die, says Muslim

Overwhelming American Public Support for Israel Confirmed in Latest National Poll. Trending Even Higher.

Although there is some dispute about which side won the recent Middle East war, it is now clear that Israel was the victor in the battle for American public opinion. Americans were already disposed to back Israel and the war with Hezbollah only deepened those instincts...Quinnipiac's every three-month survey asks Americans to rate 17 different countries on a "friend versus foe" 1-100 index, also known as a thermometer reading. The higher the number, the warmer each respondent feels toward each country. Israel's latest mean rating was 65.9, which placed it third among the nations tested. The highest was England at 78.3, while the lowest was Iran at 13.9. The data indicate that those who see the Bush Administration's unwavering support for Israel as a potential domestic political liability might be wise to think again.

Americas largest and most respected investor, Warren Buffet of Berkshire Hathaway was in Israel today to vist a company he recently purchased for $4 Billion: "Berkshire Hathaway and Israel will be here forever, as Israel and the US will be here forever," Buffett told journalists after the visit to Iscar and the Tefen Industrial Park.

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Christian Worshipers confronted by Muslim Thugs outside Westminster Cathedral after Sunday Mass in Central London, Shouting “Pope Benedict Go to Hell"

In what can only be described as shameless gall and an incredible provocation, over 100 Muslim demonstrators confronted worshipers exiting Sunday mass at the acclaimed Westminster Cathedral in downtown London, with shouts of “POPE BENEDICT GO TO HELL” and carrying signs that read, among other things: “ISLAM WILL CONQURE ROME”; “MAY ALLAH CURSE THE POPE,” and JESUS IS ALLAH'S SLAVE." That worshipers at England’s most important cathedral and symbol of faith would be confronted with such belligerency is truly a sign of how far things have deteriorated in the UK.




The Neocon Congratulates Joee Blogs - A Catholic Londoner for covering this development outside Westminster Abby in London.

• So let me get this one straight, the Catholic Pope makes a statement, Muslim rioters go on a rampage, burn churches and murder a Nun, and the Iranian press sees a Jewish-US conspiracy behind it all. Ooohkidoki!
• A Nun dedicated to nothing other than helping others and serving her religion as she felt compelled was slain in Somalia yesterday. Most likely because some fanatic didn't like what the Pope had to say. A precisous life snuffed out over nothing.
• Weird Quote of the Week: "Anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence" - Pakistan Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tasnim Aslam.
• Predictable quote of the week: “We want to make it clear that if the pope does not appear on TV and apologize for his comments, we will blow up all of Gaza’s churches.” Palestinian Militant Sposksman.

VDH: Oriana Fallaci, RIP, the Pope, and a Sad Age
Bolton: He's smart, tough and willing to stick it to the U.N.
Threats of an attack on Vatican

Let the Pope preach -The Times of London Vs. The New York Times

The Sunday Times of London got it right today by defending not only the Pope, but the words he uttered. The intention of the rioters is to suppress and limit Western free thought and expression, and by extension to force submission to Islam by creating speech codes by which we should all abide…or else. The surrender monkeys at the New York Times on the other hand, have predictably and shamefully thrown in the towel and have basically submitted to the intimidations of radical Islam. A small sample from todays more respectable Sunday Times of London who clearly understand the larger issues at stake:

"This is, in some ways, a re-run of the hoo-ha among some Muslims over the publication in a Danish newspaper of cartoons depicting Muhammad. In the frenzy that followed, with bloody riots and demonstrations in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, Libya, Indonesia and India, about 140 people were killed and hundreds were injured...The Pope may or may not have known what a hornets’ nest he was stirring up. Even if he did, there was nothing inappropriate, within context, in what he said...The Vatican has said he is very sorry his speech caused such offence to Muslims. That is fine but it should not go further than that. He should certainly not be pushed into withdrawing his remarks. As in the case of the Danish cartoons, Muslim zealots are trying to impose their restrictions of free expression on the West."

Nun Murdered by Islamists, blame Pope's Comments
Threats of revenge on Pope
The Pope Should Not Apologize To Muslim Leaders
Pope's remarks spark attacks
Bosnian Mufti - Papal speech defaming religions
Pope Benedict Apologizes in Person for Causing Muslims Offense
Islamic rage explodes - 2 churches bombed in anti-Pope attacks

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

I Will Not Submit
A choice that every Westerner will sooner or later need to make

Why is the left afraid to face up to the threat of radical Islam?
Steyn: Coverage of 9/11 anniversary was too wimpy
Warren: The Pope Should Apologize for What?
Anti-U.S. allies back Iran nukes
What war with Iran would look like
Ultimately, the U.S. will attack Iran

Dr. Wafa Sultan - Encore

Last march the Neocon was one of the first sites to circulate Dr. Wafa Sultan's appearance on al Jazeera. We recived a massive amount of hits on this one. Every six months or so we will re-post her performance as long as it remains relevant.


Meanwhile, below is the wet dream of every Islamo-fascist sympathizer.

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Muslim Brotherhood: Pope Statement not Enough, Apology not Accepted, Groveling will be Required

As predictable as the tide, Pope-gate has escalated further in the past 24 hours, finally gaining the attention of US media. The usual crowd is out in the streets instigating and inciting. The usual Imam’s are pulling the strings. Churches have been burned, apologies demanded and death-threats are trickling in. The tipping point however has not yet been reached and the Pontiff is trying to de-escalate by raising trial balloons of apology; desperately trying to figure out what minimal level of an apology will be required to make the thing go away, for now, until the next inevitable perceived insult and rounds of ensuing rioting. The Vatican, as many in the West have yet to grasp that a temporary “truce” may indeed be possible but that no apology will ever truly suffice. It is our very existence that insults them.

Below are a set of links to numerous articles from around the world on Pope-gate. Some of these links illustrate an extreem reaction that should be taken seriously, and this is likly only the begining:
5 Churches Attacked in Palestinian Areas
Pontiff's Trip to Turkey in Jeopardy
Merkel defends Pope amid Muslim fury
Muslim Cleric to Pope: Say Islam Means Peace -- or Else
Somali cleric calls for pope's death
Pakistan’s Parliament Slams Pope
Jordan condemns Pope''s remarks on Islam
Pope must apologize, says Malaysia's PM Abdullah
Attacks threatened over Pope's words
Pope remarks: Muslims livid, burn effigy
Violence over Pope comments is feared
Iran: Pope's Remarks are Against Religion
Arab op-ed: Pope’s remarks may lead to war
Mujahideen's Army threatens Pope with suicide attack
Security around pope beefed up

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

A Farily Typical Opinion Aired throughout the Arab World, every Day (english subtitles)

La Fallaci, A prophet of decline passes from the scene

Many other bloggers have eulogized Italian Journalist Oriana Fallaci, a mentor to many of us who passed away two days ago in her home town of Florence, ironically, the epicenter of Western renaissance. There is not much that I can add that hasn’t been mentioned on many other sites, but I did feel compelled to make a post out of respect and to link to this article from today’s Wall Street Journal. A small sample:
La Fallaci," as she liked to call herself--yes, immodestly; but Italian divas don't do self-deprecation--became in her last years a fierce, even apocalyptic, critic of Islam. She feared the unassimilated--and, she believed, unassimilable--Muslim immigrants in the West, and she feared them to distraction. Above all, she despised Europe's political and cultural elites who were responsible--in her view--for turning Europe into "a colony of Islam." In a Spenglerian interview for this page last June, she told me: "The moment you give up your principles, and your values . . . the moment you laugh at those principles, and those values, you are dead, your culture is dead, your civilization is dead. Period."

Koch: Losing Our Will to Win
We Think About Life. Bin Laden thinks of slaughter

CRADLE OF HATE; ISLAM'S MIDDLE EAST PROBLEM

Last week Ralph Peters got off message with silliness about how certain unnamed “right-wingers” were fomenting alienation of moderate Muslims by engaging in over-the-top anti-Muslim attitudes. That piece was undoubtedly meant to establish Peters’ anti-Islamophobe credentials at other unnamed folks expense. This week however Ralph Peters is back on message and he unloads with this powerful piece. A small sample:

"Given all the wealth that's poured into the region, its vast human resources and all of its opportunities for change, the mess the Middle East has made of itself is stunning. Beyond Israel, the region hasn't produced a single first-rate government, army, economy, university or industry. It hasn't even produced convincing second-raters. Culturally, the region is utterly noncompetitive. Societies stagnate as populations seethe... Oil-rich Saudi Arabia has a per capita GDP half that of Israel's (whose sole resource is people)...The repeated failures we've witnessed go far beyond a religion on its sickbed. Instead of Islam being the Middle East's problem, what if Islam's problem is the Middle East? Were Christianity and Judaism "saved" because they escaped the Middle East? Were these other two great monotheist religions able to master the power of knowledge and human potential because they were driven from their stultifying cultural and geographic origins? Did the Diaspora and the subsequent Muslim destruction of the cradle of Christianity ultimately save these two faiths? The Middle East is a straitjacket that turns religions mad. We got away."

Muslim leaders demand apology for Pope's 'medieval' remarks

Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

I also highly recommend Charles Krauthammer's article in the New York Daily News: Moment of truth is near for the next big fight. Dr. Krauthammer pulls no punches: In his televised 9/11 address, President Bush said that we must not "leave our children to face a Middle East overrun by terrorist states and radical dictators armed with nuclear weapons." There's only one such current candidate: Iran. The next day, he responded thus (as reported by Rich Lowry and Kate O'Beirne of National Review) to a question on Iran: "It's very important for the American people to see the President try to solve problems diplomatically before resorting to military force."

"Before" implies that the one follows the other. The signal is unmistakable. An aerial attack on Iran's nuclear facilities lies just beyond the horizon of diplomacy. With the crisis advancing and the moment of truth approaching, it is important to begin looking now with unflinching honesty at the military option.

Pope's Muslim remarks raise security fears -Worldwide Coverage

The main stream media in the USA are largely still ignoring this developing story for now, possibly expecting it will fizzle out quickly. The Neocon predicted earlier that this has the potential to develop into another cartoon-crisis, with far more serious implications and indeed it has escalated over the past 24 hours. Some are calling this a diplomatic blunder, others are calling it a wake-up call for Christians (the Neocon believes it could be both). Below are links from media outlets around the world covering the fallout and what could be the initial stages of a crisis; time will tell. It should be remembered that the cartoon crisis took months to materialize. The Neocon is on top of this one.
Muslim fury grows at Pope's speech
Turkish Lawmaker Compares Pope to Hitler
Palestinaian Leaders join growing Muslim criticism against Pope
Muslim fury at pope jihad comments
Muslims in Uproar Over Pope's Remarks on Islam
Organization of the Islamic Conference criticizes the Pope
Pope's remarks recall cartoon crisis
Pope comments explosive in Mideast: analysts
BBC: In quotes: Muslim reaction to Pope
Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media

Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan

The reviews are in and it looks like Sacha Baron Cohen has produced a masterpiece of satire. I found myself cracking up just from reading the reviews (a few linked below). The fact that the film (to be released in November) is already an “international incident” and that the President of Kazakhstan is rumored to bring the the matter up (and this is not a joke) with President Bush in their upcoming meeting is…well…amusing. Kazakhstan has threatened a lawsuit against Cohen, who responded to the legal threats by remaining in Borat guise and saying, "I'd like to state I have no connection with Mr Cohen and fully support my Government's decision to sue this Jew. Since the 2003 reforms, Kazakhstan is as civilised as any other country in the world. Women can now travel on inside of bus, homosexuals no longer have to wear blue hats, and age of consent has been raised to eight years old."

To give a small taste of reviews, this one comes from the Hollywood Reporter: "This year you are not going to find a more appalling, tasteless, grotesque, politically incorrect or slanderous film than "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan. You probably won't laugh as hard all year either. For once it's true: "Borat" has to be seen to be believed. Like an exploding cesspool at a country club dinner. To the best of my knowladge, this is the first film to ever satire a predominantly Muslim country, although Kazakhstan can hardly be viewed as radical, and in some ways is an easy target makeing the film something of a cheep shot as halarious as it may be. When comedians take on Saudi Arabia with the same intensity, that will be a sign of real normalcy.
'Borat' mockumentary gets unusual publicity
Borat the Subject of Bush Summit
White House Denies Meeting on Scary 'Borat' Crisis
"Borat" the year's most offensive masterpiece
Borat kicks up storm of controversy on red carpet

Coulter: If Only Bin Laden Had a Stained Blue Dress...
Thomas: The 'Stubborn' President Bush
Krauthammer: The Tehran Calculus
VDH: Osama's 9/11 Anniversary

Update: Pope's Speech Stirs Muslim Anger

Predictably, as reported by the Neocon Express yesterday, The Pope’s recent speech is reverberating throughout the Muslim world. The Neocon predicts that the reaction to the speech could reach Danish-Cartoons intensity should certain influential Imams believe it within their interest to stir up trouble. Also predictably, in reporting on the subject, the BBC is bending over backwards to highlight that the Pope was just “quoting Manuel II and that these were not his own words.” The Neocon predicts that the Pope will backtrack faster than you can say “infidel” in a desperate effort to avoid escalation with the Islamic world. Certainly, a backtracking Pope will serve to further embolden radical Islamists in their war with the West.
Kissinger warns of possible "war of civilizations"
Ahmadinejad: We can better lead the world
Expert: No peace with Islam, Iran Wants Armageddon
Pope criticised for Islam remarks
NY Times: Muslim Leaders Assail Pope’s Speech on Islam
al Jazeera: Pope: full of enmity and grudge" against Islam
Times of India: Pope's attack on Islam sparks anger
Turkish cleric criticizes pope comments
"Dangerous" Comment from Pope: Islam Preaches Violence

Freek Show In Cuba - Like the Bar Scene in Star Wars

Only 90 miles off the US coast, Castro’s Cuba will host a number of the worlds…emm…shall we say, more colorful characters: Iran’s Ahmedinejad, Syria’s Assad, Zimbabwe’s Mugabee, Venezuela’s Chavez, and... North Korea’s Kim Jung Ill, who will be sending his representative and will attend in spirit only because Kimy is apparently afraid of flying (no joke). It turns out that there is no train service from North Korea to Cuba, imagine that. In fairness there will be a good number of respectable leaders attending as well, but having the entire Axis of Evil only 90 miles off the coast in one location is an amusing eye-opener. Wait, isn't Guantanamo in Cuba too?

Blair attacks Europe's "mad anti-Americans"
Israeli Gov't hesitation will go down in history
Former IDF chief: Olmert, Halutz must go
Are Canadians Stupid?
Warren: Fifth Column
Tags: Middle East, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, G-8 Summit, Hezbollah, Fox News, CNN, Media