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The Morning Rant

Bernard Lewis, the great scholar of Islam, said:

For Muslims, negotiation is a form of warfare, conducted by other means, and is subject to the same rules.

In the traditional Islamic view, the world is divided into the House of Islam and the House of War. The latter is assumed to be at war with Islam until it submits... weakness invites attack, strength commands respect.

Westerners, and particularly Western governments often make the ridiculous assumption that Muslims are part of the empirical, logic-driven philosophy of the West. And even more laughable...they assume that honor, and simply doing what one says one will do is a bedrock of Muslim culture, just as it is in the West.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Lies, subterfuge, propaganda...all are accepted methods of negotiation in the Muslim world. The idea that there is some sort of code of honor between people is laughable. Strength is lauded; weakness is mocked and taken advantage of. And following through with commitments is simply unheard of. Behavior is based on what is best for Family, Clan, Country. If that agrees with an agreement, then wonderful. If not...it is also wonderful.

Trump confirms U.S. sent guns to Iranian people, but says intermediary kept them

President Donald Trump on Monday indicated that the U.S. had attempted to send guns to the Iranian people to help them fight the Islamic Republic's armed forces, but that the intermediary that was supposed to distribute the weapons merely kept them instead.

"We sent some guns," he said. "They were supposed to go to the people so they could fight back against these thugs. You know what happened? The people that we sent them to kept them."

"So, I am very upset with a certain group of people and they're gonna pay a big price for that," he added.

President Trump is understandably frustrated by what is a common behavior in the Muslim world. Cheating and stealing? Yeah...so? But unlike his predecessors, President Trump may very well punish that behavior, which would be a novel response in the Western world. The Muslim world has come to expect the West to negotiate from a position of weakness, because they simply do not understand the Muslim mindset. While it is unclear that President Trump understands it, it is abundantly clear that he doesn't like it.

Iran expected a typical Western military campaign...a few bombs, a few missiles, and they could then get back to their strategy of obfuscation and delay while working to create a missile force that would be unstoppable.

That President Trump turned that on its head is a testament to his resolve, and his understanding of the geopolitical reality of a nuclear Iran. But most of all it is obvious that he does not trust the Iranian hierarchy, and that is a sea change in Western dealings with the Muslim world!

[Crossposted at CutJibNewsletter and X/Twitter]. If you folks who are on X/Twitter would follow us it would be much appreciated!