Robert Novak, Islamic Apologist, Terrorist Supporter, Was No Role Model for Conservatives

It was only two days after 9/11 when "respected columnist" Robert Novak began by promoting Trutherism, writing in his column, titled, "This is No Pearl Harbor", "Security experts and airline officials agree privately that the simultaneous hijacking of four jetliners was an "inside job," probably indicating complicity beyond malfeasance. This makes all the more ominous Tuesday's national consequences."

Novak of course was wrong, but like most Truther propaganda, its larger purpose was to serve as an excuse for the actual Islamic terrorists. The column went on to suggest that Bin Laden wasn't even responsible for the attacks, "Unlike Pearl Harbor, however, there is no clear foe... Private sources indicate that the terrorists could be a splinter group of Osama, its identity and whereabouts as yet unknown." The idea being that the terrorists were an "extremist wing" of Al Queda, and not the "moderate" Al Queda itself.

While the rubble at Ground Zero was still smoldering, Novak went on to worry that the United States would launch an assault on Al Queda in Afghanistan, which would only upset the Muslim world.

Having spun his rope of lies this far, Novak then went on to argue that the real problem were not Muslim terrorists, who didn't want world domination (perish the thought), no the real problem was Israel. "Unlike Nazi Germany's and Imperial Japan's drive for a new world order, however, the hatred toward the U.S. by the terrorists is an extension of its hatred of Israel rather than world domination."

Four days later Novak continued his theme of a Washington D.C. churning with "Frustrated War Fever", painting Republicans as desperate to irrationally bomb Afghanistan into a "parking lot". Novak instead treated any attempt to go after the terrorists as recklessly dangerous and likely to offend Muslims.

11 days after 9/11 found Novak busy worrying about Arafat's anxiety, telling readers that Arafat had joined the War on Terror coalition and gave orders to his men not to shoot at Israelis, even if they shot first. Novak's columns on the War on Terror quickly became a barrage of gloomy predictions. Early in the war he suggested that General Tommy Franks was incompetent and should be removed. He quoted Human Rights Watch to damn the Northern Alliance for supposedly committing atrocities against Taliban supporters.

By early 2002 Novak was already castigating the Bush Administration for its "Arrogance of Power". A year before the invasion of Iraq, Novak was already claiming that; "The U.S. military today is in no condition to attack anybody". Novak of course went on to repeatedly champion Chuck Hagel's position on Iraq. He quickly dragged out his "War Fever" innuendo, depicting Bush as isolated among Republicans in his desire to remove Saddam Hussein. This would follow his usual pattern of championing Powell over Rumsfeld and Cheney, pushing for coalition backing and UN support. His opposition never wavered, as he mocked the Surge, once again treating Chuck Hagel as an oracle on the Iraq War.

His post 9/11 column was a startlingly ugly performance from Novak, but neither a random occurrence or a departure from the norm. Novak had spent a good deal of the latter part of his career playing defense on the Islamic team. Whether it was the Turkish push for EU membership, "the European Union on Dec. 12 rebuffed both the Turkish and the U.S. governments by rejecting Turkey's application for membership. Abdullah Gul, the new prime minister, accused European leaders of "discrimination" and "prejudice" -- reflecting Islam's current view of the West", bemoaning Republican support for Israel while claiming that conservatives used to be Pro-Arab not Pro-Israel,and defending the Saudis against being being "trashed", noting critically that; "Ever since the Sept. 11 attacks, conservative journalists and politicians have pounded on Saudi customs and mores that had not seriously disturbed a relationship between the two dissimilar countries over the past 60 years", (those "customs" of course being such trivial cultural matters as enslaving women, promoting Islamic extremism abroad and treating non-Muslims as inferior), Novak had repeatedly taken the Islamic side of things.

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