I should also mention the Buffalo Battalion (South Africa) and the Selous Scouts (Rhodesia) in respect of your experience of operating with Muslims on the battlefield (if that is what you are saying).

In my view (although I may be biased), these two battalions were probably the best counter-insurgency battalions the West has ever seen. The Selous Scouts, for example, in one raid (Nyadzonya – Mozambique) killed over a thousand of Mugabe’s forces (and injured at least twice that number) with only 4 of their own slightly wounded.

But the point is that these battalions were composed largely of Africans (blacks), with a small element of white officers or NCO’s, fighting for what were racist regimes, and fighting with incredible courage.

Their incredible successes led many to conclude that the African population, if they understood the “truth” of the threat they faced (from Communism), would abandon their yearning to free themselves from their Colonial masters. They deluded themselves that because they could convince some Africans to fight on their side, that was evidence enough that the African population as a whole would be receptive of the idea of servitude.

That, it seems to me, is precisely your rationale, Mr Robison, except in relation to the Muslims who served with you – and all credit to them and you.

Unfortunately, it is not in the least bit indicative of the general persuasion of the vast majority of Muslims (as the Rhodesians and South Africans before you discovered to their cost – and others as well), that the bravery and sacrifice of some is proof that the rest are willing to abandon deeply held convictions, and faith, in order to embrace your view of liberty, or that of Thomas Paine, or Bush, or McCain, or Obama.

Again, it is wishful thinking, and utter delusion! But I pay tribute to your service, and the service of your troops, as I do to those who fought in Southern Africa – to no avail in the end. They are dead, or forgotten, and maligned.

Joseph BH McMillan http://www.freedomvrights.com

I think we may have crossed swords before?

Your references to Thomas Paine are indeed ‘inspiring’, but you left out the fact that Paine died a pauper, despised by most Americans because of his diatribe against Christianity.

You say that before the birth of America, “the hope of liberty, built upon the revolutionary concept of natural, God-given law for all mankind, cannot be found on the earth.” That is patently false.

In 1760 BC, the Code of Hammurabi specifically claimed to do precisely that.

Here is the Preamble: “When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunaki, and Bel, the lord of Heaven and earth, who decreed the fate of the land, assigned to Marduk, the over-ruling son of Ea, God of righteousness, dominion over earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi, they called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid so solidly as those of heaven and earth; then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land, to destroy the wicked and the evil-doers; so that the strong should not harm the weak; so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash, and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind.”

Now that sounds exactly like what you claim to be this unique calling for America – except it pre-dates American Independence by some 3,500 years.

You also say that “the Muslim world must understand and accept this truth” – that we (America and Britain, if I read you right) have turned on our own allies and friends (in Serbia, for example) in order to display our Islamic credentials.

I expect Muslims understand this “truth” better than you think, because they engineered it – not that difficult with a bunch of politicians who know nothing about Islam, but think that appeasing them by bombing our friends will somehow ingratiate ourselves to them.

Fat lot of good it has done us. Unless my math is out, we did all the Islamic friendly things you cite before 9/11 – except for Afghanistan and Iraq, for which, of course, we can all see their gratitude.

At the risk of being rude, your entire thesis is nothing but wishful thinking, and utter delusion!

Joseph BH McMillan http://www.freedomvrights.com