Londonistan...

With news out of London in the War on Terror getting worse, I thought it now more appropriate than ever to highlight some of the findings of Melanie Phillips, who's written a fantastic, thorough investigation of the changing climate of Britain since July 7, 2005 (with some exploration after 9/11 as well) called Londonistan. In case you're unaware of Britain's response to its growing terror threat, here's an excerpt from Wikipedia:

"In several countries outside the United Kingdom, governments and media outlets perceived that the UK was lenient towards radical Islamist militants (as long as they were involved in activities outside of the UK), as well as the UK's refusal to extradite or prosecute suspects of terror acts committed outside of the UK, led to London being sometimes called Londonistan, and have called these purported policies into question (New York Times, Le Figaro). Such policies were believed to be a cynical attempt of quid pro quo: the UK allegedly exchanged an absence of attacks on its soil against toleration."

With an increasing Muslim population (Melanie puts the figure at over 2 million), the threat of extreme terror behavior is no longer off Britain's shores, but within the country, and homegrown. From Londonistan:

"The attacks had been carried out by home-grown Muslim terrorists, suburban boys who had been educated at British schools and had degrees, jobs and comfortable families. Yet these British boys, who loved cricket and helped disabled children, had somehow been so radicalized within the British society that had nurtured them that they were prepared to murder their fellow citizens in huge numbers and to turn themselves into human bombs to do so." (p. viii, Introduction)

If this isn't a call for assimilation, I don't know what is...

In the next paragraph, Phillips postulates "How many more Muslim youths, people wondered, might similarly be planning mass murder against their fellow Britons?"

We now have an idea.

You may ask, what does this mean for the United States on the terror front? A LOT. With Democrats ALREADY urging for a withdrawal from Iraq, support on the homefront is wavering. Support is necessary from the global community. Here's Phillips' take:

"Great Britain...is America's most important ally. The 'special relationship' between the two countries is no less critical today than when they stood shoulder to shoulder against Nazi Germany. The United States may provide the muscle to defend the free world against Islamic fascism, but Britain - the originator of the values that America defends - provides the backbone. The unwavering support for the war in Iraq displayed by Prime Minister Tony Blair has been as crucial for the moral authority it has lent the United States as for any military or intelligence contribution. Britain is a champion of America to the world, using its own moral capital as a guarantor of America's good faith. And in Tony Blair the American people see the embodiment of British staunchness and resolve, along with an eloquence in putting the case for the defense of freedom and democracy which has turned him into a hero of the cause."

"But what if things in Britain are not as they seem to America? What if Mr. Blair is an aberration within his own country? What if Britain, rather than being the front line of defense against the threat of radical Islam, has become a quisling state that actually threatens to undermine that defense? What if, instead of holding the line for Western culture against the Islamic jihad, Britain is sleepwalking into the arms of the enemy?" (Introduction, p. x - xi)

What of these questions Phillips poses? According to a phone survey conducted by the leftist leaning Guardian, conducted July 2006, 63% of respondents say that Tony Blair's relationship with President Bush is "too close" and 69% say that Britain's military sources are being overstretched. Meanwhile, those surveyed do not seem sympathetic with Israel's cause, as 61% say Israel "overreacted" in its "response to the kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and other threats it believes it faces from militant groups based (in Lebanon)."

More commentary on the relationship here, which notes that "...President Bush's lack of popularity worldwide is Mr. Blair's liability at home."

Not enough people have read Ms. Phillips' book, apparently. READ IT. More to come on this extensive work.