Bernard Lewis: Not a Tribute II. Notice in the transcript that when the USA today reporter asked about what "those people" think, he answered her by talking about Bin Laden. And this is how Lewis justifies his ignorance of various measures of Arab public opinion:
"MR. LEWIS: We have no way of measuring opinion in these countries." He then said:
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, THE WASHINGTON POST: Professor Lewis, if this is 1938--and I assume your sympathies lie with Churchill (laughter)--what Churchillian policy would you therefore advocate--and I'll name three crises-- for the U.S. to follow: one, versus Iran, two, in relation to Hamas and three, in relation to the insurgency in Iraq?
MR. LEWIS: Well, in two simple words: Get tough....
MR. LUGO: Hamas? He said there were three points he wanted a Churchillian response to. The first was Iran but then Hamas — response to Hamas?
MR. LEWIS: Hamas is a dangerous — Hamas and Hezbollah--I'll throw in too--these are dangerous terrorist organizations and should be treated accordingly."
You have to read the text, and you have to read the reporters' questions. Not a single reporter reflected a skeptical or critical bent. They all seem to be learning at the feet of the "master." Notice the language that he uses, and notice that he was reminded by one reporter that his recipe for Iraq (after occupyingdevastatingastating it) was to install the Hashemites as rulers. This is the exent of this man's knowledge of the Middle East. I still believe that no expert of Europe or of China or of India in the US would get away with the way in which Lewis talks about Arabs and Muslims. (thanks John)