A few short months ago the intellectuals were in a great snit over the use of “islamofascism” or “islamic fascism,” which many of them held to be a vulgar political ploy by Bushitler and other evil people like Rick Santorum. They were only displaying their own ignorance of the scholarly literature, in which “clerical fascism” has long been a legitimate category. I first encountered it in graduate school nearly 45 years ago, when those of us fortunate enough to participate in George L. Mosse’s seminar on fascism were required to read a collection of masterful essays in a short volume edited by Eugen Weber, called “Varieties of Fascism.” The clerical variety found its first incarnation in Romanian fascism, a horrific movement whose followers killed Jews with such brutal enthusiasm that even the Waffen-SS were impressed.
With regard to the Islamo variety, I claim a limited pride of authorship, since I described Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini as a theocratic fascist months before the overthrow of the shah in 1979, a claim that led to many vitriolic denunciations in angry letters to me and to the editors of the Wall Street Journal (where I published the article).
Moreover, when Senator Scoop Jackson of blessed memory dragged the wise men and women of the CIA to testify in public session about Khomeini, they piled on, saying that in their opinion the passages I had quoted from Khomeni’s works were probably Israeli forgeries. As you see, my problems with CIA go back many years.
We know now that Khomeini was not an Israeli invention, and the refusal of the American Government–most notably in the persona of that backwoods antisemite from Georgia, President Jimmy Carter (the teeth gnash as I type)–cost us heavily. Our refusal to see Khomeini for what he was undermined any effective action to prevent the creation of the Islamic Republic of Iran, doomed unfortunate Americans to 444 days of humiliation at the hands of the mullahs, and unleashed a terror war against us. We are still reluctant to understand the monstrous evil that rules Iran, and, just as it took us years before we reacted to the original fascism, we are still dithering about a virile response to islamofascism.
I was enormously impressed to find that a newly launched blog with the elegant title “Breath of the Beast” has now demonstrated that you don’t have to be a scholar to understand Islamofascism. You can get there by reading a bit about fascism and then thinking hard. Have a look. It’s a first class piece of work.
And when you’re done, reflect on the grim, depressing fact, that the only member of Congress who recognized the nature of this beast–Senator Rick Santorum from Pennsylvania–was thrown out of office in a landslide last November. It’s somehow appropriate that Pennsylvania sends a considerable number of soldiers to fight the Islamofascists on the battlefield. Those guys know what’s up, even if the voters don’t.
PJM Home
Accomplice to Evil: Iran and the War Against the West
The Iranian Time Bomb: The Mullah Zealots’ Quest for Destruction
The War Against the Terror Masters: Why It Happened. Where We Are Now. How We’ll Win.
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15 Comments
1. Yaacov Ben Moshe:Michael,
Feb 7, 2007 - 11:05 pm 2. Judith:Thanks for the kind words. I read you regularly and am very gratified to have the support. My blog aims to support, coax, cajole and subvert as many sleepers, liberals and well-intentioned fence-sitters as I can by addressing a very personal form of essay and trying to get them to experience the urgency of our dilemma for themselves. I would urge any other former sleepers, liberals and well-intentioned fence-sitters to send me their stories so I can put them on the blog as well. There ought to be a story out there to awaken everyone who needs it.
YBM
High time Bush changed his “religion of peace” rhetoric & started addressing the American people, like a good leader & teacher, explaining the true nature of the barbarian Islamofascist enemy at our gate…who is already slaughtering innocent Christians, Hindus & Jews in over 40 conflicts around the world. By nuancing the nature of the enemy, Bush does a great disservice to our military in asking them to sacrifice w/ hands-tied & w/ pc strategy. There is a fine line betw/n Bush’s politically correct, paternalistic patronization of the American public & his consequent bumbling arrogance, resembling dictatorial policy that is ineffective for the very reason that it masks the truth of the true nature of the enemy we are fighting.
So, I applaud you for highlighting the significance of naming the Islamofascist enemy. Without naming the enemy our policy gets muddled & the urgency of the threat is diminished in the eyes of a confused public that is led to believe that the danger is less than it truly is. With over 200 million Muslims radicalized for our demise, I’m tired of worrying about Muslim sensitivities & whether their offense may precipitate violent reaction…they should fear us, not the other way around. Your comments speak to similar observations made by Carolyn Glick in her Jerusalem Post article yesterday describing the CIA/State Department’s recent embrace of “moderate” Jihadists in Africa (similar to Powell’s “moderate” Taliban sham perception) & “moderate” Fatah terrorists in Gaza…back-to coddling dictators for the sake of some pseudo “stability”…and the world keeps rumbling below, cracking at the surface.
Feb 8, 2007 - 2:30 am 3. Terje:Michael,
I offer these seemingly unrelated quotes from history that all will realize in the future are associated:
“You can always count on Americans to do the right thing- after they’ve tried everything else”- Winston Churchill
“America is like a boiler, once it gets moving watch out” – British diplomat in WWI
“You Americans, you are always asking why?” – French Colonel Duportail, on training American militia during the Revolutionary War
The world has existed for 6 billion years and nuclear weapons for 60 years and somehow – no that’s not correct, we KNOW how, we have managed not to put humans in the same category as the other 99% of species that have ever lived -extinction.
We know how because of people who have risen to lead at a time of crisis, like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan. Both led by their own conscience and neither by the whims of others. Both stood on principal and righteousness which not only showed everyone else the way, but let America’s enemies – some are the same ones that exist today, know where America stood.
A line was drawn in the sand and America’s enemies knew unequivocally not to cross it.
Carter’s National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski was once awakened in the middle of a 1980 night with news that the Soviets had launched 2,200 ICBMs. Just before he was about to call President Carter-who would have all of 3 to 7 minutes to make a decision, luckily Brzezinski learned it was a false alarm. “Luck” and all of its derivatives had everything to do with humans not destroying the human race, depressing isn’t it?.
With only three minutes to make a decision, who would you want to be on the other end of some future National Security Adviser’s middle-of-the-night phone call?
Clinton? McCain?
Obama? Giuliani?
Respectfully, I will predict an answer of ‘E’ -none of the above. As we either don’t know, know too much or will soon know more than we wanted, about each (by summer of 2008, you’ll know what I mean about this admittedly cryptic remark).
Many, including you argue that we have been at war with Iran for the last 30 years and just haven’t been conscious about it. I believe that the for the last three decades Americans have subconsciously been asking why not try so many other options but these are sadly, running out and will ultimately lead to the right final decision. In which case, who shall lead us with the possibility of having to make an existentional decision in the middle of the night?
Mark this prediction:
Near-term, the risks and tension will only increase.
Israel, by the end of the year will not be led by Prime Minister Olmert but by Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who has all but called for preemptive attacks on Iran. Unfortunately, by end of 2008, Iran will start the process to conduct an underground nuclear test.
Confrontation will seem closer than ever before.
You and Yaacov Ben Moshe may feel a sense of frustration with America’s action or inaction as it were, but keep on educating “us” (humbly proffer for future American leaders) about your experiences, thoughts and advice. Then watch the American boiler move from asking questions to undertaking the right but very painful actions that will guarantee life, liberty and happiness for all.
Your friend, Terje
Feb 8, 2007 - 11:03 am 4. a Duoist:John Edwards just dismissed two bloggers from his campaign; one, for characterizing the American religious right as “Christofascism.” Naturally enough, the conservative blogosphere’s coinage of the pejorative “Islamofascism” has earned the retort of ‘Christofascism,’ and not far behind will be ‘Judaofascism,’ ‘Buddhofascism,’ and ‘Hindufascism.’ All of these follow the most well known of all of these pejorative propagandistic terms, “Bushitler.”
Weber cautioned us in his “Varieties of Fascism” that power in fascism will work to realize plans and become “a Church–a Church and a dynamo.” Arendt coined the phrase, “clerico-fascism.” Dr. Ledeen’s “clerical fascism” is the more accurate of any of these terms, while “Islamofascism” is the least.
Consider “theofascism” as an accurate description of the ideology of the ‘learned jurisprudent.’ It is a term which is accurate, and is not subject to devolving the debate into partisan particularism. “Islamofascism” is likely and quite easily going to be characterized as being “Islamophobia,” which lessens the effectiveness of our argument for regime change in Iran.
Feb 8, 2007 - 1:38 pm 5. Alexis:Have you considered putting out a feature length movie detailing Iran’s record? (Surely, the Hollywood Left doesn’t monopolize the movie business, does it?) If Michael Moore and Albert Gore could use feature length advocacy movies effectively, why couldn’t you or those of like mind?
When you analyze clerical fascism, have you ever noticed how the heroic archetype of Zelea Codreanu has been copied (perhaps unconsciously) by Osama bin Laden? Or the eerie similarity between the title of Führer and “Supreme Leader”?
I think the most effective argument against Islamofascism is not necessarily how evil it is, but how derivative it is of a failed ideology. Once it is shown how modern Islamofascism is merely warmed over Axis propaganda adapted to a Muslim context, it becomes easier not merely to mobilize against it but also to undermine its ideological credibility within Islam.
ML:
There are at least two such movies in the works, not to worry. One a real movie, the other a documentary.
Feb 8, 2007 - 3:52 pm 6. Winston:It’s tragic that many many Americans don’t want to admit to the fact that Islamofascists are at war with their way of life, country, values and whatever they stand for. It’s sad…
Feb 9, 2007 - 12:54 pm 7. narciso:Just out of curiousity Mr. Ledeen, what do you know of Jamal Jamal
Mohammed Ibremi; the Iraqi born
former Dawa ‘militant’ allegedly
behind the attacks on the US and
French Embassy in Kuwait, December
1983. Who resurfaced in Iraq as a
national advisor to the SCIRI candidate Jaffari, and later made
into the Iraqi parliament, financing
no small measure of the Badr and
Sadr militias.
ML:
I’m sure some of the commenters here know more than I do.
Feb 9, 2007 - 10:11 pm 8. Alain Robert:The hypocrisy of neo-con toward Iran is amazing. Was the bloody regime of the Shaw better for the Iranian population ? You have to remember that the US / UK imposed a regime change in 1953 to install the Shaw instead of the previous DEMOCRATIC government that had committed the mortal sin of nationalizing THEIR OIL (a decision that the Shaw reversed quickly). And since that’s more than 50 years ago, we now have access to the full archive of this nice operation, it’s not only speculative, it’s a reality. 50 years ago, you only had to claim that a country was turning red to justify invading it. Today, you simply accuse them of being terrorist. Demonize to colonize. You will always find “scholars” ready to tell the power what they want to hear to justify their actions.
I wonder how the American population would feel toward another country that would have helped overthrow your democracy (or what is left of it) to put in place a king instead because they required access to your resources ? Most Americans don’t know (or don’t want to know) what is done in their name around the world and they wonder after how come the people who have to live with the impacts of your decision hate you so much.
Without the bloody and tyrannical regime of the Shaw , the Iranian population would never have supported the Ayatollahs and their Islamofascist regime. In their mind, they were liberated from an even more dangerous and fascist regime, a FOREIGN regime supported by the US and the UK. Despair and fear give a lot of strength to religious fascist… and the current menace of an imminent US attack on their country will only help the Mullahs grow in strength. You think the kids who love the US in Iran right now will still love it the day their parents or little brother / sister will be killed by a “smart” bomb who missed its target ?
There’s plenty of other fascist or tyrannical regimes out there that you could liberate…but they don’t have large reserve of oil or they don’t represent a menace to Israel security… still interested in liberating them ? Why are the only regime worth liberating on this planet must have oil or other resources of geostrategic interest to the US ?
With all the non-democratic and tyrannical regimes fully supported by the US (Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, a lot of the “Stan” or ex soviet republics, etc.) the hypocrisy of claiming to liberate the Iraqis and now the Iranians is amazing. Nobody with a mind not brainwashed by FoxNews don’t believe this kind of cow dung.
ML:
thanks for this classic example of how someone pretending to support liberty ends by defending the ugliest tyranny in the middle east.
Feb 9, 2007 - 11:26 pm 9. Lee Boyland:The Feb 07 “The American Legion” has an excellent article by Dinesh D’Souza, How We Lost Iran. The Shah was attempting to drag a backward culture into the 20th Century. By contrast, Ayatollah Khomeini took them back to the 7th Century. Khomeini’s revolution restored power to the clerics and fanned the smoldering ashes of radical Islam into a raging fire that swept across the Middle East. One immediate effect (other than the hostage taking in Tehran) was the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on December 24, 1979. Ayatollah Khomeini turned the dogs of jihad loose and President Carter held the gate open for them. It is going require a mighty effort to send them back to Hell.
Feb 10, 2007 - 6:44 pm 10. Winston Smith:To the attention of Alain Robert, who wrote the previous comment.
Your way of talking surprises me since it suggests that you are an educated and smart person. From this on, I hardly believe that your are that ignorant in history.
So, could you tell me, please, which worthy natural resources France, Italy, Belgium, and others in the same region did justify the costly U.S. intervention in Europe in 1944?
In the aftermath, when the U.S. came to realize that these European countries proved unable to get back by their own to normalized economy and that a sizeable part of the European population (German in particular) was starving, the U.S. government put under way the Marshal Plan. A spectacular plan whose cost dearly added to the already huge losses occasioned by the previous U.S. military intervention; all this albeit there was no oil, gas, or anything else worthy to be imported to the U.S. over there.
For the record, the Federal Reserve has been literally ransacked to sustain this help which truly lasted for much more years than this was initially planned. French still vividly recall this period they nicknamed Les Trente Glorieuses (The Thirty Glorious), meaning the 30 golden years of growth following the Marshal Plan. What did the U.S. got in return?
Oil, gas? Not at all. In many instances they even were thanked with groundless anti-Americanism and jealousy.
Shall we take a look at Japan, now.
All right; they got two atomic bombs and appalling incendiary bombings. But what happened to Japan then?
Within a handful of years following 1945, the U.S. made this country the second richest power in the world. Which natural resources did the U.S. get back in return? Tell me, please?
Until the U.K. and the U.S. handled the destiny of the Arabic peninsula what kind of areas deserving the noun of country could you find there? Which Arabic economy proved capable to feed its people in this region before WWII?
Americans entrepreneurs were the first to open factories in China when this country opened its doors to the rest of the world, and some of these entrepreneurs have been sharply criticized for the cheap wages they paid to Chinese workers. Did the Chinese government ever complained about that? What kind of country China is today? What kind of natural resources the U.S. got in return? As far as I know, they never did get any such a reward.
Instead, the U.S. is best China’s customer today, and it’s not a profit at all; it’s a cost for America, Alain; as was the case for Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and for many other countries.
Do you sincerely believe that the Middle East produces oil for U.S. consumers, only? Why don’t you spare of few minutes of your time to look at statistics on oil exports in this region, this just for the sake of seeing where does go all that oil, actually? And please, give me a favor; spare a bit more of your time to see which countries are the biggest and the most ambitious oil and gas dealers nowadays.
You make allusion to colonization at some point of your comment.
Good.
Which country has been the most active at abolishing colonization throughout the world; and for which kind of natural resources in return?
I was talking about large countries; I can talk as well about the smallest areas of the world.
Take a look at the economy and rate of unemployment of an island such as Hawaii, for example; and then compare it to a similar places governed by any other country you want? You’ll be enlightened, and if by chance you do not indulge too much in self-deception you might be surprised, I promise you.
You can always look for some detailed examples of American failure, and you’ll find out some. Then, enlighten me about examples of success similar to the aforesaid ones, but made by any country other than U.S., this time. It’s hard, right? And I surmise you should find yourself in the uncomfortable obligation to resort to a somewhat farfetched argumentation to justify yourself, if ever you persisted in your way.
Sorry, Alain, I am afraid neither Fox News nor any other U.S. TV channel can “brainwash” people. For there is too big a choice about TV programs in U.S to leave any hope for such a thing to happen someday.
To brainwash people the way you suggest one needs tight state control over media, as it happens in some said-to-be free and democratic countries. In those countries I am making allusion to less or more officially state controlled TV channels broadcast everyday the same news, the same opinions, and even, quite often, the same sport competions at the same time; so much so that one can hardly escape watching it, unless one rents a DVD or invests in a dish antenna (if one is not poor and/or not unemployed, of course). In those other countries, whichever the TV channel one may choose one shall watch also the same few singers, artists, and local famous, but, in those country where things go that way, you would never find yourself able to watch a good movie certain days of the week, owing to obscure or untold reasons.
Well, after I addressed to you such a comment (my deepest apologies to Dr. Ledeen whom I shamelessly ignored) you’ll think I am a brainwashed American neo-con, presumably.
No. Not at all.
Actually, I’m French, born in France and living in France, near Troyes, in Champagne Ardennes. I lived in United States with my family during nearly 4 years; in Massachusetts to be precise, the most leftist U.S. state, reputedly.
Before I went to the United States I had heard countless bad things about this country and more especially about Americans. But I came to realize at some point that it was just too much to be true, and once in United States I did discover that it was too much to be true, indeed.
When I lived in U.S. nobody ever attempted to brainwash me and to transform me into a neo-con, quite on the contrary I should honestly say. I learned English language by my own, mostly. Just, now and then, some Americans were kind enough to help me a bit at the beginning when I was barely able to order a meal. That’s all.
I didn’t meet much rich Americans, and still less conservative Americans (perhaps because I lived in Massachusetts, I surmise).
I have seen a lot of blue collars in there, in revenge; and a great many of poor Americans too. But according to the European standards I think that those low income people where not as unhappy as some are quick to pretend, after all. Also, I noticed that few of those poor Americans were unemployed; and even I found that they enjoy much more freedom than any other poor person may expect to have in France, for example, and in any other country of the world in general.
I understand my talk may surprise (or disappoint) you; or perhaps even will you believe I’m lying. I swear I don’t, even if my choice to write under such a nickname might suggest the contrary (will you pardon me to have some reasons of my own to be that discreet).
As sole explanation of my eagerness to defend the reputation of the United States (a country in which I dearly hope I’ll return to for good, I must confess) I cannot but reach the conclusion that I possibly brainwashed myself against countless “disinterested” attempts to deterring me to do so, and without the influence of Fox News, I’m pretty sure.
Best regards to Dr. Ledeen.
Feb 10, 2007 - 9:37 pm 11. MarcH:“Moreover, when Senator Scoop Jackson of blessed memory dragged the wise men and women of the CIA to testify in public session about Khomeini, they piled on, saying that in their opinion the passages I had quoted from Khomeni’s works were probably Israeli forgeries.”
Hello ML,
I wish you had named the CIA analysts who provided the above mentioned testimony and also given some quotes. It would be interesting to see an enterprising reporter dig them up out of retirement and ask exactly how they came to ignore the obvious and instead blame it all on a conspiracy of the Jews. What next, a paragraph in the next NIE on well poisoning and matzohs baked with the blood of a Christian child?
P.S. Thanks for your tribute to the Pennsylvania soldier. From the streets of West Philadelphia to the old coal mining towns of Fayette County, Pennsylvania men have always answered the call.
Feb 10, 2007 - 11:56 pm 12. Winston:Alain Robert, dude, it is the SHAH of Iran not Shaw. Get your facts straight before commenting plz
Feb 11, 2007 - 12:30 am 13. Lee Schnaiberg:What a coward you are Michael. Not only do you gloss over a number of well informed points, but then call the person who raised them a perfect example of someone defending something he never defended(!) He didn’t say the ayatollahs are great and kind. But did want to see the historical link and how they came to be, and they did come to power as he inferred, through our throwing out Mossadegh and putting a bloody tyrant back in power. If we didn’t do that (way back before you were a gleam in Mosse’s classroom– thanks to Kermit Roosevelt, and yes as Alain said, because he nationalized their oil) then things might have not turned out this way. That is not apologizing for a current regime, rather intoning saying that until we accept what we did to create the mess, the mess will never go away. Like my Bubby always said “Don’t be a shvuntz” Michael
And you, who studied Italian fascism, and who studied fascism at the seat of someone who knew about it first-hand, should know better, or at least should have some class. By writing your propaganda piece here and pretending that all liberals call 43 “Bushitler” (not just some extreme liberals) and then you use your pedigree and one small work of your hero’s entire body of work to pretend that the current regimes are IslamoFascist. Please. Your professor also wrote tomes about how fascists are really latent homosexuals who have been overtly repressed. Is that the case with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad? Is he really just a queer who can’t get it on? Did you not see any of what other esteemed historians (William G. Welk, Alfred Sohn-Rethel, Michael Parenti…) saw when studying Italian fascism? The Corporatism? The economics of both Nazi Germany and Mussolini? Or wait, maybe some fascisms are only about religion like those Romanian ones you’re talking about (who may or may not have been clerical fascists, perhaps they were just swept up in the pogrom spirit, after all the inquisition wasn’t clerical fascism was it? Or maybe antisemitism = fascism? Is that your new thesis?
One thing i can say about fascism and people using that word, Bubeleh, and that is that when you have one finger pointing at something, you have three pointing right back at yourself. And which nation privatizes the most public services? And who depresses wages? gets rid of unions? We do! (heck even salaam who was a tyrant and killed millions –mostly for us against Iran– had socialized medicine and wouldn’t dump paraplegics on skid row). Was there never an American fascist organization? Were Walt Disney and Henry Ford not fascists? Do the Islamo’s really fit this fascist model?
And what we have seen *since* WWII is that we in North America will support any tyrannical leader, so long as he’s the enemy of our enemy. Why was Rummy so chummy with Saddam when they were fighting Iran? Because he wasn’t yet a tyrant? Or because he was a useful tyrant? How many “right wind dictators” in South and Central America did we support? What happened Sept 11, 1973? Was Pinochet not a tyrant? And who helped him Michael?
So now you are busy pounding the drumbeat to throw the world into total chaos and nuke Iran before they nuke us (well, us, you know, in Ha’Aretz, cause they will never be able to hit us here at home). And you get great power from a word you are proud to be the 1st to mangle and twist. You must be proud. Mosse is dead so he can’t stand up and say that you are turning everything he ever did around. And at one time he must have REALLY liked you Michael, but at this point he would probably say you have become them. Either that or he would have allowed his Zionist sentiments to cloud his rational observation of what WE have become. Somehow (especially reading “German Jews Beyond Judaism”) I doubt the latter. I think he would fight you and make you take his name off your website out of shame that he somehow contributed to your twisted view of history.
One last thing, since it’s arguable that you have never been in Iran. And its arguable that the majority of your readership has also never seen more than the thinnest of clichés about the place. I thought before we liberate these people as well as we liberated the people of Iraq— that it would be nice to at least see some of the faces both of the oppressed Persians and their tyrannical fascists government:
ML:
Neither I nor most of my readership has been to Fascist Italy either. And actually going to a place does not ensure better understanding. Just look at Walter Duranty, who totally misunderstood Stalin while living in Moscow.
You’ve ably confirmed my view that “fascism” has more often than not become an epithet for anything we don’t like. Most of the people who hurl it around, as you do, don’t know much about it. Pinochet was very wicked, but no fascist, any more than Franco. Fascist countries had very well organized trade unions, which you don’t seem to know about.
I do not believe that very many Iranians prefer the mullahs to liberation by us. The invocation of the overthrow of Mossadeqh to justify opposition to any effort by the American Government to support freedom in Iran is just plain nuts.
enough.
Feb 11, 2007 - 1:42 am 14. narciso:Mossadegh was ‘elected’ by the Majlis however he squandered any goodwell by indulging is the oldest of chestnut recipes; nationalization of industry: in particular Anglo Persian Petroleum (now BP-Amoco)Now 50 years later, most people see nationalization as a boondogle, that feeds Pharaonic public works projects, outfits maniacal secret police organs, and amasses huge fortunes for the apparatchik oligarchy (that’s why Chavez, Morales, & Correa are pursuing it) That was a strong impetus for Middle class elements, to oppose him; along with the extreme secular viewpoint, that attracted the ire of Ayatollah
Feb 11, 2007 - 11:39 pm 15. ISLAMOFASCISM 101 - The Very Appropriate Term « Arab racism Islamo fascism:Kashani. Ruhollah Khomeini, had shown opossition to the regime as
early as 1941, at the time it was
against the appeasement of Nazi
forces in the Middle East, like
Rashid Ali Kailani in nearby Iraq.
Under pressure by the likes of the
Kennedy administration, the Shah
approved the “White Revolution”
in land reform, that upset the
traditional oligarchies, while not
noticeably helping the poor. It was
in the immediate aftermath of this
introduction, that Khomeini, began
to preach against the regime, for which he was exiled to Najaf, in Iraq! for 15 years, The SAVAk that arose after the Shah’s return, was not noticeably more savage than the Mukharabats that sprang up from Egypt to Syria and Jordan, or Saudi General Intelligence; the former tutored by ‘german emigres with long intelligence backgrounds’ like Alois Brunner, Eichmann’s deputy; who set about building a poison gas rocket program for Nasser; until Yitzak Shamir scotched hs plans. However, in the aftermath of Vietnam
and Watergate, beginning with Frances Fitzgerald, there began agitation against the Shah, as the
great successor in the pantheon of
Batista, Chiang, Diem, et al. In
that light, the Ayatollah’s screeds
from Najaf, and briefly Paris, made
him the living Buddhist monk, when
he was really the second coming of
Savaranola. The most clueless of these had to be Richard Falk, emeritus Princeton professor, who saw in him the New Ghandi, sadly he
hasn’t learned anything new since then, In this whirlwind of
revolution, the Ayatollah took power; hiding in the tattered guise
of Mossadegh’s old coalition (mostly
Bani Sadr. It would soon come to pass, that the SAVAk would be replaced , in order of magnitude
by VEVAK-Sepah (IRGC) as the DGI
replaced the BRAC, as the Cheka
replaced the Okrana, well you get
the idea. It was in this context
that the US approached the unlikely
ally of Soviet Russia, and Gaullist
France, Iraq, against what they considered a greater enemy, the
Saudis and Kuwait, went along with
half the industrialized world. Interesting one splinter part of the anti-american coalition in Iran,
was the MEK; whose NCR affiliates have been most accurate in gauging
the dangers of modern Irsn,
particularly their nuclear program.
It is ironic, that one party seems
so offended at the ‘fascist’ reference as it has wielded against
Mr. Ledeen countless times, because
of his early interest in D’Annunzio
historical role, his work to support
NATo in the era of neo-communism, his support for the beleagered intelligence agencies (stands that
won him the opprobium of former
Phillip Agee acquaintance Sydney
Blumenthal; they edited a collection
of pre-moonbat conspiracy essays under the KGB’ false flag imprint)
Through his Israeli contacts he
approached what he thought were
moderate mullah’s; Karrubi, the
lead figure, has turned out to be one; in the Khatami sense of the
word, however other elements like
Feridoun Nezhi-Nashad, planner of
the Buenos Aires outrages, has proved less promising (this last
point is according to Bob Baer’
account)
[...] How to defeat Islamo-fascism http://www.faithfreedom.org/oped/Ohmyrus51230.htm Faster, Please! Islamofascism [February 7th, 2007] http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/2007/02/07/... [...]
Jul 27, 2008 - 3:17 pm