Stupidity, Defined

The President, speaking on his plans to increase America's military involvement with the Iraqi Government, on what we expect the Iraqi Government to do:

I've made it clear to the Prime Minister and Iraq's other leaders that America's commitment is not open-ended. If the Iraqi government does not follow through on its promises, it will lose the support of the American people -- and it will lose the support of the Iraqi people. Now is the time to act. The Prime Minister understands this. Here is what he told his people just last week: "The Baghdad security plan will not provide a safe haven for any outlaws, regardless of [their] sectarian or political affiliation."

The Iraqi Government, from a BBC report and the New York Sun, telling Americans directly what it will do:

Six Iranians held in a US military raid in northern Iraq were working there with the approval of the authorities, Iraq's foreign minister has said.
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The US said it believed the six people seized in Thursday's raid had targeted Iraqi and US-led coalition forces. Mr Zebari said details of the detainees had now been passed to the Americans. "We contacted the US embassy and submitted all the information available to us on the nature of their work and the place of their work," he said. "They have been working under the approval of the government."

One of the group, seized when US troops stormed the building, has since been released. Mr Zebari said the other five remained in US custody ...

The President, leading the Republican Party to electoral suicide, on what he expects "Prime Minister" Maliki to do:

Many listening tonight will ask why this effort will succeed when previous operations to secure Baghdad did not. Well, here are the differences: In earlier operations, Iraqi and American forces cleared many neighborhoods of terrorists and insurgents, but when our forces moved on to other targets, the killers returned. This time, we'll have the force levels we need to hold the areas that have been cleared. In earlier operations, political and sectarian interference prevented Iraqi and American forces from going into neighborhoods that are home to those fueling the sectarian violence. This time, Iraqi and American forces will have a green light to enter those neighborhoods--and Prime Minister Maliki has pledged that political or sectarian interference will not be tolerated.

"Prime Minister" Maliki's aides, on what they will do:

Several al-Maliki aides and confidants have told The Associated Press that the prime minister plans to focus his troops, with American backing, on Sunni insurgents in western Baghdad at the outset of the drive. They spoke on condition of anonymity because the details of the plan had not been disclosed. Al-Maliki, the associates said, then plans to challenge al-Sadr to disarm and disband his militia because there would no longer be a reason for them to roam the streets with Sunni Arab insurgent forces crippled.

This is stupidity, defined: Having found ourselves in between warring branches of fanatical, anti-American Islamism, we have now extended our military committment to enable one of those factions to eliminate their mortal enemy on their behalf.

Are we really this stupid?

The mind reels.

Let Us Listen To What The Enemy Is Saying, Part II

One of the disabilities Westerners labor under in dealing with Islam is our widespread lack of ability in Arabic. Arabic is a very, very difficult language to even obtain a basic competency in, even, in many cases, for native speakers. And, given the fact that, outside of the highly specialized worlds of big oil and international diplomacy, virtually no business is conducted between the Arabic-speaking world and the West, there is little incentive for the average Westerner to take the plunge and learn it.

This unfortunate circumstance has persisted for decades and has effectively given the Jihadist movement the ability to divide its message: one (call it "ROP Mode") in English, the other (call it "Jihad Mode") in Arabic. The use of the word "cease-fire" is the most famous of the dual usages. In English, it is presented in the Western meaning of the word, i.e. a cessation of hostilities in advance of peace negotiations with an eye towards a final settlement. In Arabic, the term "hudna" is used, i.e. a temporary cessation of hostilities with the sworn enemy for reasons of tactical advantage or to give time to recover from a set-back.

But that is only the most famous example. The fact is such double-usages are legion and part of a larger tactic of saying one thing in ROP Mode and quite another in Jihad Mode. (Incidentally, this is why the service provided by MEMRI is invaluable).

However, if you pay attention, the mask slips often. The Jihadists are really fooling no one who doesn't willingly want to be fooled.

Still, the difference between ROP Mode, in which multi-culti pieties are mumbled, and Jihad Mode, in which our Muslims let their hair down and speak their mind secure in the ignorance of the infidels, can at times be quite striking.

Take "Australian" Muslim leader Taj al-Din al-Hilali for example. Just weeks after slapping idiot liberal and left-wing Aussies in the face by bolding proclaiming the right of Muslims to rape Western women who do not submit to the veil (see his speech excerpt below), the "sheik" has done the traditional thing and gone on a Grievance Tour. He is currently stirring the shit in Egypt--which, admittedly has quite a bit of shit to stir--and had the following to say.....in Arabic, of course.

Speaking in Arabic on Egyptian television Sheik al-Hilali said, according to a Seven Network translation, that white Australians arrived in the country shackled as convicts.

"We (Muslims) came as free people. We bought our own tickets. We are entitled to Australia more than they are,'' he said.

The mufti was on the Egyptian chat show explaining the controversy last year over his comments likening immodestly-dressed women to uncovered meat.

But according to the translation, he said the controversy was a white conspiracy aimed at terrorising Australian Muslims.

* * *

The mufti told Egytpian television that outrage over his controversial meat sermon was "a calculated conspiracy'', that started with him, "in order to bring the Islamic community to its knees''.

He also said "Australian law guarantees freedoms up to a crazy level'', when reportedly referring to anti-Muslim courts and the harsh sentencing of a Muslim gang rapist in Sydney.

Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad today criticised and defended his close friend, saying some of his comments were "ill-advised''.

"I believe his intention was to indicate that we choose to be in Australia because we love Australia, because his Egyptian interviewers were asking him why he stays and puts up with the controversy here,'' Mr Trad said.

"He was defending Australia, but saying sometimes democracy fails, and the reaction to his comments put a lie to the democratic principle of free speech.

"But I, as a Muslim Australian, do feel the need to apologise for anyone who is offended by these comments.''

Note particularly Mr. Trad's, that is to say, a moderate Muslim's, reaction to free speech: to Muslims, as to Leftists, what "free speech" means is that Muslims are free to speak and we are free to shut the fuck up. Note that even Australian Islam's public face, a man who must have been chosen for his communication skills and ability to act as a spokesperson for the cause of Australian Muslims, literally has no understanding of what "free speech" means. None whatsoever.

Oh, and also note that no apology is needed. You're the one who has to apologize, infidel.

We have but to listen to understand.




*Excerpt: al-Din al-Hilali's Speech, given at Lakemba Mosque, on the MOST HOLY YOU-CAN'T-KILL-US-BUT-WE-CAN-KILL-YOU Month of Ramadan:

But in the event of adultery, the responsibility falls 90 per cent of the time with women. Why? Because the woman possesses the weapon of seduction. She is the one who takes her clothes off, cuts them short, acts flirtatious, puts on make-up and powder, and goes on the streets dallying. She is the one wearing a short dress, lifting it up, lowering it down, then a look, then a smile, then a word, then a greeting, then a chat, then a date, then a meeting, then a crime, then Long Bay Jail, then comes a merciless judge who gives you 65 years.

But the whole disaster, who started it? The Al-Rafihi scholar says in one of his literary works, he says: If I come across a crime of rape - kidnap and violation of honour - I would discipline the man and teach him a lesson in morals, and I would order the woman be arrested and jailed for life.

Why, Rafihi? He says, because if she hadn't left the meat uncovered, the cat wouldn't have snatched it. If you take a kilo of meat, and you don't put it in the fridge, or in the pot, or in the kitchen, but you put in on a plate and placed it outside in the yard. Then you have a fight with the neighbour because his cats ate the meat. Then (inaudible). Right or not?

If one puts uncovered meat out in the street, or on the footpath, or in the garden, or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, then the cats come and eat it, is it the fault of the cat or the uncovered meat? The uncovered meat is the problem! If it was covered the cat wouldn't have. It would have circled around it and circled around it, then given up and gone.

If she was in her room, in her house, wearing her hijab, being chaste, the disasters wouldn't have happened. The woman possesses the weapon of seduction and temptation. That's why Satan says about the woman, "You are half a soldier. You are my messenger to achieve my needs. You are the last weapon I would use to smash the head of the finest of men. There are a few men that I use a lot of things with, but they never heed me. But you? Oh, you are my best weapon."