Germany’s New Counterterrorism Strategy

Via The Times, UK:

How is Germany reacting to the escalating violence by Islamic fundamentalists in the Netherlands, Britain and elsewhere in Europe? By suggesting — wait for it — that the proper response to such barbarism is to initiate a Muslim holiday in Germany.

I wish I were joking, but I am not. A substantial fraction of Germany’s government — and, if polls are to be believed, the German people — believe that creating an official state Muslim holiday will somehow spare us from the wrath of fanatical Islamists.

If it’s true, this is a pretty ridiculous notion. I should note, though, that the article I’m quoting here is a hawkish opinion piece, whose author, Mathias Döpfner, among other things, praises Bush’s “moral conviction.” I looked around for a more objective take on the story, but I couldn’t find one. Consider yourself forewarned.

--Matthew McCoy