Melanie Phillips's Analysis
Today, Melanie Phillips, author of Londonistan, posted her analysis of the recent election results. Excerpt from "America Falters":
...[T]he most likely outcome of these mid-term elections is another major terror attack on America. Whatever the smart analysis of the likely shape of domestic American politics over the next two years, America has now signalled a faltering of resolve; and that’s the cue for a redoubled Islamist attack....
Alarmist or realist?
posted by Always On Watch @ 11/09/2006 09:23:00 PM
46 comments
46 Comments:
Realist.
Unfortunately I fear its realist!!
I don't know. You'll notice that Osama and friends failed to issue one of their tapes or videos before the election with another warning.
They may also realize that another attack right now will force the Democrats hand before they (the Dems) have succeeded in making us lose in Iraq.
There is NO DOUBT that the election results cheered Islamic Fascists worldwide, and greater attacks will result. Whether they occur in this country is unclear. At least we have two years left of the Bush presidency with it's committment to our protection.
After that, all bets are off.
I think we have always been and will be at high risk for another attack as long as we have open borders and foolishly lax immigration policies. And it looks like neither party wants to do much about that, with the exception of a few mavericks. But there's the chance now that the Democrats will go along with the President's amnesty, which would legalize untold numbers of illegals, including Moslems of unknown intentions.
VA- YES! Remember, mohammadins are not bound by a timetable, so to them an attack 5 yrs. from now is the same as an attack next month!
Since they have no past tense in their language(arabic) past is static, it never moves "away" from the viewer, it is a shadow tied to their heels!
Good morning, G*D bless and Maranatha!
tmw
it could be twenty years from now and they'll still blame bush. this is a crowd who loves appeasement, but cannot itself be appeased. if that makes any sense.
glad to have a place in the mountains with one way in and the same way out.
Control freaks! Or sociopaths, "I'm the one whose important, everyone and everything exists for my benefit!"
I don't blame you Nanc! I rather like that idea, myself! I have a family to consider!
I dread the tax nightmare that may show up though!
tmw
The simple math of the election is 31.5 million dems voted as opposed to 25 million reps.
We simply didn't make the case for the GWOT as eloquently as Ms. Phillips did.
I hope the reps who stayed home on election day are satisfied with their decision to teach the right
a lesson.
i sense much mudslinging and nothing getting done in the next two years - at least the potus tax cuts are good through 2010! set in stone and cannot be changed although they'll try...
Melanie Phillips' assessment is a realistic one. Al-Qaedans must be cock-a-hoop now! All we need to do is wait for the next attack.
Of course, all this could have been avoided if President Bush had not gone out of his way to endear the US electorate to the 'wonderful' "religion of peace"! Nought out of ten, Mr Bush! Go to the corner of the class, and collect your dunce's cap first!
"America has now signalled a faltering of resolve; and that’s the cue for a redoubled Islamist attack."
I think her analysis is a very astute one! This sentence in particular is a prophetic one.
Mudslinging, name calling, finger pointing, investigations, special prosecuteors...a total waste of time, energy, emotion and MY Money!
tmw
Melanie is right that the enemy will see the election as a lack of resolve. But resolve comes from understanding what’s at stake including the breath and depth of the hate-ideology embraced by the enemy as well as its source in Islam. If we faced that we’d have the resolve but we wouldn’t be trying to “win hearts and minds.” Bush can’t both vilify the enemy and “try to make love” to them. Nor can he explain the threat of an ideology he praises.
The election reveals the confusion in the public’s mind. And that confusion is there because our leaders are confused. It will, however, be interpreted as weakness by the enemy. They’ll make the fatal mistake of confusing ignorance for cowardliness.
I'll postpone judgement until I see how the Iraq Study Group Report is received and the margin by which Gate's gets confirmed. If those are both are well received, I would put her into the "alarmist" category. If not, "realist". She herself stated that it tooks the Brits 4 years to figure out the Malaya insurgency, then 8 more to defeat it. Whether or not America get's those extra 8 years rests with the upcoming Hearings.
16,000 Potential Terrorists in Britain
Al-Masri, leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, appears to have released an audiotape stating that AQ will not rest till it blows up the White House. As of this moment, that story is unconfirmed, but according to THIS,
..."We call the lame duck (Bush) not to hurry up in escaping the same way the defense minister did," he said, referring to the removal of Donald Rumsfeld as Defense Secretary following the Democrats' victory in Midterm elections.
"They are getting ready to leave, because they are no longer capable of staying," the Al Qaeda leader said....
Another report, unconfirmed, stated that AQ wouldn't rest until they blow up the White House.
Did the Democratic Party's victory on Tuesday further the terrorists' goals? AQ is saying so.
I hate predictions, but my guess is that Tuesday's election results here, followed by the ousting of Donald Rumsfeld, are sending the meassge of weak waffling.
It may sound surprising coming from me, but I'd say....alarmist.
A terrorist attack on America is imminent. It doesn't matter who's in charge, or who is in office when it happens.
The accusation against whatever party is in charge, or what administration is in office during the time of a terrorist attack is petty, irresponsible, and somewhat childish if you think about it. These accusations lack substance.
When liberal bloggers appeal to the 9/11 attacks as coming "under Bush's watch", responsible conservatives must always take that as a lesson: not to repeat the childish and irresponsible behaviour that we've seen from our liberal bloggers.
Further, although some of you might interpret the loss of conservative power in the legislative branch as being the catalyst behind future attacks, we cannot forget that the Dhimmitude factor kicked in from both ends of the political spectrum, as clearly defined in the 9/11 Commission Report.
If you think about it, I am being a realist here.
I'm putting her in the "realist" column.
This election was a referendum on America's resolve and apparently we don't have any.
I don't believe another attack is imminent regardless of who holds office.
I think Bush and Blair have done a good job of thwarting numerous terrorist and terrorist activities.
The NSA wiretapping will surely be stopped..not that it matters nearly so much now that it has been exposed.
Bush deserves credit for stopping attacks. This has been good police work with the aid of pressure on certain foreign governments. However it is only a stop-gap measure. The porous borders and growing Muslim population will make this difficult to sustain. The eventual possession of nukes will make a catastrophic attack possible and perhaps likely.
The long-term Bush strategy is “we’ll change them” coupled with the Secretary of State who really believes that they are already like us and just need a helping hand. No wonder Americans don’t see an enemy. The President doesn’t either. It’s only a few fanatics that make an extremist Islamo-fascist movement, in his view. Then why a war?
Odd that the White House hasn't notice that the first chance Muslims get they vote for these “fanatics.” And the left is ready to chime in with “now you’ve created terrorists.” The reality hasn’t changed, only the knowledge that there is a broad enemy with wide support. Bush didn’t create the revival of Islam but he’ll be tarred and feathered for “inflaming” the enemy.
Duncy
In case you haven't noticed the majority you imagine doesn't exist. The wild bugeyed liberals do not have a majority.
When we do get hit again those on the left will have to answer for their obstructionism. I would like to be the person who personally sends you off to Gitmo.
Riddle me this bird brain how is it the only election where a bug eyed Stalinist ran on the war he lost. Riddle me this Duncy even Comwad Sanders did not talk about Iraq much.
He comes out of Burlington and talks about Dairy farms.
Duncy how is it that prisoners in GITMO
have a better diet than Cuban party members.
The more America sees of an emboldened Pelosi, Conyers, Kerry etc the worse it gets for you. I hope nostrilitis Waxman starts the investigations now.
This will boomerang quite fast.
One more thing Duck, Communism is dead and you have yet to have an intelligent thought. Whay was Sanders excuse for voting against tougher penalties for sex offenders. Sex offenders are an important constituency , Democrats put one in the Whitehouse.
Steve,
A terrorist attack on America is imminent. It doesn't matter who's in charge, or who is in office when it happens....
Further, although some of you might interpret the loss of conservative power in the legislative branch as being the catalyst behind future attacks, we cannot forget that the Dhimmitude factor kicked in from both ends of the political spectrum, as clearly defined in the 9/11 Commission Report.
Interesting points! While 9/11 was a wake-up call for many, AQ attacks on American interests occurred during the Clinton administration--and even during the Reagan administration.
As to the blame-game, most of it is pure politics and political jockeying. Do the ideological lessons ever get learned?
From a recent article by Daniel Pipes:
Has the United States ever engaged in a crusade against Islam? No, never. And, what's more, one of the country's earliest diplomatic documents rejects this very idea.
Exactly 210 years ago this week, toward the end of George Washington's second presidential administration, a document was signed with the first of two Barbary Pirate states. Awkwardly titled the "Treaty of Peace and Friendship, signed at Tripoli November 4, 1796 (3 Ramada I, A. H. 1211), and at Algiers January 3, 1797 (4 Rajab, A. H. 1211)," it contains an extraordinary statement of peaceful intent toward Islam....
For 210 long years, the American government has bound itself to a friendly attitude toward Islam, without Muslims having signed on to reciprocate, or without their even being aware of this promise. The seeming agreement by both parties not to let any "pretext arising from religious opinions" to interrupt harmonious relations, it turns out, is a purely unilateral American commitment.
And this one-sided legacy continues to the present. The Bush administration responded to acts of unprovoked Muslim aggression not with hostility toward Islam but with offers of financial aid and attempts to build democracy in the Muslim world.
Under both George Washington and John Adams, the United States paid tribute (aka blackmail) to the Barbary pirates, who were Muslims well predating Qutb. I would term that piracy as a form of terrorism. But, hey, maybe that's just me.
Of course, Thomas Jefferson sent in U.S. military to deal with the Barbary pirates, but even that stop to paying tribute was a limited effort.
Jason,
The long-term Bush strategy is “we’ll change them” coupled with the Secretary of State who really believes that they are already like us and just need a helping hand.
It's much easier to accept that fantasy than to face the ugly truth about Islam.
Mark,
all this could have been avoided if President Bush had not gone out of his way to endear the US electorate to the 'wonderful' "religion of peace"!
I've heard this comparison made, but I don't recall who made it: Saying that Islam is a religion of peace is like trying to say there is peaceful Nazism. Well, I suppose there is peace if all subject to that particular ideology.
The United States refuses to label this a religious war. But the fact is that, by its very nature, jihadism IS a religious war. Denying the definition doesn't nullify the reality!
Vanishing American,
I think we have always been and will be at high risk for another attack as long as we have open borders and foolishly lax immigration policies.
Eurabia has already discovered the harsh reality of what you've mentioned. Oh, I've heard all about the differences (as to why European Muslims are so angry and why American Muslims aren't). But the percentage of Muslims here in the States is still quite low. What happens at the 10% mark?
TO ALL COMMENTERS:
I can't respond to all right now. Time to soak my back. It's been a long day.
I urge all here to WATCH THIS VIDEO, all the way to the end--when some supporters attending Keith Ellison's victory speech started chanting "Allahu Akbar!" And notice Ellison's body language toward the end. Does that body language put a lie to the nice words he was saying?
dear G-d, aow - that was compelling. sickening.
Duck
You are forgetting one key fact about Comwad Sanders. He has accomplished zero in all his time in DC. He is in poor health and will die before 2009. He has collapsed twice and has one foot in the grave.
Sanders may be in Washington but only as a joke and nothing he does will matter. There is a better chance that Sanders will die or be indicted than finnish his term.
Meanwhile he will speak out for the rights of sexual predators as jobs flee Vermont in droves. He is the perfect spokesman for your kind incoherent and on a par with mentally disturbed homeless people in NYC.
Dream on Duncy.
I've linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2006/11/re-melanie-phillipss-analysis-america.html
Crusader,
This election was a referendum on America's resolve and apparently we don't have any.
Krauthammer wrote an interesting column on November 10. Excerpt:
...Because both houses have gone Democratic, the election is correctly seen as an expression of no confidence in the central issue of the campaign: Iraq. It was not so much the war itself as the perceived administration policy of "stay the course," which implied endless intervention with no victory in sight....
In my own mind, I wonder what the election results might have been had GWB dismissed Rumsfeld earlier. Regardless of one's opinion of Rumsfeld's strategies, the perception of many Americans seems to be that the current administration's strategy in Iraq is not successful.
The attacks on 9/11 are five years' distant. Because there have been no further attacks here, many Americans have slipped into taking for granted that the war is "over there." If the measures taken by the Bush administration are nullified, do Americans really believe no further attacks here will occur? Frankly, I hope that attitude is not tested by the abrogation of the various security measures.
Beak,
Meanwhile he [Sanders] will speak out for the rights of sexual predators...
I don't keep up with what goes on in Vermont.
Sexual predators are the lowest of the low, IMO. I've seen too many victims of those lowlifes to have any patience with allowing them to continue their evil ways.
Nanc,
That video is one we haven't seen in the roundup of victory speeches recently televised. Hmmmm....
Jason,
Bush can’t both vilify the enemy and “try to make love” to them. Nor can he explain the threat of an ideology he praises.
The election reveals the confusion in the public’s mind. And that confusion is there because our leaders are confused. It will, however, be interpreted as weakness by the enemy.
Every perceived weakness just helps the enemy to fill their ranks.
Little Miss Chatterbox,
Unfortunately I fear its realist!!
Melanie Phillips may well be another Cassandra.
Brooke,
I suppose the following saying is true: "There are two kinds of people--9/10 and 9/11."
Cube,
I hope the reps who stayed home on election day are satisfied with their decision to teach the right a lesson.
Funny thing about trying to teach a lesson via the ballot--it can backfire. The lesson might also be misinterpreted as a mandate.
TMW,
Mudslinging, name calling, finger pointing, investigations, special prosecuteors...a total waste of time, energy, emotion and MY Money!
Congress loves special investigations. But Americans in general are fed up with such proceedings and perceive them as grandstanding and a forum for politicking.
Tuesday's elections results may have a different meaning than all the theories currently being propounded: "I'm fed up with politics and want real leadership."
Mike,
You'll notice that Osama and friends failed to issue one of their tapes or videos before the election with another warning.
My hypothesis: those threats had previously led to the American voters' casting ballots in favor of candidates perceived to be strong on national security.
AQ's not releasing a pre-election threat was a calculated move, IMO. Those threats had worked with Spain, but didn't with Americans.
Of course, now we're hearing post-election rejoicing from AQ, Hamas, and Hezbollah. No surprise there.
aow - i posted it at fpm, first article - you should have seen hank try to make it okay - his comments were so blind. the left really has no idea. there's a song my husband likes with the line:
THEM THAT DON'T KNOW - THEY DON'T KNOW THEY DON'T KNOW!
they just don't know. it's like trying to teach a baby to UNwalk, or UNtalk, or UNcrawl.
I think you're right, AOW. I wish AQ had released a pre-election tape. Things probably would have turned out different. Oh well... it's all water under the bridge now.
Duck --
A) Like it or not, al-Qaeda and fellow travellers are more than cognizant of the fact that the Dems are weak on military, intelligence and security affairs.
B) The Dems have, self admittedly, been chaffing at the bit to dismantle the Patriot act.
A + B = C
C) Should the Dems change one iota of the Patriot Act as it now stands and we sustain the first terrorist act since 9/11, 100% of the blame will fall on the Democrats, not even an iota of the blame on the GOP or Bush.
Coincidence will not be an issue, it's been more than 5 years since 9/11.
In short, any comment to the contrary that you make after the fact will be nothing more than assinine, stupid and not worth the bandwidth you use up to make it.
AOW -- I think Melanie Phillips is spot-on in this, and I believe we will pay a price for the results of Tuesday's elections.
Great post!
Unfortunately AOW Melanie is absolutely right. If you show weakness to these animals they will shoot you in the back as you retreat. The American people have just made the world a bit more dangerous.
Morgan
AOW said "Do the ideological lessons ever get learned?"
Unfortunately, they don't, and that's the reason that our little Democratic empire in the west is about to come to a tragic end. In relation to what I was saying earlier, watch what the other party says if we get another attack. We'll hear it from BOTH sides:
1. It was Bush's fault, his watch.
2. It was congress's fault
3. It was the Senate to blame
This blame game has to stop. It's high time both parties get together and work as one damn nation.
KuhnKat,
The Dhimmicrat victory, as small as it was, has still given the Jihadists another GREAT PROPAGANDA victory.
The removal of Mr. Rumsfeld has made this an extremely large victory as he was strong and kicking their buts, which they respect. They only see fear and weakness now.
Following the bombings in Spain, AQ bragged about being able to influence an election. For a while, AQ thought a similar tactic would work throughout the West--execute a spectacular attack or issue threats, and the election can be manipulated. When AQ found out such a tactic didn't work in all Western nations, AQ switched strategies into a more effective campaign of propaganda. And as you said, They see us backing down in Korea, Vietnam, Somalia, Israel... This backing down serves to inflame the ummah and, I believe, will increase the support of terrorism as the ummah see more manifestations of the will of Allah.
Steve,
It's high time both parties get together and work as one damn nation.
As in just following 9/11. IMO, the only way we will unite is if we suffer another horrific attack or a series of attacks. God help us!
Morgan,
The American people have just made the world a bit more dangerous.
As if the world weren't already dangerous enough! :(
Seth,
I believe we will pay a price for the results of Tuesday's elections.
Sooner or later. I'd love to be wrong about this.
Gayle,
Americans have short memories. Now, had the media pointed out how AQ has manipulated the West through release of video and audio tapes and how AQ was withholding those tapes in the weeks following the weeks before the election, we might have seen a different outcome.
Possibility: By releasing the recent statements, has AQ given us a heads-up? We'll see. I see those statements as a heads-up. Do our politicians have that same perception?
KuhnKat,
In this ugly time I want to thank our veterans and our soldiers who are putting their lives and their families health on the line for the ungrateful pieces of duck crap here, safe, living off their inheritances and contributing to our defeat. Even if we won't give them their deserved backing they are still willing to fight for the land and the country and the DREAM of a GOD LOVING LAND!!!!!!
Thank you for posting that reminder about Veterans Day. I wanted to post something about Veterans Day but wasn't up to it. More info as to why in a post I'll be putting up shortly.
I've said it before and I'll say it again:
It's deer-in-the-headlights time. America will look to the Democrats for their ideas, and discover what every Republican since 1871 has known.
They don't have any ideas.
aow - must read when you have the chance, if you haven't already:
http://www.john-
loftus.com/emerson_testimony.asp
cair business
ROP,
From the link you left:
LONDON (Reuters) - Al Qaeda is trying to acquire the technology to carry out a nuclear attack against Western targets including Britain, a senior official said on Monday.
"We know the aspiration is there. We know attempts to gather materials are there, we know that attempts to gather technology are there," the senior Foreign Office official told reporters.
The
ADVERTISEMENT
comments at a briefing came days after the head of MI5 said Muslim extremists were plotting at least 30 major terrorist attacks in Britain which could involve chemical and nuclear devices.
The Foreign Office official, asked whether there was any doubt that Al Qaeda wants to gather nuclear material for use against Western targets, said: "No doubt at all."...
One would hope that the UK has some kind of plans to prevent the attacks.
I can't see the West taking any kind of initiative until such attacks take place--and possibly not even then. Ugh! Seems lose, lose, doesn't it?
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