In early winter of 2001, an invading force of fewer than 10,000 American soldiers, Marines, Special Forces, and CIA operatives stampeded the Taliban and al-Qaeda forces across Afghanistan. A punitive campaign of historic brevity and one-sided casualties was about to end. Then our most senior officials made two disastrous decisions. First, General Tommy Franks, the commander of the invasion, refused to employ American forces to seal off the al-Qaeda remnants, including Osama bin Laden, hiding in the Tora Bora mountains. Instead, General Franks handed the fight over to unreliable Afghan warlords, who let bin Laden and al-Qaeda escape into Afghanistan.

In the 1970’s, Iran Air (known in the country as HOMA) had garnered the title of “fastest growing” among the world’s airlines. According to Encyclopedia Iranica, Iran Air was the highest earning company in Iran after the National Iranian Oil Company, and had been recognized as one of the world’s safest airlines by the Flight Safety Foundation. These achievements were connected to the name of General Ali-Mohammad Khademi (1913-1978), who headed Iran Air for 16 years. His service ended with an abrupt resignation a few months before the Islamic Revolution.

Unlike Western Christians, Middle Eastern Christians never warmed to Jews, but the rise of Islamism has led some to see Israel as the proverbial enemy of their enemy.