Whether or not Bush is bad, Cheney is evil incarnate, or we made a terrible mistake in Iraq, there is a more serious situation which must be dealt with. The most catastrophic event is possibly only a short time away.

I need not write that extremists are using the Pope's quotes (not his own words - although he chose very poorly) to entice more violence against the U.S., the West, the vatican, and even the Pope himself. A religious war would be a truly catastrophic event.

http://breitbart.com/news/2006/09/18/D8K7H9OO0.html


Extremists said the pope's comments proved that the West was in a war against Islam.

"If the stupid pig is prancing with his blasphemies in his house," the group said in a Web statement, referring to the pope, "then let him wait for the day coming soon when the armies of the religion of right knock on the walls of Rome."

In Iran, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei used the comments to call for protests against the United States. He argued that while the pope may have been deceived into making his remarks, the words give the West an "excuse for suppressing Muslims" by depicting them as terrorists.

"Those who benefit from the pope's comments and drive their own arrogant policies should be targeted with attacks and protests," he said, referring to the United States.

"You infidels and despots, we will continue our jihad (holy war) and never stop until God avails us to chop your necks and raise the fluttering banner of monotheism, when God's rule is established governing all people and nations," said the statement by the Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of Sunni Arab extremist groups in Iraq.

Al-Qaida in Iraq said Muslims would be victorious and addressed the pope as "the worshipper of the cross" saying "you and the West are doomed as you can see from the defeat in Iraq, Afghanistan, Chechnya and elsewhere. ... We will break up the cross, spill the liquor and impose the 'jizya' tax, then the only thing acceptable is a conversion (to Islam) or (being killed by) the sword."


Can anyone still doubt the violence yet to come? At this point, passivity, inactivity, and quiescence are tatamount to submissiveness and would only pave the road for the extremists.