We will never be friends, brothers, or true allies with muslims...

[Flyin6]

Excerpts from a letter from a US Army General officer



There are two points the President and the Secretaries of State  and Defense may want to keep in mind as they evaluate future problems in the Mid-East and how to successfully address them. Both are easiest illustrated by real life happenings.

 Point 1

 Many years ago I attended the Infantry officer Advanced Course at Fort Benning, Georgia.
 Probably ten percent of the students attending that ten month course of instruction were from foreign
 countries. For about half of the course my table-mate was an Arab. We studied together, completed homework assignments together, got to know each other's families and generally enjoyed each other's company.
 Part of that time we students were immersed in reading about, researching and discussing wars and problems of the Middle East. By this time my Arab classmate and I had, I thought, become close friends.

A question popped into my mind and without evaluating it I said, "I have a question to ask you, but you may find it a little impertinent, or perhaps, offensive."

"That's quite alright", he replied. "We know each other well enough to be
 honest with each other. So go ahead and ask your question."

"Well," I began, "Each time you Arabs start a war with Israel, they beat your socks off. Why don't you learn your lesson and quit making war on them?"

 The words hadn't passed my lips before I felt that I shouldn't have asked that particular  question. But I was wrong. My Arab officer friend didn't get angry. He didn't even think
 before replying. "My dear friend," he said in his British accent, "You are absolutely  right. Each time we attack the Israelis they whip us.  But have you noticed that with each loss we get better.  We get whipped not as badly as in the war before."


 Then he got a faraway look in his eyes, pounded on the table and said, "Sometime in the next thousand years, we will win!"

Up until then I’d never thought in terms of a thousand years, and I don't think I'm very good at it today. But for those formulating foreign and defense policy for the nation, it is worth making the
 effort. For it’s difficult to think in terms of the immediate future while negotiating with a nation  whose leaders are thinking in terms of hundreds or thousands of years.

 Point 2.

 During the 1st Gulf War, US and Arab forces fought side by side and some of the officers became
 close friends. When the war ended in victory there was a celebration in the Officer's Club with congratulations all around. A lot of handshaking and hugging was going on. It was a time of displaying real brotherly love.
 

Seeing this, one of the senior Arab generals felt the need to set the record straight. "Look," he  said to a small cluster of American generals.  "We’ve fought together and some of us have died
 together. I know you feel that makes us brothers. But that’s not the way it is in my world."

 He looked around the circle making eye contact with all of them. "I don't want to see you  hurt, so I need to share this with you. There will be no tomorrow for us jointly. No matter how
 much you have helped my country and you came and helped us when we desperately needed your help and no matter how friendly you feel toward us, we are still Muslims and you are still Christians. That means that in our eyes, we can never be brothers. I'm sorry, but to us, you will always be Infidels!"

 Yes, we Infidels have liberated Iraq and Afghanistan, but we’ve not made their countries, nor  their people, depositories of freedom and liberty.  No matter how hard we work to rebuild their govts,
 infrastructure, educational and medical institutions, and no matter how desperately they need our help,as the Arab general noted, we can never be brothers to each other.

 Also, I learned what Kipling meant when he wrote: "East is East, and West is West, and never the  twain shall meet". He was pointing out to the western world that to Muslims, we Christians will always be Infidels!

[Atkinsmatt]

Great AAR point.  If only today's NCA would learn this lesson that has repeatedly recently been demonstrated.

[Flyin6]

Great AAR point.  If only today's NCA would learn this lesson that has repeatedly recently been demonstrated.

Matt,

I'm betting they know it, but pressure from whoever is pushing the buttons is full ahead on the mu-slum-ization of our nation

[Atkinsmatt]

There are several (izations) happening right now which points us to the fact that we are in decline as a nation and in the last days.

[TexasRedNeck]

Hung out with these guys today and learned a lot.  Mostly that I don't know much.
http://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/rmacnamee/
http://bush.tamu.edu/faculty/jcastillo/

The they are also partners at McConnor Meade risk consultants.  One is the "practitioner" and the other is the professor. Great juxtaposition of perspectives on global threats and terrorism.

[Higher Caliber]

I just felt like these were important-

[Dawg25385]

I was walking around campus last night on my way to class, and saw a sandwich board advertisement for "Islam Awareness Week".... and thought to myself, "who the *** isn't aware of Islam?? You mean to tell me there are people who don't know about people getting beheaded and burned alive in the middle east?" I was just furious... but told myself, "let it go, you're 3 weeks and a summer class from graduating, drop kick the sign after you get your diploma"  >:(

[HuskerTrev]

My oldest son and I were on our way to the range yesterday afternoon and we had almost this exact conversation. He is 9 and very intelligent. While talking about the difference between Christianity (salvation through belief) and Islam (salvation through works), he piped up and hit the nail right on the head, saying: "Sounds to me like Islam is something the devil came up with."

Needless to say I was shocked when my 9 year old was able to figure out in a twenty minute conversation that Islam and Muslims are not tolerant people, but believe in a demon that is rooted in pure evil.