Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Reviews, Cold War, Current Affairs

W.E.B. Griffin, 89, Dies; one of the Best Novelist of our Times

Bill Butterworth (W.E.B. Griffin) at his home in Alabama in 2014. Mr. His real name was William E. Butterworth III, wrote numerous best-selling novels under the Griffin name and many other pseudonyms. W.E.B. Griffin at his home in Alabama in 2014 Picture taken by Pilar Menendez Butterworth    

W.E.B. Griffin, who depicted the swashbuckling lives of soldiers, spies and cops in almost 60 novels, dozens of which became best sellers. Mr. Butterworth estimated that he had published more than 150 books, many of which appeared on the best-seller lists of The New York Times, Publishers Weekly and other publications. His output included fiction for young adults and children’s books. According to his website, there are more than 50 million copies of his books in print in more than 10 languages.

Determining the exact number of books he wrote would not be an easy task: He was a ghostwriter for many of his early works.  Many more were published under a variety of pseudonyms, including Webb Beech, Edmund O. Scholefield, Allison Mitchell, and Blakely St. James.

Even the name W. E. B. Griffin was a pseudonym; his real name was William E. Butterworth III. His best-known books are under the Griffin name. The first was “The Lieutenants” (1982), which became the first installment in “The Brotherhood of War,” a nine-novel series that followed soldiers in the United States Army from World War II through the Vietnam War. Among his other series were “Badge of Honor,” about the Philadelphia Police Department, and “Clandestine Operations,” about the birth of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Bill Butterworth’s writing was straightforward and a bit wry. In an early scene in “Top Secret” (2014) — the first book in the “Clandestine Operations” series — Lt. James Cronley is seated in a car with the young woman he will soon marry…

“She turned to face him,” Bill wrote. “Their eyes met. ‘Jimmy, you sound like my mother trying to reason with me. …’ Their conversation was interrupted when the proximity of their faces caused a mutual involuntary act on both their parts. A minute or so later, Jimmy said, ‘Jesus H. Christ!’ and Marjorie said, a little breathlessly, ‘Don’t let this go to your head, but as kissers go, you’re not too bad.’ ”

His fast-paced novels, rooted in history and chockablock with technical details, combined action, sex and patriotism and had a devoted readership. A profile in The Washington Post in 1997 described Mr. Griffin as “the grizzled griot of the warrior breed” and “the troubadour of the American serviceman.”

Bill Butterworth saw himself in simpler terms. “Basically I’m a storyteller,” he said. “I like to think I’m a competent craftsman, as writers go, but I am wholly devoid of literary ambitions or illusions.”

His relentless pace — early in his career he sometimes completed four books a year — slowed somewhat in recent years. His son William became his full-time writing partner in 2006.

Bill’s son (William IV) said he intended to keep writing in the style that his Dad’s fans enjoy; a new book in the “Badge of Honor” series, “The Attack,” is to be published in August, with more novels, in that and other series, to follow.

William Edmund Butterworth III was born on Nov. 10, 1929, in Newark. His father, William II, was a traveling shoe salesman. His mother, Gladys (Schnabel) Butterworth, was a saleswoman in a department store.

His parents divorced when he was a teenager, and Bill attended several East Coast preparatory schools before enlisting in the Army. He served in Germany just after the end of World War II, becoming a clerk and typist for Gen. Isaac Davis White. After a stint in college in Germany, he re-enlisted and again worked for General White during the Korean War.

After the war, Bill left the military to become a writer. He moved to Philadelphia, where he worked for a year as a corn oil and starch salesman, a job he despised. He soon moved to Fort Rucker in Alabama to work for the Army as a civilian technical writer.

He published his first book, “Comfort Me With Love,” about a young soldier’s adventures in Europe after World War II, in 1959. Two years later he left his job at the base to write novels and other books full-time.

Beginning in the mid-1970s he wrote several sequels to “M*A*S*H,” the 1968 novel, by the former military surgeon H. Richard Hornberger and the writer W. C. Heinz under a pseudonym. These were the stories that inspired the movie and television show of the same name. Though many were optioned, Bill Butterworth’s own books, under any pseudonym, have never been turned into movies. This revelation was made known by his son, Bill IV. One reason was that studios balked when Mr. Butterworth insisted on maintaining creative control.

Bill Butterworth married Emma Macalik while he was stationed in Germany after the war. In 1950 Emma Macalik, a ballet dancer and the author of As the Waltz Was Ending, wrote a memoir of her life growing up as a dancer in Vienna during World War II. They had a daughter (Patricia) and two sons (John S. II and William E. IV). Emma died from lung cancer in 2003. The marriage ended in divorce in the 1990s.

He later married Maria del Pilar Menendez, whom he had met on a hunting trip in Argentina. They had a home in Pilar, a suburb of Buenos Aires, and split their time between there and Alabama. She died in 2018.

In addition to his son William, his survivors include another son, John; a daughter, Patricia Black; many stepchildren; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and many step-grandchildren.

In 2009 Bill told The Philadelphia Inquirer that he felt especially proud of his novel “The Honor of Spies,” which was about to be published. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever written,” he said. “Of course, I’ll feel the same way about the one that comes out next June.”      

Bill Butterworth died on February 12, 2019 from colorectal cancer at the age of 89.

I will miss him.

I will miss him.

Book Reviews, Cold War, Current Affairs

Book Review: ‘Stinger: Operation Cyclone’ by Bill Fortin

Angie's Book of the Week | Angie's Diary
Edition #94 – July 1, 2018
Book Review

 

Stinger

Rick Fontain is back.  “Stinger” is a Cold War adventure that peers inside the exploits of Congressman Charlie Wilson and CIA’s Task Force Chief Gust Avrakotos. Strange bedfellows they were…. Their alliance proved to be one of the most successful partnerships in the history of the CIA. “Stinger: Operation Cyclone” centers on the results of their efforts.
The adventure begins with the election of Ronald Reagan in 1979. This was the same year that the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. Early in 1982 POTUS called for a plan of action to arm and finance the Afghan Freedom Fighters known as the Mujahideen. Operation Cyclone was the code name assigned to this project.
CIA Officer Mike Vickers, not a participant in this story, was solicited by Avrakotos to help design and roll out the blueprint to equip the Mujahideen. Included in this Covert Action program was the Stinger guided missile. This weapon system would be credited as the major factor in the Russian withdrawal in 1989.
General Gerald Bushman returns as the Director, Defense Intelligence Agency. Rick Fontain, who is now a Member, Technical Staff, of AT&T’s Bell Labs, is brought in for his expertise with the Stinger technology. His familiarity with the Russian gunship, the Mil Mi-24 is just icing on the cake.
Rick is re-united with his Redeye instructor, Andy Davis, and together they lay out a plan to kill buku Russian aircraft. However, the operation stalls in 1982 and does not move forward until Rick thwarts an assassination attempt on one Maalouf Torki bin Taisei. Mr. Taisei is a Malaysian government official. He is also the largest arms dealer on the Pacific Rim.
The KGB gets wind that the Pakistan ISI has agreed to support Operation Cyclone. Their attacks are fierce. However, the result is not what they expect. President Reagan issues a change to the original operation requirements. The gloves come off. Rick Fontain is told to do whatever it takes to get Stinger into the hands of the Afghan Freedom Fighters.
In 1985, Pakistan’s President Zia finally OK’s the American plan to provide the Stinger technology to the Mujahideen. American Special Forces, the Green Beret and DELTA, are assigned to the training center at the ISI’s Ojhri Camp. The CIA’s LTC Jim Pezlola and CWO Gary Larson solicit the Mujahideen Command to provide students for the very first class of Stinger shooters.
Rick takes the graduating class into Afghanistan to the Russian airbase at Bagram. The rest, as they say, is history. Operation Cyclone may not have ended the Cold War, but it certainly weakened the Soviet Union’s resolve. So much so, that in 1993 it financially collapsed.

 

STINGER:
OPERATION CYCLONE

Excerpt

By Bill Fortin

Passage from Chapter 25

Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
Wednesday, July 2, 1986, 15:50 Hours
Car Park – Ground Level
Subang International Airport
47200 Subang – Selangor, Malaysia

… Hammad spoke first, “Watch from here, Doctor,” he commanded. “Let’s go,” he said to the driver. Both doors of the Land Cruiser opened, and both men rounded the vehicle parked next to them and headed for the zebra-striped walkway that led the way from the car park to Subang’s main terminal. Instead of crossing the driveway, Hammad and company turned to the right as they exited the car park. They walked casually along the sidewalk until they were directly across the road from the vehicles of interest. The occupants of the vehicles were parked curbside and were entirely focused on the four individuals who had just exited the main terminal.

Hammad turned towards the vehicles and picked up the pace. Hammad and the driver unbuttoned their suit coats and let the sling take the full weight of their .45 CAL ACP Uzi Machine guns. These particular weapons had been upgraded with a conversion kit manufactured by Vector Arms. This modification allowed the Uzi to accept the same style 30-cartridge magazine as the US Army’s M3, better known as a “Grease Gun.” Everyone attending today’s gathering was carrying two spare magazines. Hammad headed directly towards the driver’s side of the Opel, while his driver, Ahmad Haqq, adjusted his angle of approach and walked towards the van parked directly behind. The driver of the van recognized the coming threat and laid on the horn. But it was a split second too late. At a distance of five meters, Hammad crouched slightly, bringing the weapon up to level with his chest. Mr. Haqq repeated the same movement. Hammad fired first, emptying half of the magazine into the front seat of the car. The occupants of the front seat started to jerk uncontrollably. Blood, tissue, and brain matter splattered everywhere within the vehicle. The faces of the two rear occupants registered pure horror as Hammad turned his attention to them.

Mr. Haqq altered his trajectory slightly bringing his weapon up directly in line with the driver’s side window of the van. With his weapon on full automatic, he emptied his entire magazine into the front of the van. The result was so devastating that it was hard to recognize that the former occupants were ever human. Without breaking stride, he continued on his way alongside the vehicle. Mr. Haqq, once the magazine was emptied, pushed the release and flipped the position of the taped together magazines. With his left hand, he pulled back on the charging handle. This action immediately allowed him to empty the second magazine into the side panel of the truck. As he moved to the rear doors of the truck, he was joined by Hammad. The yelling and bloodcurdling screams had ceased halfway through Mr. Haqq’s second clip.

Hammad and Mr. Haqq recharged their weapons as they arrived at the rear doors of the van. Hammad brought his weapon up as Mr. Haqq dropped the weight of the UZI onto its sling and pulled the right-side door to a fully opened position. There were five more individuals contorted in a variety of poses throughout the cabin.

Everyone was quite dead.

 

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Author Bio

Born September 13, 1948 to William and Dorothy. I received 14 years of Catholic education starting with 8 years at Saint Marks. My high school years were spent at Mount Saint Joseph followed by only one and a half years at Loyola College. This ended abruptly in April of 1968. My friends and neighbors sent me an invitation. I had been drafted.

I served in the United States Army, 3rd Armor Division, from December 1968
to the first part of 1970. That same year I went back to work for the Bell System’s C&P Telephone Company. It wasn’t until 1979 that I received an Associate’s Degree in Programing Languages and in 1981 a Bachelor’s in Business.
In 1980 the Bell System was divested into several different entities. I was recruited into a new AT&T company called American Bell. By 1983 I was just finishing up the Master’s program at the University of Baltimore. I received an advanced degree in the Management Science’s. In 1989 I was asked to join Bell Laboratory’s headquartered in New Jersey.

Bill Fortin

By 1990 I was living and working internationally. AT&T divested once again
and I was recruited into a new branch of the Bell Labs. It was a company
called Lucent Technologies. The next twelve years I supported a sales territory as large as the planet earth. In July of 2001, 2 months before the attack on the World Trade Center, I and 2 other Bell Labs members started a private corporation called Integrated Building Solutions, INC. I still run this company today.

By 2012 I had settled my family in the western part of Maryland. It was that
year while transporting Redhawk, a Quarter horse, to a medical facility in
Pennsylvania; I had a flashback to 1970. That was the year I had been discharged from the Army.

The cause of my memory recall was the turnpike signage that pointed to the VA Hospital at Perryville. I knew at that moment that the exploits of my Cold Warriors of 40 plus years passed had waited long enough to be told.

The result was a novel entitled Redeye Fulda Cold. I had retired from Bell Labs in 2001, I’m currently the CEO of IBS, Inc., specializing in systems engineering. My wife Judy, a gaggle of Border Collies, and other 4 legged and featured companions reside in the rolling hills of Westminster, Maryland.

The novel Redeye Fulda Cold is a complete accounting of my time in service told through the fictional
character, Rick Fontain

Find Bill on:
Twitter – LinkedIn – Facebook – Website

 

 
Book Reviews, Current Affairs

TROUBLING ISSUES CONCERNING ISLAM AND U.S. POLICY

Friend or Foecol lloyd

 Author LUTHER R. LLOYD –Sun City Center, Florida –

[Out of Darkness in 2009 and Baffling Puzzle in 2012.  His books are available at www.Authourhouse.com and Amazon.com.  His latest release, Friend or Foe, available 4th QTR 2016]

27 June 2016 –

Fellow Countryman:

I have always been taught that being truthful is the best course of action in any situation even though it may poise difficulty for the parties involved.  Nevertheless, it is the only way to gain and maintain mutual respect.  Appeasement can imply weakness of character and resoluteness in maintaining the principles and ideals of one’s position.  If the opposition reads the actions of another as signifying weakness and it is not corrected, the appeasing party will be disrespected and subject to the loss of what they seek to accomplish even though they may be physically more powerful.  Thus, failure to focus on the right issues can lead to problems and defeat of your goals before one knows what’s happening.  I fear we may be in this situation with Islam today.

Uncovering the truth and fighting for it in all one does these days seems to be a greater obstacle to our nation’s interest than I have ever experienced before in my lifetime.  After all, when the President of the United States says, ISIS, or ISIL is not Islamic and our citizens have been decapitated in the name of Allah, what is a poor citizen to believe about him, and his administration’s understanding of events as well as his leadership?  Well, before I get into some of the issues we live with in the West concerning Islam, I’d like you to know I am a Christian and I speak from a Christian’s perspective as I address these issues.

Frankly, I have been appalled as to how those who should know better throughout our country from sitting governmental leaders to academicians and journalists have addressed the issue of Islam.  From my perspective, their actions have been uninformed and endangered our citizens around the world.  They have blatantly disregarded the historical past, and the undeniable realities of the present by elevating Islam at the expense of our citizens.  As Mr. Daniel Pipes and Ms. Mimi Stillman wrote back in 2002, “In adopting a determinedly apologetic stance, they [Federal authorities] have made themselves an adjunct of the country’s Islamic organizations.  By dismissing any connection between Islam and terrorism, complaining about media distortions, and claiming that America needs Islam, they have turned the U.S. government into a discreet missionary for the faith [Islam].”

Since those words were written, the current administration has elevated and legitimized the Muslim Brotherhood by referring to it as ‘moderate’ and placing a few of its members in government, has denied any connection between terrorism and Islam in its National Security documents and has opened our country to additional Middle Eastern immigration based on humanitarian concerns.  In the meantime, our foreign policy initiatives have provided assistance to Arab Spring events in overthrowing existing leaders, led to a resurgence of the Russian influence in the Middle East, endangered Iraq and Afghanistan’s future stability, stimulated the rise of ISIS or ISIL, allowed extensive and unsettled turmoil in Libya with unnecessary loss of U.S. lives in Benghazi, permitted a standard Islamic ten-year truce with Iran, and permitted a reshuffling of state alliances as the U.S. sits on the sidelines.

So what is our main problem with Islam?  To me it is simple: all the documents of Islam are radical from a Western standpoint.  The Wests’ leadership has intentionally downplayed or disregarded the truths contained in Islamic doctrine and misrepresented the Islamic faith to its’ citizens.

I suspect that many of you are as disturbed by these things as I.  So I’d like to take a few minutes to review some of what I consider to be Western issues concerning Islam and our governance that have contributed to our situation today and have the potential of truly endangering us going forward both here and overseas.

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Issue #1: A popular interpretation of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is simply that the religious doctrines of a particular faith are protected from ANY legal actions.

This is simply not true.  The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that our citizens can believe anything they wish, but they cannot take any action contrary to our laws and good order.  Thus, polygamy was banned in 1878, and the use of drugs in religious ceremonies was banned in 1940.  U.S. Islamic organizations rely on our lack of knowledge concerning the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the law in propagandizing their positions visa-vie our laws and court rulings.  Thus, they constantly try to apply the “Freedom of Religion” concept of this amendment to their arguments supporting Islam in the hope that our citizens will not understand that Islamic doctrine as written violates the essence of the First Amendment by supporting a theocratic government and Shari’a law.  It always sounds good unless one is familiar with our laws and court rulings.

Unfortunately, our politicians do the same thing.  Mr. Ryan’s admonishment of Mr. Trump recently is a case in point.  Mr. Ryan was talking about the openness of our culture to all faiths while Mr. Trump was addressing the dangers of the Islamic faith as expressed outwardly through terrorism. Unfortunately, the doctrine of violence against minorities remains an integral part of the Islamic faith, and our failure to handle it properly constitutes an unresolved issue for our government.

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Issue #2: Islam is just a religion and should be treated like any other under our Constitution. 

No…Islam is not just a religion!  The religious portion of Islam, i.e. the five pillars and doctrines concerning heaven and hell, are of no concern to us. However, the principal ideological documents of Islam (the Koran, Hadith, and Sirah) contain and sanction a political movement that places Allah and Islam above any man made law.  In essence, Islam contains a cleverly camouflaged political ideology violating our constitutional concept of the separation of church and state.  Additionally, Islam sidesteps our political system because we allow it to be treated as a religion without countering its political aspirations such as the imposition of Sharia law within our legal system.  It is even granted 501(c)(3) status while it seeks to overthrow our constitutional government in favor of a theological government.  We must take action to de-legitimize the political nature and activities of Islam.   Islam should be treated as a political party, not a religion!

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Issue #3: Culturally acceptable moderate Muslims are religiously acceptable Muslims. 

NO! These are two separate issues.  There is no written moderate Islamic doctrine acceptable to the West and all Muslims.  As a consequence when the term “moderate” is used, what is the ideology behind the use of the term?  There is no way to know.  On the other hand, the term Muslim is defined by the Koran, Hadith, and Sirah, and if followed literally, leads to jihad, violence and destruction of any individual of another faith – an Infidel, i.e. you and I.  This has happened on a regular basis for fourteen hundred years.   Thus, non-Muslims are plagued by the use of the term moderate because a true Muslim man or women must eventually become a jihadi and attack individuals of another faith if he/she wants to be called a Muslim.  The use of this term also tends to lower our sensitivity and alertness to the Muslims around us, i.e. he’s my neighbor.  This will continue until Islam is reformed.

RELIGION IS THE MAIN ISSUE WE FACE AND UNTIL WE CONFRONT IT HEAD ON WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE THE MUSLIM PROBLEM.

————————————————————————————————-

Issue #4: The Oath of U.S. Citizenship or public office DOES NOT COMPROMISE a Muslim’s faith.

Wrong!  According to Koranic Doctrines, a Muslims’ allegiance is to his God (Allah) and the ulema (fellow Muslims) before any state or government.  Thus, if a practicing Muslim sincerely follows Islamic doctrine he/she cannot help but be in violation of our Constitution when swearing allegiance for citizenship or an oath for governmental office.  The question is simply to whom will he/she be responsible?  Yes, we have had Muslims die in behalf of our country, but at the same time, those who accept their faith as preached under its Imams and have lived in this country for a long time, have gone to fight with ISIS.   I would suggest that religion plays a bigger role in this than currently credited to it by officialdom.  He who goes to fight on behalf of Islam is more in tune with the doctrines of his faith than he who does not go.  How do you uncover the truth of his/her faith in either case?

Religion can no longer be off limits during interviews and interrogations.

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Issue #5: U.S. citizens should not be concerned about Muslim beliefs in a theocracy, i.e. a government without the separation of church and state.

Absolutely incorrect!  Without the separation of church and state, you cannot have a functioning democracy or the effective rule by the consent of the people.  Instead, the church dominates and rules the population in a totalitarian way with Allah as the head of state and its’ Imams functioning in a political and religious manner simultaneously.  There is no “free will” exercised by the people.  Any actions on the part of Muslims to impose a theocratic government would appear to be as seditious as communism was in the 1950s and should be dealt with soon in the courts.

Preaching Islam constitutes preaching the overthrow of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.

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Issue #6: The Muslim faith only affects Muslims.

Wrong!  By design, the Muslim faith is based on the concept of dualism and is the ONLY religion that is diametrically opposed to the Golden Rule, i.e. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”  Islam intentionally divides society into two segments: the believers (Dar al-Islam, the House of Surrender) and unbelievers (Dar al-Harb, the House of War).  Obviously, this doctrine favors Muslim interaction with Muslims while categorizing the non-Muslims as “Kifurs”…one of the most demeaning terms known to man.  [The use of the word “Infidel” is really relatively neutral and fails to convey a Muslims true feeling concerning a “Kifer,” or non-believer.]  Oppression, injustice, lack of equality, domination, taxation, as well as mental and physical cruelty dominates an infidel’s life in a Muslim society.  As a Westerner, you would find such a life very unpleasant.

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Issue #7: Our elites tell us that religion is not the driving force behind current events.

This is totally and fantastically incorrect!  There is a tendency in the U.S. to think of the Arab as a romantic Bedouin camel jock because of the books and movies most of us have seen, however, those were not such men that flew the airliners into the New York towers.  They were educated men with a fanatical belief in their faith, and they willingly laid all their worldly possession and associations aside to fight and die, if necessary, for Allah.  At the same time, other educated men lead poor, innocent and downtrodden Arabs into suicide missions using the Koran, the very words of Allah. They are led to believe their sacrifice will be a sacred and honored event of personal glory for themselves and their families.  Yes, money may also be presented to their families, but I do not believe for a moment that it is the drawing card that leads them to sacrifice their lives.  Unfortunately, I believe it is to our detriment that those around us don’t believe that strong religious motives ALONE can provide the impetus for such actions.  Everything I have studied about the indoctrination process of such men and women as they go through their indoctrination period leads me to believe RELIGION IS THE MAIN ISSUE WE FACE AND UNTIL WE ADDRESS IT HONESTLY WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SOLVE OUR MUSLIM PROBLEM.

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Issue #8: The basic concepts articulated by our founding fathers need tweaking to improve application in the twenty-first century. 

Strongly disagree!  The bottom line is simply that we must be careful when incorporating new philosophies and approaches into our concepts of old.  Our quests for continued freedom of religion, while experimenting with multiculturalism, political correctness and an overabundance of tolerance in this country could jeopardize everything we have gained.  Turning a blind eye to the true effects of these concepts and practices could destroy the very things we hold dear.  As an example, it may be politically correct to focus on the peaceful aspects of Islam accredited to the propagandists, collaborators, and sympathizers, but this is not where our enemies focus.  Throughout the world, with envy in their hearts and vitriolic messages against the infidel spewing from their lips, leaders teach their fellow Muslims to hate, die and kill under the banner of Islam, so that they might receive a heavenly martyr’s reward.  For most in the Middle East and elsewhere, these are powerful messages that have won many converts to the cause. And, to our chagrin, even those who have experienced the freedoms of the United States, have rejected what we have, and turned our openness against us.  Particularly troubling is the fact that many are educated, from well-to-do families, and have studied and lived in our societies for a number of years.  The question constantly before us is simply, who is next Muslim to follow Allah’s deadly doctrines?

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Issue #9: Islam is a peaceful religion. 

No! Not as the doctrines are written and practiced today.  Muslims use the so-called “Peace Verse” in the Koran, Sura 2:256, to support their claim of being peaceful, but they do not tell you about the Islamic “Doctrine of Abrogation” which Mohammad used to change, modify and eliminate an earlier verse by a later pronouncement.  In this case, Sura 9:5, the “Sword Verse” was pronounced just before Mohammad’s death thereby superseding the peace verse.  You wouldn’t know this unless you had studied the Koran and Islamic practice to some degree of depth, or someone had informed you about this doctrine.  As a result, one simply can’t read the Koran and understand its true message.  He or she must know the rules of the game.  Thus, President Bush was partially correct in saying Islam is a peaceful religion, even though the peaceful verses have been overridden by the sword verse.  Circumstances govern a Muslim’s use of either verse.  Obviously, the peace verse will be used in evangelizing, and the war verse if violence is considered necessary.

Over one hundred other Koranic verses support holy war and violence against Christians and other religions.

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Issue #10: Allah and the Lord of Christianity are the same deities. 

As you know, both Islam and Christianity are monotheistic faiths, meaning the worship of only one God.  This has led to the assertion, predominately by Muslims, that both faiths worship the same God.  Unfortunately, some Christians espouse this belief as well, thereby adding confusion to their brothers and sisters in Christ.  You see this is simply false.  The Lord of the Bible and Allah are not the same deities.  Why?  Because it is the character, nature and personality of the two that makes the difference.  Christ came to earth that He might be known and that His followers might obtain salvation and eternal life as they emulate Him and develop a personal relationship with Him.  As one follows His path in greater devotion they become more compassionate, caring and loving with an expanded servant’s heart and attitude.

Allah never came to earth.  A Muslim can only know him intellectually and must emulate Mohammad in his earthly travels.  Allah and Mohammad sanction violence in accomplishing the goal of world religious domination.  Thus, as a devotee masters the Doctrines of Islam he can turn to all forms of warfare to accomplish Allah’s purposes. Allah never came to earth but honors his adherents for dying in spreading the Islamic faith.  Thus, we find ourselves in a religious war regardless of how the administration talks about it and we must have boots on the ground to destroy the fanatics and demonstrate a better way of life to those seeking our destruction just as we have done in Germany, Japan, and Korea.

There is no other way to protect our citizens and become victorious.

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Issue #11: Many officials say the enemy follows a distorted Islam. 

This is the propaganda line of the Muslim Brotherhood as well as all Muslims who seek to destroy us and IT IS FALSE.  Everything our enemy is doing is based on Koranic Doctrine, but we have declined to study our enemy and his ideology, in fact, we have gone out of our way to take his word concerning his faith.  We have completely failed to study it ourselves.  Thus, his so-called “cultural experts” and willing academics have blinded us to his true intent.  We have even heard our highest government officials talk about a distorted Islam thereby giving our enemy, Islam, a free pass.  These troubling thoughts are engendered by an appeasement philosophy predicated on emotionalism as to the size of the task and desire to cultivate Muslim support in fighting the radicals or jihadists.  It discounts the resilience, determination, willingness and courage of our citizens to face the truth and overcome the barbarism and false thinking before us.  I would rather deal with Muslims on a truthful basis and chance being respected by them on that basis than live a life of appeasement and be disrespected as a weak person without integrity.

As a Christian, I do not believe I have another choice!

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Issue #12: Moderate Muslims are in the best position to overcome the radicals today and in the future.

Moderate Muslims certainly appear to have the best understanding of their faith.  However, this thought seems wrong to me on several levels.  First, I believe the whole philosophy of such a division in Islam is a Western construct supported by Islamist’s to deceive us as to the truth.  In point of fact, I know of no written moderate Islam anyone can follow.  What is its philosophy?  Would it be simply not executing jihad, avoiding the harsh realities of Sharia law, living in a westernized Ataturk secular society, or a combination of all these?  Without the West recognizing Islam as our true enemy and Muslims failing to define and overwhelmingly support a moderate Islam, we will spend another fifteen years -if not longer – chasing terrorists without a successful conclusion to our ideological struggle.

Second, if Islamic doctrine defines the Koran as the sacred word of Allah given to Mohammad, what Muslim human has the right to modify, disregard, or deny Allah’s truths?  The answer to believing Muslims around the world has been and will continue to be, NO ONE!   In essence, the radicals, Islamists, jihadists, or whatever you want to call them, are doing what Koranic doctrine says.  Thus, if I as a Muslim do not join in the fight, I am left with the option of supporting it in other ways as stated in the Koran or denying my faith.  How would you handle this theological quandary as a devout Muslim, or as a Muslim living in a Muslim country?

Finally, the former Prime Minister and now President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan had this to say on this subject in 2007 and 2010:  He claimed it is “very ugly” for Westerners to draw these distinctions between Muslims as “moderate” or “Islamist” — “It is offensive and an insult to our religion,” he said, because “there is no moderate or immoderate Islam. Islam is Islam, and that’s it.”

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Issue #13:  Jihad simply means a Muslim’s internal struggle in following the path of Allah.

According to the Center for the Political Study of Islam,  it is true that three percent of the Hadith of Bukhara use jihad in the sense of an internal study; however, it is also true that ninety-seven percent of these texts addresses Jihad as Holy War.

Andrew C. McCarthy has written, “In point of fact, according to the authoritative Sharia manual Reliance of the Traveler, which has been endorsed by scholars at Al-Azhar University in Cairo (the seat of Sunni scholarship since the tenth century) and by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (the Muslim Brotherhood’s think-tank), ‘Jihad means to war against non-Muslims.’ The inextricable bond between jihad and Sharia is also easily explained.

In Muslim doctrine, Sharia is deemed the necessary precondition for Islamizing a society. Islam’s designs are hegemonic: Even in its less threatening iterations, it is taken as a given that believers must call all of humanity to the faith. What separates the true moderates from the faux moderates and the terrorists are the lengths to which one is willing to go in carrying out that injunction. That it is an injunction, however, is not open to debate.

Our political leaders can continue to trivialize jihad as if it were some benign struggle to brush after every meal. They can continue to ignore the core tenets that make Sharia antithetical to a free, self-determining society. But they can’t do that and do the only job we need them to do: protect our lives and our liberties.”

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Issue #14:  We are not, nor will we be, in a religious war with Islam.

This may be your desire but what does your enemy think and say?  What is the inspiration behind his recruiting, his suicide bombers coming against us, and his drive to continue this conflict against the West in the face of our military superiority?  Listen to some thoughts of his modern leaders.  In 2002 Ayatollah Khomeini said “Those who know nothing of Islam PRETEND that Islam counsels against war.  Those who say this are witless.  Islam says, ‘Kill all the unbelievers’ just as they would kill you.  Islam says, ‘Kill them, put them to the sword and scatter their armies.’  Islam says, ‘Kill in the service of Allah.’  Whatever good there exists is thanks to the sword and the shadow of the sword.  People cannot be made obedient except by the sword.  The sword is the key to Paradise, which can only be opened for Holy Warriors.”

In writing “Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror,” anonymous, subsequently identified as the former head of the Osama bin Laden Unit of the CIA Counter Terrorist Center, Michael Scheuer, wrote “…there are those elites who say that the …Bin Laden movement has nothing to do with religion.” and “In none of the characterizations about Bin Laden is religion identified as part of his appeal.”  But what does Bin Laden say?  In a paraphrase of a few of the statements Bin Laden made on 28 Sep and 21 Oct 2001, anonymous wrote that he said, “I will be mostly quiet…I will incite all Muslims against you…Though you are evil, I care nothing for you, your beliefs, or your ways, but I will force you to end several of your policies toward Muslims.  I will not grow weary, weak, or irresolute.  I will not compromise.  You will, God willing, be defeated.”

And on the third of November of that same year, he stated on Al-Jazeera TV that, “The war is fundamentally religious.  Under no circumstances should we forget this enmity between us and the infidels.  For the enmity is based on creed.”  In essence, Islam is the glue, cohesion, appeal, and rationale that holds the focus of the people and has made Bin Laden and al-Qaeda so deadly.  Indeed, Osama was a charismatic leader in the sense that he was, and still is, much loved by Muslims.  As Michael Scheuer wrote, “Love not so much for Bin Laden the person – although there is much of that – but love for his defense of the faith, the life he lived, the heroic example he set, and the similarity of that example to other heroes in the pantheon of Islamic history.   There was, and is, an emotional bond, an excitement of the historical memory and imagination of Muslims, as well as an allegiance generated by a sense of family, you know “Osama my Brother.’”  To me, the bottom line is simply, If Islam is not the problem, ask yourself why it is that during the last fifteen years of constant jihad, Muslims have failed to take dynamic action against the Koranic rationale supporting the insurgents?  Then too, does anyone really believe young men and women are willing to blow themselves up based on non-religious reasons?

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Issue #15: Non-Muslims can’t understand Islam because of the Arabic language. 

No longer true because of extensive and thorough translations available today.  There is no question the language is difficult to master, but many have done so and translated Koranic thoughts into understandable English as well as other languages.  At the same time, the Islamic faith is difficult because it requires a religiously trained person to guide the non-Muslim through the intricacies of current Muslim thought to avoid blunders.

There are two principle reasons for this.  First, it permits distortions of the truth when evangelizing, or when a Muslim considers himself to be in a less favorable situation.  This is called “tiqyyia” in Arabic, or “ketma” in Persian.  In either case, he is permitted to deceive his adversary.  All are good at this as they will tell you something in English and say the opposite to a fellow Muslim in Arabic. Second, Muslims believe Allah’s words are sacred, perfect, eternal, universal, unalterable and complete (written on a tablet in Heaven.).  Thus, it can never be denied.  But over time, Allah changed his mind, and the Muslim “Doctrine of Abrogation’” came into being in which an earlier verse in the Koran is in fact superseded by a later one.  Therefore, the “Peace Verse” (Sura 2:256) is replaced by the “Sword Verse” (Sura 9:5).  However, you would only know this through study or having been told by your local Imam.

On the other hand, because it is Allah’s sacred word the “Peace Verse” still applies doctrinally.  So, it can be used selectively to prove a point.  Muslims will point to the ‘Peace Verse’ when evangelizing, or they are disadvantaged, and the “Sword Verse” when evangelizing efforts are unsuccessful, or Muslims are capable of prevailing.  Nevertheless, the truth is that the “Sword Verse” is preferred in Islam.  In the West, we believe in a unity ethic substantiated by the Golden Rule and a unity logic supported by the Law of Contradiction.

But as seen by the example above, two contradictory statements can be true at the same time in Islam.  This is so opposite to our Western way of thinking that not many attempt to understand its intricacies.  But, relying on Muslim cultural experts places one at a disadvantage in knowing the truth when coming against our enemies.  Mohammad placed great emphasis on Deception in Warfare as have we over the centuries.  Winning with minimum causalities is the essence of good tactics and strategy.

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Issue #16: The Muslim Brotherhood is a moderate organization worthy of US support.

No, it is considered radical.  The Brotherhood was started in 1928 Egypt in protest of Ataturk’s secularization of Turkey and the elimination of the Caliphate.  Its goal has been the restoration of an Islamic theocracy through the rejuvenation of the Caliphate.  In Western terms, it is a radical organization that has tried every technique to gain legitimacy and undermine those it seeks to overcome.

All the modern leaders of Egypt from Gamal Abdul Nasser to Sadat and Mubarak have recognized it as anathema to any secular society and sought to outlaw and/or destroy it as has President as-Sissi.  Yet the current US administration has supported it in toppling Mubarak and the other governments of the Middle East out of a misunderstood reading of its’ true worth to the people it proposed to govern.  When one considers that the people of Egypt only permitted the Brotherhood leaders to remain in power for one year before rising up by the millions (30-40 million in the streets throughout the country protesting their rule at one time) to throw them out of power in Egypt, the true sense of their harsh, unfair, arbitrary and corrupt governance comes into reality.

Worse yet, we who stand for the separation of church and state facilitated the Brotherhood’s dictatorial take over in Egypt.  What a negative mark against our leadership!  No, the Brotherhood is not a moderate organization.  Its leaders will tell you anything to gain favor and put themselves in a position to undermine our government.  Having observed them in action in Egypt, listened to their openly hostile statements of sedition and subversion in the US and Europe and witnessed their associates’ barbaric actions against our citizens in the ME, I do not understand how anyone can refer to them as moderate.  The Brotherhood should be banned from the U.S. NOW!

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Issue #17:  Our country is war weary thus implying we really aren’t willing to stand against our enemy.

I agree our citizens are tired of war.  On the other hand, I believe that regardless of how tired we may be, we are more desirous of implementing President Reagan’s “We win, they lose!” philosophy in all such situations than any other.  Additionally, it would seem the only ones who can legitimately make any such claim are those who are in the fight.  Truly, the blame for this foreign policy situation rests squarely on the current administration and particularly the President’s unwillingness to follow the advice of his military leaders.  You must allow them to define the enemy and give them the permission and where-with-all to do the job they must do to be victorious.

As in all previous times when the task seemed so enormous, we must think out-of-the-box and be the over-comers this nation has always been.  We must also remember we are a Christian nation, we are an exceptional nation, and as such we hold ourselves to a higher standard at all times.  We can be friendly infidels and cooperate with those who are willing to partner with us without surrendering our ideological values and cultural identity in the process.

Islamist’s, jihadist’s, and radical’s need to understand this and not be allowed in this country.  They should be thoroughly screened before leaving their home country.  Any questionable evidence should lead to denial of entry.  Religion should not be off limits for discussion since it drives Islamic political thought and action and Islam is the only purported religious faith to which politics applies.  In my belief, the torch of freedom still burns brightly in this country, and our leadership needs to be the principle proponent of it.  Defense of our principles and country are the permanent responsibility of our President and Congress.  They must walk the line which best defends us regardless of political party affiliation.

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Issue #18: To understand Islamic doctrine ALL one needs to do is read the Koran. 

Disagree!  I’ll never forget Andy Rooney saying this years ago as our problems with Islam began.  And since then I have run into many people who tell me they have read the Koran, and I applaud their effort but question their understanding.  You see to understand the doctrines of Islam ones needs three texts, the Koran, the Harith or Tradition of the Prophet, and the Sira or biography of Mohammad.  And if he wants to understand the details of Sharia law, he must read the Reliance of the Traveller mentioned by Andrew McCarthy in his excerpt in Issue #13.  But none of these texts explain the Doctrine of Abrogation by which an earlier verse may be modified or nullified by a later one.

Thus, many of the verses Mohammad was given while trying to evangelize in Mecca were literally canceled when he lived in Medina during his last years.  However, it is only the student of Islam who will know which ones were changed.  Obviously, the Imams’ will know along with the members of their mosques, but the average Westerners will be lost until he talks to an Imam or studies.  The bottom line is simply that reading the Koran will not give the reader what he/she needs to understand the true Islam of today.

————————————————————————————————

Issue #19: Jihad simply means internal struggle of an individual to live as Mohammad lived. 

WRONG!  Deception at its finest.  Jihad does mean internal struggle but is used overwhelmingly in the Koran to signify Holy War and specifically in this sense of pacifying those it seeks as converts.  More precisely as Mr. Daniel Pipes wrote in the New York Post on December 31, 2002, “It means the legal, compulsory, communal effort to expand the territories ruled by Muslims at the expense of territories ruled by non-Muslims.

The purpose of Jihad, in other words, is not directly to spread the Islamic faith but to extend sovereign Muslim power (faith of course, often follows the flag).  Jihad is thus unabashedly offensive in nature, with the eventual goal of achieving Muslim dominion over the entire globe.  What we see today is simply a continuation of what was accepted 1400 years ago by its followers.  Why is it so difficult for Western leaders to accept this fact and respond in every way possible to defeat this menace?

————————————————————————————————

Issue #20: Restoration of the Caliphate should be of little concern in the West. 

Absolutely WRONG!  The whole purpose of the Muslim Brotherhood is to restore the Caliphate that Ataturk dissolved back in 1924.  The Caliphate represented the Golden Days of Islam.  It combined the religious-political rule under a single Islamic governing body.  It had two principal missions, 1. Constantly expanding the Islamic faith in accordance with Islamic theology and 2. Administering/ruling the states and territories it conquered under Sharia law.   Thus, to allow the existence of the Caliphate would mean its constant aggression.

The only way to stop the reestablished Caliphate is to destroy it and its ability to administer its captured territories.  This is an absolute must!  There is no other way.  It must be destroyed and completely extinguished, or it will develop into another Iran and be far more menacing.  We should do this as soon as possible before it expands its territory and makes it even more difficult to destroy regarding all our resources.

———————————————————————————————–

Issue #21:  Because the doctrines of Islam permit lying to protect Muslim individuals and their faith from harm trust becomes a grave concern.

Absolutely.  Unfortunately, this is true, and it is why vetting someone who says he is a Muslim is such a problem.   How do you vet someone whose faith permits him to lie without consequences?  Frankly, I am not certain you can.  Thus, I do not believe Muslims should be allowed in the U.S. until this issue is resolved even though we have been allowing their entry for years.  Times have changed.  Islam has reasserted its militancy.   The evidence is all around us.  The quest for Islamic supremacy – political and religious – is being aggressively pushed.  The message is clear but slow to be accepted: fight for your way Mr. American or accept that which we bring to you.

The question we all have is what can we do to help ensure the culturally acceptable Muslim is indeed acceptable?  For me, a place to start would be presenting a Muslim desiring to live in the U.S. with a document highlighting Islam’s doctrinal beliefs that conflict with those in our Constitution and Declaration of Independence.  (See Enclosure #1 for a Proposed Letter to Muslim Immigrants.)     Then I would require them to sign a legally binding promise that they would not engage in any activities violating our laws in these areas.

The punishment for doing so would be immediate deportation without the right to appeal.   I would ensure that this document is published openly so that all our citizens would become knowledgeable of these key differences.  I believe they would immediately see the need for such a procedure and gain insight as to the real problem we face.   Granted this is merely paper and ensures nothing, but over time, it should help to limit Muslims of questionable character from desiring entry.  Such a document would also serve to educate both the applicant and our people concerning Islam…something that really needs to be accomplished.  This may sound strange, but many Muslims do not understand their faith because they are illiterate and only listen to their Imams.

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Issue #22: We need to help the Muslim refugees from the Middle East and our vetting systems are good enough.

No, let’s get serious…it takes time to vet a Muslim!  Over the course of President Obama’s tenure, he and his administration have gone out of their way to establish and support a truly assertive and aggressive counter culture in our country through Muslim immigration and the willful acceptance of minimally vetted refugees from Muslim countries.  The dangers inherent in the Islamic faith have been witnessed by all Americans in Europe and around the world.  Theirs is the only faith that has a political agenda in which violence has been authorized to meet Allah’s goals.

Although Muslim’s may be culturally acceptable, their religious doctrines and actions over the past 1,400-plus years leave us all in a quandary as to whether or not a Trojan Horse of deadly consequence has been allowed to gain a significant foothold here at home with little resistance from Congress or our uninformed fellow citizens.  The Administration’s policies may have been directed at improving party dominance, but, from my perspective, they have not been focused on the best interests of our country.  Hillary Clinton has been a fellow traveler down this road.  As a consequence, I do not believe she should be our president, and I sincerely hope others will consider this in November.  I understand this could make me sound like a one issue voter, but I assure you I am not.

No matter how one attempts to justify the influx of Muslims into our country, I find the administration’s policies absolutely vindictive, extremely misguided and totally disrespectful of our society.  To think that anyone who would intentionally plant a cancerous element in our country and then do very little, if anything, to prevent its’ metastasizing is beyond my wildest imagination in defining the word “change,” which he used incessantly when first running for office in 2008.

What’s more the fact that his party and their opponents were willing to accept his direction in this matter is absolutely criminal to me.  In point of fact, our immigration law (PL 414) has been violated.  In my opinion, those who have been elected to protect our government and society have turned the other cheek thereby violating their oaths of office to the detriment of all our citizens.  This is only one area of concern, add in the others and is it any wonder American citizens are turning out in such large numbers to address the issues they hold most dear during our forthcoming 2016 Election?  I think not and my prayer is that we will return to staunch, uncompromising leadership when enforcing the laws on the books and develop new ones that are needed to counter the many past failures arising as a result of the last administration.———————————————————————–

Enclosure 2 to Fellow Countrymen Letter of 27 June 2016

In Item #21 of Enclosure 1, I proposed that we make an effort to point out specific areas of the Koran, Hadith and Sira that place Muslims who are intent on coming to our country in conflict with our laws and society.  While short, the following cover letter would be accompanied by a paper referring to specific verses each would be given for review and acceptance.  We must understand that not all Muslims are familiar with the specifics of their faith.  Thus, they must understand their faith and our laws at the same time.  Our citizens also need this knowledge to understand what and why this type action is necessary; after all, we do not teach civics in our classrooms any more.  Thus, such a document would be designed to educate both parties and hopefully bring harmony and unity to our society.  This will only happen if the problems we face are dealt with honestly.

You may be offended by the need for such a letter because I am also.  On the other hand, we have had individuals take the oath of Citizenship only to attack us later.   When a judge asked the offender about the violation of his oath, he simply said he was lying.  We will always have this problem because this is permitted in Islam.  No piece of paper can counter this.  On the other hand, often times being challenged to understand the true situation and having to sign a document that states you do, may have a deterrent effect on someone who is leaning toward the radical side.  I believe such a document must deal specifically with the problem at hand and not a broad statement as “the laws of the land.”  Something like the following might bring a lot of clarity to all parties concerned.

—————————————————————————————–

PROPOSED LETTER TO MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS

Dear Potential Citizen:

It gives me great pleasure to extend a cordial welcome to you on behalf of all our citizens.  Our democracy offers you the greatest freedom to be the person you desire to be within the confines of our laws and our society.  However, it is paramount that you understand that while the First Amendment to our Constitution grants you freedom of religion to believe as you wish, the Supreme Court of the United States has constrained your ability to act out any religious doctrine that is contrary to our laws.  Thus, it has denied entry and citizenship to those practicing polygamy and on another occasion, the use of drugs in their religious ceremonies. 

Further our country practices the division of church and State and considers the application of a theocratic government to be in violation of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  Public Law 418, the Nationality Act, of 27 June 1952, specifically denies permanent entry and citizenship to anyone who would seek to impose any such system of government on our citizenry.

The doctrines in the Koran, Hadith and Sira are in specific violation of the laws of our country as per the above law.  Additionally, specific Koranic verses leave no doubt individual believers are and remain our enemy until we submit to Allah.  Furthermore, we are now aware you are authorized to deceive us as to your true intent while you are moving to take over or destroy our government in favor of yours.  If this is not enough, your faith doctrines, state beyond any shadow of a doubt, that you may use violence to accomplice your goals.  We witness this being done in the Middle East today by those you, and many in our Western government, have chosen to call radicals or jihadists.

The problem facing us today is that many of you have chosen to call yourselves moderates at the same time you call yourselves Muslims.  Unfortunately by your own texts you become our enemy if you say you are a Muslim.  If you say you are a moderate Muslim our quandary is that we do not know what you mean because there is no written recognizable moderate doctrine defining your status, while the President of Turkey, a NATO ally, says categorically their is no such thing as a moderate.  We would like you to be moderates who support our country and its laws, but the reality of your faith is that you may attack us at any time you decide to take your faith literally.  Allah absolves you for doing so but our citizens die.  This is our experience and quandary.

Thus, if you desire permanent residence in the United States and citizenship, we must ask you to renounce any effort on your part, or in joining others, to seek the practical application of those Islamic doctrines as stated in the Koran, Hadith, and Sira that are contrary to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  If you are unable to do this, we do not believe you will be able to assimilate and support our country as is desired. We believe you would be much happier in a country where you could practice your faith without restrictions.

We look forward to you joining us and being a citizen of our great country.  On the other hand, we understand the power of faith and wish you well if you do not desire to declare a position that is culturally acceptable to us but opposite your faith beliefs.

Sincerely,

Director; Immigration and Naturalization

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Conclusion  

There are many issues that apply when considering Muslim immigration.  Our response to all of them and the liberal Democrats who are the most prone to espouse and push them on the uneducated and apathetic public must result in education.  We must tell the truth and do it boldly to make our points.  Failure to do so has the potential of leading us down the same path of the German people of the late 30’s and early 40’s who found themselves with a Hitler in their midst and who used them and sacrificed their families, country, futures and fortunes for the Third Reich.  Heaven forbid anything like this happening in our time on earth!

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About the Author

Colonel (Ret.) Luther R. (Luke) Lloyd, USA, was trained as a Middle East specialist while serving in the U.S. Army.  He holds an MA in Arab Studies from the American University in Beirut Lebanon.  Later he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, & Egypt.  U.S. assignments included the Current Intelligence Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Office of the Joint Chief of Staff (OJCS) in the Pentagon as well as the Political-Military Division, J-5 the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) which later became the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) at MacDill where he retired as the Division Chief.

He has taught off and on at his church and at his Continuing Care Facility, Freedom Plaza, where he has resided since 2001.  He has also been a frequent speaker in the Sun City Center, Florida area and has published two educational novels: Out of Darkness in 2009 and Baffling Puzzle in 2012.  His books are available at www.Authourhouse.com and Amazon.com.  The new book, Friend or Foe, should be out by years end.  It contains two appendices reprinted in this document.  He has elected to publish this portion of his book separately to facilitate the use of his material by others in discussing and coming to an understanding of the true issues we face today.  Hopefully this will assist in bringing reality into our approach to all Muslims.

——————————————————————————————–

  • Ryan, Paul, House Speaker Paul Ryan Condemns Donald Trump’s Muslim Comments, Chicago Tribune, News/Nation & World, 8 December 2015.
  •  See Chapter 11 and its notes in Mr. Lloyd’s first book, Out of Darkness, 2009, for a meaningful discussion of the term Kifar and its true connotation to the believing Muslim down through the ages.
  •  Three Suras in the Koran support the Doctrine of Abrogation: 2:106, 16:101 and 13:39.
  •  ACT! For America, Is the Gitmo Bar Pro-Islamist? Sat., 13 March 2010, Andy McCarthy, March 22, 2010, 12:53:32 PM EDT.
  •  Glaszov, Jamie, The Study of Political Islam, Front page magazine.com, February 5, 2007.  Interview with Bill Warner, Center for Political Islam, page 2.
  • From Act for America E-mail of October 13,2014 at 7:48 AM, The U.S State Department: Out of Touch with America, Out of Touch With Reality.
  • Cited in Editor’s review of Ronald de Valderano’s, Terror: The War Against the West, http://libertyhaven.com/politicsandcurrentevents/crimeandterrorism/terrorwar.shtml accessed online 13 August 2002, page 23.
  • Anonymous, Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, Bassey’s, Washington, D.C., 2004, pages 160, 166, and 168.
  • Ibid, page 249, Statement of Osama bin Laden, Al-Jazirah Space Channel Television, AJSCT, 3 Nov
  • Letter to the Editor, Luke Lloyd, Sun City Center, Florida, No One-Issue Voter, Tampa Tribune, Nation & World Section, Saturday, April 30, 2016, page 12.
  • Glaszov, Jamie, The Study of Political Islam, frontpagemagazine.com, February 5, 2007.  Interview with Bill Warner, Center for Political Islam, page 2.
  • Letter to the Editor, Luke Lloyd, Sun City Center, Florida, No One-Issue Voter, Tampa Tribune, Nation & World Section, Saturday, April 30, 2016, page 12.
  • From Act for America E-mail of October 13,2014 at 7:48 AM, The U.S State Department: Out of Touch with America, Out of Touch With Reality.

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Enclosure 2 to Fellow Countrymen Letter of 27 June 2016 PROPOSED LETTER TO MUSLIM IMMIGRANTS

 

 

In Item #21 of Enclosure 1, I proposed that we make an effort to point out specific areas of the Koran, Hadith and Sira that place Muslims who are intent on coming to our country in conflict with our laws and society.  While short, the following cover letter would be accompanied by a paper referring to specific verses each would be given for review and acceptance.  We must understand that not all Muslims are familiar with the specifics of their faith.  Thus, they must understand their faith and our laws at the same time.  Our citizens also need this knowledge to understand what and why this type action is necessary; after all, we do not teach civics in our classrooms any more.  Thus, such a document would be designed to educate both parties and hopefully bring harmony and unity to our society.  This will only happen if the problems we face are dealt with honestly.

 

You may be offended by the need for such a letter because I am also.  On the other hand, we have had individuals take the oath of Citizenship only to attack us later.   When a judge asked the offender about the violation of his oath, he simply said he was lying.  We will always have this problem because this is permitted in Islam.  No piece of paper can counter this.  On the other hand, often times being challenged to understand the true situation and having to sign a document that states you do, may have a deterrent effect on someone who is leaning toward the radical side.  I believe such a document must deal specifically with the problem at hand and not a broad statement as “the laws of the land.”  Something like the following might bring a lot of clarity to all parties concerned.

 

Dear Potential Citizen:

It gives me great pleasure to extend a cordial welcome to you on behalf of all our citizens.  Our democracy offers you the greatest freedom to be the person you desire to be within the confines of our laws and our society.  However, it is paramount that you understand that while the First Amendment to our Constitution grants you freedom of religion to believe as you wish, the Supreme Court of the United States has constrained your ability to act out any religious doctrine that is contrary to our laws.  Thus, it has denied entry and citizenship to those practicing polygamy and on another occasion, the use of drugs in their religious ceremonies.  Further our country practices the division of church and State and considers the application of a theocratic government to be in violation of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  Public Law 418, the Nationality Act, of 27 June 1952, specifically denies permanent entry and citizenship to anyone who would seek to impose any such system of government on our citizenry.

 

The doctrines in the Koran, Hadith and Sira are in specific violation of the laws of our country as per the above law.  Additionally, specific Koranic verses leave no doubt individual believers are and remain our enemy until we submit to Allah.  Further, you are authorized to deceive us as to your true intent while you are moving to take over or destroy our government in favor of yours.  If this is not enough, your faith doctrines state beyond any shadow of a doubt that you may use violence to accomplice your goals.  We witness this being done in the Middle East today by those you, and many in our Western government, have chosen to call radicals or jihadists.

 

The problem facing us today is that many of you have chosen to call yourselves moderates at the same time you call yourselves Muslims.  Unfortunately by your own texts you become our enemy if you say you are a Muslim.  If you say you are a moderate Muslim our quandary is that we do not know what you mean because there is no written recognizable moderate doctrine defining your status, while the President of Turkey, a NATO ally, says categorically their is no such thing as a moderate.  We would like you to be moderates who support our country and its laws, but the reality of your faith is that you may attack us at any time you decide to take your faith literally.  Allah absolves you for doing so but our citizens die.  This is our experience and quandary.

 

Thus, if you desire permanent residence in the United States and citizenship, we must ask you to renounce any effort on your part, or in joining others, to seek the practical application of those Islamic doctrines as stated in the Koran, Hadith, and Sira that are contrary to our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.  If you are unable to do this, we do not believe you will be able to assimilate and support our country as is desired. We believe you would be much happier in a country where you could practice your faith without restrictions.

 

We look forward to you joining us and being a citizen of our great country.  On the other hand, we understand the power of faith and wish you well if you do not desire to declare a position that is culturally acceptable to us but opposite your faith beliefs.

 

Sincerely,

Director

Immigration and Naturalization

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About the Author

 

 

Colonel (Ret) Luther R. (Luke) Lloyd, USA, was trained as a Middle East specialist while serving in the U.S. Army.  He holds an MA in Arab Studies from the American University in Beirut Lebanon.  Later he lived and worked in Saudi Arabia, & Egypt.  U.S. assignments included the Current Intelligence Division, Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and the Office of the Joint Chief of Staff (OJCS) in the Pentagon as well as the Political-Military Division, J-5 the Rapid Deployment Joint Task Force (RDJTF) which later became the United States Central Command (USCENTCOM) at MacDill where he retired as the Division Chief.

 

He has taught off and on at his church and at his Continuing Care Facility, Freedom Plaza, where he has resided since 2001.  He has also been a frequent speaker in the Sun City Center, Florida area and has published two educational novels: Out of Darkness in 2009 and Baffling Puzzle in 2012.  His books are available at www.Authourhouse.com and Amazon.com.  The new book, Friend or Foe, should be out by years end.  It contains two appendices reprinted in this document.  He has elected to publish this portion of his book separately to facilitate the use of his material by others in discussing and coming to an understanding of the true issues we face today.  Hopefully this will assist in bringing reality into our approach to all Muslims.

 

 

 

Book Reviews

The Gray Man is Back!

Mark Greaney is the #1 NYT bestselling author of TOM CLANCY FULL FORCE AND EFFECT. He coauthored #1 NYT bestsellers Command Authority, Threat Vector, and Locked On, by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney. He is also the bestselling author of the Gray Man series, including Dead Eye, The Gray Man, On Target, and Ballistic.

Back Blast - The Gray Man is Back!
Back Blast – The Gray Man is Back!

5.0 out of 5 stars – On to Hong Kong…..
I have read all the books in the series and this is the best one yet! Can’t wait to see where the story goes from here.
Published 3 days ago by david leavitt

5.0 out of 5 stars – Glad to see the Gray Man again…..
I think this is the best Gray Man installment since the first one. I was happy to see that the author would continue to write Gray Man novels after his turn at the helm of the Jack…Published 3 days ago by Mark Altizer

5.0 out of 5 stars – Terrific Read
Very good book, Greaney is one of the very best! I read another review that panned the book. I have no clue why. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Slowhand7

5.0 out of 5 stars Rollicking good read!
I just loved this book. Could not put it down. Got absolutely no exercise this weekend because I was stuck to the couch with this book. Grabbed me by the nose from the first page…..
Published 4 days ago by spud256

5.0 out of 5 stars – Awesome Reading
I loved this book….chapter after chapter was exciting as I sat on the edge of my seat towards the end to see what was going to happen to the main character Gray Man!
Published 5 days ago by Linda D.

4.0 out of 5 stars – The Gray Man Doesn’t Disappoint
I’m a big Greaney fan and have been looking forward to another Gray Man book. It is a bit longer, but they’re lots of new characters and he had to reveal a lot of new back-story…..     Published 5 days ago by Amazon Customer

5.0 out of 5 stars – Enjoy a super suspenseful story!
All law enforcement agencies target the Gray Man, Court Gentry, when he returns to Washington, DC to discover why he’s the focus of a termination order……..
Published 5 days ago by Linda Schmidt……..

Book Reviews, Cold War

C.J. Ledger’s Review: RedEye Fulda Cold – Publisher: Cold War Publications

Friday, October 23, 2015

C.J. Ledger Redeye 2015 Poster1Review: RedEye: Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin

 

Today’s review is for RedEye: Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin. We received this book from the Cadence Group,  a book marketing company that we have worked with before, and we really enjoy the books that they represent. The ones we’ve come into contact with are professionally published with a great editorial work, and the team exerts sheer professionalism when reaching out to book reviewers.

About the Book:

RedEye: Fulda Cold Publisher: Cold War Publications

Redeye: Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin is a different type of war novel. This piece of history is set in 1969 West Germany. The reality of what happened in the Cold War on the border between the opposing forces of East and West makes this a great read; it’s an important part of our military history. Rick Fontain, the main character, is found just out of high school working for Bell Systems when he is summoned by his friends and neighbors. During his induction into the US Army he is given an aptitude test. The test results change the path of his life forever. He is encouraged to become an officer but the extra time, in addition to his two years, is a no go for Rick. He opts for training on the Redeye, the first ever hand held surface to air missile system designed for close combat for the infantry. What Rick doesn’t know is that he is being watched from afar. His progress is being scrutinized and he is being evaluated for recruitment into the CIA.

His journey from boot camp continues when he is stationed near the Fulda Gap. Not a well known place, but its strategic position to the free world was an important post that kept Europe safe during those tense 30 plus years. Rick and his team would become one of the greatest deterrents to an invasion from Mother Russia. Fortin has deftly combined fictional characters and people he served with in the United States Army to recount some important but little-known events during the Cold War. His story takes the reader to the people and places of the late 1960s European Military Community and a series of carefully crafted CIA military operations designed to thwart a possible Russian invasion through the infamous Fulda Gap.

Overall 4.5 Stars

This book is a historical fiction work of art in the sub genre of War. The author takes fictional characters and merges them together with actual people he served with during the Cold War, Bill Fortin does an exceptional job of using these characters to tell us about lesser-known events that occurred during that strenuous time, which may have influenced our overall safety, even if just a bit. Acting as the main deterrent from an invasion by Mother Russia, Rick Fontain’s team lends their service to the Fulda Gap protecting the world from imminent doom while experiencing memorable events along the way. RedEye: Fulda Cold recounts a lesser-known war, transporting us back to one of the most important wartime eras this world has ever seen, but while there aren’t many books published about it, Fortin restitutes this lack of available material by writing a novel that feeds our need for historical knowledge, fictional creativity, and lust for wartime drama, all wrapped within the binding of one book.

The author stays in the character of a serviceman even within the structural integrity of the book. He uses accurate acronyms, phrases, and wording within the book making you feel as if you were standing side by side with Rick Fontain experiencing his life events. This is an exceptionally advanced method of writing, almost always reserved for an audience experienced in military life, veterans, retirees, active duty… But while some books written in this style leave many behind, unable to understand some of the occurrences,  in this book the author stays with you throughout, offering up footnotes to help us understand military lingo and reference figures to give his context as to the places in which the protagonist plays out his experiences. His bolding and style used to separate locations and events throughout chapters is very reminiscent of receiving service orders from your commanding officer, making the reader feel like a part of the events.

Bill Fortin wrote this novel in the first person, you cannot read through one page without feeling like you are personally experiencing what Rick Fontain is going through.  Ultimately, by the time you get to the end of this book it feels as if you’ve just read the incredible journey one man has gone through, full of unimaginable things, yet it has all been locked away within the safe of his own memory, rarely taken out for the world to see. It is eerily relative to the experiences current service members have, keeping in memories of incredible events only shared with brothers by their side, only to come home and walk past the rest of the population, unbeknownst to them, the amazing log of information held within this passerby; information that directly corresponds to their own freedom and effort to keep it safe.

I’ve learned more about the Cold War in this historical fiction book than I have in all of my years of education, which is precisely the concept Fortin tries to convey. This is a grand time in history, but one few of us know much about. Fortin delivers what we’ve been missing.

Technical

Cover: ⅘ Stars | When it comes to the cover of this book it has a great basis, but there’s just one section of it that we cannot get past. The back cover of the book boasts a very clean, petroleum black with white lettering and some decorative decals. The spine is rather plain but still befitting for the book, and the front top-half offers us a very visual perception of what this book is about. However, the lower section of the front cover is rather awkward. “Fulda Cold” is very nicely placed within a matching border, and “Bill Fortin” is printed nicely with some of the grainy details of the back-splash within the lettering; you can also see it in “Fulda Cold”. But in the middle, you have “A Rick Fontaine Novel”, which is rather awkward, as it just sits there in solid white lettering without really blending into the book at all. We feel that that line could have been placed and designed a bit better.

Research: ⅘ Stars | This book is deserving of a mention on its research. It offers an extensive character list towards the beginning of the book, making it easier for the reader to get to know the protagonists. The list is nicely divided by the locations in which they play out their stories, London, Netherlands, Germany, and the United States. This list also includes places and terms used and goes on for 6 pages.

Within the book, each page has between one and two footnotes describing terminology used within the story, addressing figures of buildings and places, and giving more background to what the protagonists are talking about. Speaking of the figures, this book does a very good job of transporting the reader to the places where the stories play out, as every couple of pages, you run into a figure. For example, on page 101, there is a nice diagram labeled “Figure 11” noting the operational unit sizes within the army. Figure 9 on page 92 offers a map noted as the “Fulda Gap”, which gives us some context as well. And our final example is on page 193, labeled “Figure 17”, which is a photograph of the Nuremberg Hospital.

Continuing with research, on page 5 the author provides us with a table of contents, but he also provides us with a table of figures and pictures on page 7 and 8, which note the location of the depictions we just discussed. Page 9 is a very heartfelt acknowledgement page, noting three servicemen he worked with, his editor Donna Foley, & a few others. What was personal for us, was his addition of page 11, which he reserved as a memorial to two very special servicemen, one of which, Sergeant Ken Clark, is the subject of the dedication of this book.
We didn’t give the research of this book the full five stars because some of the photographs are grainy and pix-elated. For example, the Fulda Gap map (Figure 9) is very blurry and hard to read and Figure 42 on page 411, labeled “Attention to Orders” is very pix-elated, almost impossible to read.

Book Reviews, Cold War

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Book Reviews, Cold War

Redeye Fulda Cold – “A Rick Fontain Novel”

Redeye 2015 Poster1Many people forget that during the Vietnam War era there was another war going on — one that had been raging since the 1950’s: The Cold War. While brave men were dying in Vietnam, equally brave men and women were facing an enemy more threatening than those in South East Asia – namely the Soviet Union. Redeye Fulda Cold brings to light the rigors and experiences of those in the 3rd Armor Division, as well as, humorous anecdotes of life in the U.S. military in Europe in the 1960’s. The Cold War, as played out in places like the Fulda Gap, and the threats and missions our soldiers faced in this environment, is all but forgotten in our history except by those who served in it.

Re-edited by Dona Foley – re-introduced via CreateSpace and IngramSpark – June 2015

Book Reviews, Cold War

Redeye Fulda Cold – “Right on the mark, this war novel is hot!”

This novel is a winner. Redeye Fulda Cold by Bill Fortin is a different type of war novel. It’s real. What you will be reading happened in the Cold War during ‘68 and ’69 at the border between East and West Germany. It is not only a great novel; it’s an important part of military history. Rick Fontain, the main character, is working for Bell Systems in the USA when he is drafted. During the induction period he has to take an aptitude test. The test results change the path of his life forever. He is encouraged to become an officer but the extra time, in addition to his two years, is a no go for Rick. He opts for training on the Redeye, the first ever hand held surface to air missile system for the infantry. What Rick doesn’t know is that he is being watched from afar. His progress is being scrutinized and he is being tested.

I like the style of the author, Fortin. Written in the first person, we follow the army life of Rick though short snippets of his journey. It took me a few pages to get used to the style of headers detailing where and when things were taking place but then I became hungry to find out what would happen next to Rick and where.

His journey continues when he is stationed near the Fulda Gap. I had never heard of this place, but I now know how important it was to the safeguard of Europe during those tense years. Rick and his team would become one of the greatest deterrents to an invasion from Mother Russia. Fortin brings all the key elements together to make a fabulous story: mystery; intrigue; love; suspense; bravery and reality. It is a snap shot in history back to when the world was at the brink. Redeye Fulda Cold is a must read. I want to see a sequel novel to find out where Rick goes next.