Long-time readers of this blog know that I predicted the 9/11 attacks long before they happened. I saw the growth of radical Islam and how the U.S. government simply ignored the repeated provocations. Retaliation was “beneath us,” or so the refrain went. We could afford to shrug off embassy bombings in Africa and attacks on our warships.
So the attacks escalated until we could not ignore them any more.
For a few months, it looked like things had changed – and I believed our nation had awoken to the existential threat posed by radical Islam – an ideology of conquest rather than a faith.
Today we have the definitive proof that I was wrong.
Today our embassy in Egypt was attacked, the American flag torn down and the Black Flag waved over its compound.
The Black Flag has a lot of history. It was raised more than a century ago in the Sudan during the Mahdist rebellion. Winston Churchill’s excellent account of the campaign is still available and an invaluable source of information on the roots of the modern jihadi.
This history is well known to the local inhabitants: How in 1884 an obscure preacher incited the people of the Sudan to holy war against the British-backed Egyptian garrison. Let by the Mahdi, the hordes of fanatics swept across the country, capturing everything south of roughly the modern frontier save for the capital, Khartoum. It was here that the legendary General Charles “Chinese” Gordon held out for over a year against impossible odds, waiting in vain for relief. The city fell and Gordon was beheaded two days before the relief force arrived. It then withdrew back to Egypt.
Nearly a decade later, the British resolved to restore their honor – and forestall possible French influence along the Nile - by launching a massive punitive expedition under General Sir Herbert Kitchener (he of the “I Want You” poster fame) that culminated in the archetypal clash of civilizations: The Battle of Omdurman.
It was here in 1898 that the “whirling dervishes” of the Mahdist army, swords flashing and banners streaming, were cut down in droves by modern artillery and machineguns.
What a difference a century makes. Then, the Black Flag was cut down by Maxim guns and quick-firing 6-pounders. Now, we bow to it.
Think I exaggerate? Here is the official U.S. response to the violation of American sovereign territory:
The Embassy of the United States in Cairo condemns the continuing efforts by misguided individuals to hurt the religious feelings of Muslims – as we condemn efforts to offend believers of all religions. Today, the 11th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, Americans are honoring our patriots and those who serve our nation as the fitting response to the enemies of democracy. Respect for religious beliefs is a cornerstone of American democracy. We firmly reject the actions by those who abuse the universal right of free speech to hurt the religious beliefs of others
Yeah! Take that!
Oh wait, another apology.
I was born for a different age - an age when honor meant something, and when America stood for something other than buying off victims.
The proper response to this infringement of sovreign territory is to recall the ambassador and establish a blockade. If the insults persist, naval and aerial bombardment of key facilities until the host nation apologizes to us.
This is the way things used to be. It will be interesting to see if Romney can show more backbone. Not that it should be difficult...
BONUS QUESTION: Does this mean the administration will start censoring Catholic critics, or do we have to kill some people first to get their attention?
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