Monthly Archives: March 2017

“Without Warning” hits NYT bestseller list at #6. New political thriller about ISIS threat also lands on Publishers Weekly, USA Today & Washington Post lists.

March 27, 2017 By in Epicenter

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We just got the news that Without Warning has hit all four of the major U.S. best-seller lists — New York Times, Publishers Weekly, USA Today and the Washington Post — and landed significantly higher on the lists than my previous thriller, The First Hostage.

Without Warning debuts at…..

After interviews, speeches and book signings in Virginia Beach, New York City, Dallas and Tyler, Texas in recent weeks, I head to Naples, Florida, today for the next stop on the book tour. Later this week, I’ll head to Washington, D.C. for board meetings for The Joshua Fund and then a final week of interviews and meetings in D.C. before returning to Israel.

Thank you so much to all of my readers who’ve been so enthusiastic and supportive of this new thriller. Thanks, too, for all the word-of-mouth — to everyone who has been writing about and reviewing Without Warning on Facebook, Twitter and all kinds of other social media. I couldn’t be more grateful. and please keep it up!

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In war against ISIS, Washington needs a new strategic messaging plan, not just a new war plan. A few recommendations. (My latest column for Fox News.)

March 26, 2017 By in Epicenter

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(Tyler, Texas) — This morning, Fox News Opinion published my latest op-ed on how to defeat the Islamic State and protect the American people and our allies. Based on my blog column of last week, I urge President Trump to develop a new strategic messaging plan, not just a new war plan, and deliver a major address to the American people.

You can read the full op-ed online by clicking here.

Mr. Trump, please give a major address defining the threat of ‘radical Islamic terrorism’

By Joel C. Rosenberg, FoxNews.com, March 26, 2017

Mr. Trump, you are the first American president ever to use the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” in your Inaugural Address.

Neither Presidents George W. Bush nor Barack Obama chose to use the term. Thus, even though we have been at war in the Middle East since 2001 – and even though we continue to see horrific terrorist attacks by Islamic State loyalists from San Bernardino  and Orlando to Paris and Brussels and now London just this week — we have never had a Commander-in-Chief actually define for the American people the nature of our enemy.

“We will unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the Earth,” you vowed in January.

Then, before a Joint Session of Congress last month, you built on the theme that you began during the campaign, declaring that your administration is committed to “taking strong measures to protect our nation from radical Islamic terrorism.”

Such language has been sharply criticized by former aides to President Barack Obama, who insisted on saying he was countering “violent extremism.”

“What was accomplished by declaring war on ‘radical Islamic terrorism’?” Ben Rhodes, the former National Security Council official, Tweeted during the Joint Session. “Just alienating Muslim allies who we need, and emboldening terrorists.”

“There’s nothing magic about those three words,” Tweeted Marie Harf, the former State Department spokeswoman. “They’re not a strategy, they’re a talking point.”

Ignore such partisan sniping, Mr. President. You are absolutely right to shine a spotlight on the homicidal ideology that drives jihadists to wage war against us and our allies. But be careful. Don’t assume everyone knows what you mean. The phrase, after all, is simply shorthand. Now that you have captured people’s attention by using the term, you must define it. As leader of the free world, you have an extraordinary platform to educate a national and global audience about the true nature and magnitude of the threat in more detail and with more precision. Seize it.

Here are three suggestions:

First, be clear and consistent that the vast majority of Muslims are not dangerous.

This may seem an obvious point, but there is genuine confusion among some. There are people – at home and abroad – who hear you use the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism” and think you mean that the entire Islamic religion is radical and thus all Muslims are prone to terrorism. Since you’re actually using the word “radical” to define a subgroup that approves of violence against innocents, and not to cast aspersions on the broader Muslim faith, be forward-leaning in making the distinction crystal clear.

Since the Al Qaeda attacks of 9/11, the Pew Research Center, Washington Institute for Near East Policy, Gallup and other organizations have conducted extensive polling throughout Islamic world on Muslim attitudes regarding a wide range of political and religious subjects.

An analysis of the data suggests that the vast majority of Muslims overseas – upwards of 90 percent – generally do not support violence against civilians to advance their beliefs. However, between 7 and 10 percent of Muslims worldwide can be characterized as having radical views in that they openly state that they support the extreme violence of the Islamic State or support the use of suicide bombings against innocent civilian targets to advance their political or religious objectives.

Study this 90/10 split. Immerse yourself and your national security team in the data. Direct the State Department to do more polling. And start explaining the 90/10 split to the public so they understand you’re not speaking about most Muslims.

Second, define for the public the nature of this violent subset and the gravity of the threat they pose.

Saying that “only” 7 percent to 10 percent sympathize with jihadists is true and fair, but hardly comforting. In a world of 1.6 billion Muslims, this means upwards of 160 million people could be fairly characterized as sympathizing with “radical Islam” or, more precisely, “militant Islamism,” a violent political ideology that seeks to accomplish totalitarian objectives under the cloak of Islam.

Imagine if this subset established their own country. It could be the ninth largest country in the world. Larger than Russia. Half the population of the United States. Not all Muslims who hold extreme views will turn to violence, of course. But this is the pool from which Islamist terrorist organizations and states raise funds, recruit new members, and inspire “lone wolf” attacks. Explain this to people.

Explain the objectives of the jihadists. And point out sobering truths like the fact that in 2016 alone, 37 people were arrested in the U.S. for ISIS-plots. ISIS began as al Qaeda in Iraq. Now it has recruited terrorists from 120 countries, and have murdered more than 1,200 people in countries outside of Iraq and Syria. Most people don’t know this.

Make it clear that this is precisely why we need to improve vetting procedures to prevent confirmed radicals from entering the U.S. This is why we need to protect our borders from jihadists trying to infiltrate, and why we need a comprehensive plan to defeat the Islamic State and a defense budget that will get the job done right.

Third, continue to strengthen ties to our Muslim allies, and seek their counsel not just on war-planning but on strategic messaging.

Your recent meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sent a strong message of unity in the face of terror, since Israel is on the frontlines of the fight against jihadism. But I’m encouraged that you also recently met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince, and will soon meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Your meeting with Jordan’s King Abdullah II was also important, as he is America’s most faithful Sunni Arab ally, a direct descendent of the Prophet Muhammad, and a courageous leader against the jihadists.

“For those of us who are Muslim, this fight is very personal,” the Jordanian King recently explained in an address to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. “These criminals are khawarej; outlaws to our faith. People nowadays talk about ‘Fake News’; the khawarej produce ‘Fake Islam’. They selectively paste together the words of Islamic texts, to promote a false and perverted ideology. In reality, everything they are, everything they do, is a blatant violation of the teachings of my faith.”

The King added, “I have called on the Muslim world to fight back boldly. We, like other faith communities, have a vast silent majority and it is time for that majority to get loud and to be clear in their condemnation.”

Amen. Avail yourself of the King’s wise counsel, Mr. President. Ask him and other moderate Muslim leaders how best to shape your message. Then speak to the American people.

I recently commissioned McLaughlin & Associates, a leading U.S. polling firm whose clients include your presidential campaign, to conduct a national survey to better understand how Americans view the war against ISIS. The results were sobering. A plurality believe we are losing the war, and most believe ISIS will launch catastrophic attacks inside the American homeland.

Some of the most interesting results came when we asked people how they want their leaders to talk about the enemy we face.

Fortunately, we found that only 10 percent believe “our leaders should say we are waging a war against the religion of Islam.”

Some 36 percent believe “our leaders should not mention Islam at all, but simply say we are waging war against the forces of violent extremism.”

But fully 45 percent believe “our leaders should say we are waging war against the forces of radical Islam, but be careful to explain that most Muslims are not our enemy.”

Good.

This is the right way to talk about the war, shining a spotlight on the forces of the radicals, while affirming that the vast majority of Muslims at home and abroad are not our enemy, and should be mobilized as our allies in this war. And most of that 45 percent are people who voted for you, so you have a strong base of support for this approach and can build from there.

Mr. Trump, in the aftermath of the savage London attacks, you have a unique and historic opportunity to deliver a major address to the American people to define our enemy and explain your vision for victory.

Carpe diem.

Joel C. Rosenberg is the bestselling author of novels and non-fiction books about the Middle East. His latest political thriller is “Without Warning” (Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., March 14, 2017).

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In wake of London attack, President Trump should deliver major address to define “radical Islamic terrorism,” the ISIS threat, and his vision for victory.

March 23, 2017 By in Epicenter

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(Dallas, Texas) — Yesterday, the horrific attack in London underscored yet again the threat radical Islamic terrorism poses to our allies. We mourn for those murdered, killed and traumatized, and we pray for the Lord to comfort and heal.

The attack on our British ally was also a stark reminder that such terror could strike inside the U.S. homeland without warning if our leaders do not aggressively improve defensive measures to protect the American people, and launch far more aggressive offensive measures to decisively defeat the Islamic State and other militant Islamist groups.

UPDATE: ISIS has just claimed responsibility for the attack. “The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition,” says the Amaq news agency, the ISIS press channel.

In this context, I was encouraged that yesterday the Trump-Pence administration was actually hosting a conference of foreign ministers from 68 countries, focused on how to improve cooperation not simply to fight ISIS but to win.

  • Secretary of State Rex Tillerson delivered an excellent address (read or watch here).
  • The State Department released a helpful fact sheet detailing the progress that has been made against ISIS so far.
  • The coalition released a statement on areas of agreement and focus for 2017.

Now it is time for President Trump to deliver a major address to the American people on how he views the war against the Islamic State and his vision for victory.

Mr. Trump, to his credit, is the first president in American history to use the phrase “radical Islamic terrorism,” which he referred to in his Inaugural Address and his Joint Address to Congress. Neither Presidents George W. Bush nor Barack Obama chose to use this term.

Mr. Trump is absolutely right to shine a spotlight on the homicidal ideology that drives jihadists to wage war against us and our allies. But he must be careful not to assume that everyone understands what he means. The phrase, after all, is simply shorthand.

Now that he has captured people’s attention by using the term “radical Islamic terrorism,” it is vitally important that he define it. As leader of the free world, he has an extraordinary platform to educate a national and global audience about the true nature and magnitude of the threat in more detail and with more precision. He should seize it.

He should explain to the nation that last year alone, 37 people were arrested in the U.S. for ISIS-related terrorist plots — that’s three a month. He should explain that ISIS has recruited jihadists from 120 nations, and have killed more than 1,200 people outside of Iraq and Syria. He should explain that as we take territory away from ISIS in the Mideast, thousands of trained and experienced foreign fighters are redeploying all over the world,  to launch new and devastating attacks.

The President should explain the objectives of the global jihadist movement, and why they particularly seek to attack the American people. No American President has ever walked the public through this savage worldview. He should.

At the same time, the President needs to be clear that we are not at war with the religion of Islam, and that he is not talking about the vast majority of Muslims who, in fact, do not pose a threat at all.

A careful analysis of extensive polling in the Muslim world since 9/11 by multiple research groups shows that upwards of 90 percent of Muslims worldwide are not radicals. However, it also reveals that between 7 and 10 percent of Muslims worldwide do support the violence of the Islamic State, suicide bombings against innocent civilians, and other acts of violence to accomplish their religious and political objectives. The good news is that the vast majority of Muslims are not a threat. But in a world of 1.6 billion Muslims, 10 percent represents upwards of 160 million people who support terrorism.

Fortunately, according to a new poll we recently commissioned, we found that the American people overwhelmingly rejects the idea that in the conflict with ISIS we are at war with the religion of Islam. Only 10 percent believe that. What’s more, only about one-in-three Americans (36 percent) think our leaders should say we are at war with the forces of “violent extremism.”

A plurality (45 percent) support the President in saying we are waging war against the forces of “radical Islam,” but add that they want our leaders to be careful to explain that most Muslims are not our enemy. The President could do just that in a major address.

The release of these survey results comes as the White House is rightly reaching out to our Mideast allies. President Trump recently met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and with the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince to discuss the war against ISIS. This week, he also met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, after which he pledged to speed up U.S. support to Iraq in the fight against the Islamic State. Now, Mr. Trump has invited Egyptian President el-Sisi to make his first-ever visit to Washington in early April.

The President is wise to embrace both our Sunni and Shia Muslim allies and work closely with them. But he should not only seek their counsel on developing a better war strategy. He should also get their input on how to craft a much better strategic communications plan to define the nature of our enemy and explain to the public why the stakes are so high. Then he should address the American people.

At the moment, our survey found that Americans believe we are losing the war against ISIS, and nearly 70 percent fear catastrophic terrorist attacks by ISIS are coming to the homeland.

The President is showing impressive leadership in the fight against ISIS and radical Islamic terrorism. Now it’s time to brief the American people on what this all means, and where we are going next.

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UPDATED: ISIS claims responsibility for terror attack at UK Parliament — 3 murdered, 40 injured, terrorist killed at scene. British police arrest 8 on terror charges. New poll finds 68% of Americans fear ISIS attacks. A British ISIS supporter had vowed that “the black flag of Islam will one day fly high over 10 Downing Street.” Developing….

March 22, 2017 By in Epicenter

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> New poll finds 68% of Americans fear ISIS could strike inside the U.S. homeland, even with chemical and biological weapons — also: plurality of Americans believe we are losing the war with ISIS.

UPDATED AT 8:40AM CENTRAL TIME, THURSDAY:

ISIS has just claimed responsibility for the attack. “The perpetrator of the attacks yesterday in front of the British parliament in London is an Islamic State soldier and he carried out the operation in response to calls to target citizens of the coalition,” says the Amaq news agency, the ISIS press channel.

UPDATED AT 6:40AM CENTRAL TIME, THURSDAY:

Let us be praying for the victims of this horrible terror attack in the heart of London, and for their families, and all those who were traumatized. As of this hour, news reports say three people (not four) were murdered in yesterday’s attack, and about 40 wounded.

Let us be praying, too, for Prime Minister Theresa May and her top national security and law enforcement advisors for wisdom as they work to strengthen Britain’s homeland defenses. British authorities conducted a number of raids overnight and arrested eight people on terrorism charges. The PM indicates that the police know the identity of the terrorist and will release that information at the appropriate time.

Thus far, I’ve seen no credible reports of any group claiming responsibility for the attack yet. The attack certainly has many hallmarks of an operation by the Islamic State. It happened on the one year anniversary of ISIS attacks in Brussels. It happened as foreign ministers from 68 countries were meeting in Washington to improve coordination on fighting and defeating ISIS. It was a vehicle attack, a tactic encouraged by ISIS leaders and used by ISIS loyalists throughout Europe. ISIS supporters have been calling for attacks in England, and London in particularly.

That said, we’ll know more soon and we’ll analyze those facts at that time.

Here’s the latest reporting from the New York Times:

  • A British-born man who was once investigated for connections to violent extremism carried out the deadly attack outside Parliament in London on Wednesday, according to Prime Minister Theresa May.
  • Addressing lawmakers in Parliament who only a day earlier had been under lockdown, Mrs. May said on Thursday morning that the attacker was “a peripheral figure” who had been examined by MI5, Britain’s domestic counterintelligence agency, but who had not been “part of the current intelligence picture.”
  • Mrs. May said that officials were not ready to release the man’s name, but she added that “there was no prior evidence of his intent or of the plot” and that “our working assumption is that the attacker was inspired by Islamist ideology.”
  • The authorities raided six properties across the country on Thursday, detaining eight people in London and in Birmingham, in central England, as they pressed ahead with a fast-moving investigation. The authorities emphasized that they believed the assailant had acted alone and that they did not expect any further attacks; Mrs. May said that the nation’s threat level would remain “severe,” meaning that an attack was likely, and not raised to “critical,” signaling an imminent attack.
  • “Yesterday, an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy,” Mrs. May said, adding: “We are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism.”
  • Among the victims of the attack — three dead and around 40 others wounded — were 12 Britons, at least four South Koreans, three French schoolchildren, two Romanians and one citizen each of China, Germany, Greece, Ireland and Italy.

UPDATED AT 5:40PM CENTRAL TIME, WEDNESDAY: “Scotland Yard’s top anti-terror officer Mark Rowley confirms that five people have died and about 40 people were injured in the attack, including three police officers,” reports the BBC.

Five deaths: four people murdered, and the terrorist was killed by police at the scene.

4:05PM CENTRAL TIME:

British Prime Minister just spoke to the nation.

“Prime Minister Theresa May, who chaired a Cobra meeting this evening, said the full details of the ‘sick and depraved terrorist attack’ were still emerging,” reported the BBC. “She confirmed there was one attacker and the UK’s threat level of ‘severe’ will not change. There will be an update from the Metropolitan Police later this evening, she said.”

  • “Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been affected,” she said.
  • “Let me make it clear today… any attempt to defeat those values through violence is doomed to failure.
  • “Parliament will come together as normal… and Londoners will get up and go about their day as normal… they will walk these streets, they will live their lives… never giving into terror and never allowing the voices of hate and evil to drive us apart.”

Also: BBC is reporting that “Acting Deputy Commissioner Rowley confirmed the armed officer had died, as well as a man they believed to be the attacker. He told a press conference he believed there to be only one attacker, but searches were ongoing.”

3:00PM CENTRAL UPDATE:

In 2014, an ISIS supporter in London vowed, “Our message is deadly, we are calling for world domination and for Shariah for the UK….This one’s actually the flag of the Islamic State, so one day  when the Sharia comes, you will see this black flag everywhere…. The black flag of Islam will one day fly high over 10 Downing Street.  That’s a very real, real possibility the way Muslims are coming forward in this country.”

At the moment, there has been no claim of responsibility. It has all the makings of an ISIS attack, and comes one year to the day after an ISIS attack in Brussels. But we’ll have to wait to learn more about the perpetrators and their motives.

2:30PM UPDATE:

The terror attack unfolded Wednesday at the entrance to the British Parliament in downtown London. Four people are dead, and at least 20 injured.

One report says there were two attackers, one of which was shot dead at the scene. The New York Times is reporting: “The driver of a large vehicle mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, which leads to Parliament, around 2:40 p.m. After the crash, at least one man left the vehicle and approached Parliament, where he fatally stabbed a police officer. The police then fatally shot the attacker.”

It’s possible that the driver and the attacker who was fatally killed was the same person, though there is confusion in the reporting just now.

The attack comes as foreign ministers from 68 countries are gathered in Washington to discuss how to work more closely together to defeat the Islamic State.

Here’s some of the latest coverage. I’m posting more on Twitter as the story unfolds.

“London was thrown into chaos and confusion on Wednesday, with Britain’s Parliament placed on lockdown and the prime minister evacuated, as security officers investigated ‘a terrorist incident‘ that left one woman dead and several other people injured,” reports the New York Times.

“Throughout a confusing afternoon, ambulances, emergency vehicles and heavily armed security officers thronged the area outside Parliament, as one of the busiest sections of London was cordoned off and evacuated,” the Times noted. “Prime Minister Theresa May was rushed into a vehicle and spirited back to her office, where her aides reported that she was safe.”

More from the New York Times:

  • Meanwhile, the police were still trying to make sense of an afternoon attack that apparently occurred in two stages.
  • The driver of a large vehicle mowed down pedestrians on Westminster Bridge, which leads to Parliament, killing one woman and injuring at least 10 other people. Around the same time, a man stabbed a police officer outside the gates of Parliament and was then shot by police officers.
  • It was not immediately clear if the motorist and the knife attacker were the same man….
  • The attack came on the anniversary of suicide bombings in Brussels that killed 32 people, along with three bombers.
  • The violence raised fears that London, which has been largely spared as a target of recent terrorist attacks, has now joined cities like Paris, Brussels and Berlin as targets of mass violence.

Latest reporting from the UK Daily Mail:

  • Four-wheel drive car said to have driven over Westminster Bridge knocking down pedestrians this afternoon
  • Victims were said to have been left scattered in the road, with some knocked into the River Thames
  • Emergency services  treated at least 10 injured people on the bridge, with one woman dead under a bus
  • ‘Asian’ knifeman got into the grounds of Parliament where he reportedly stabbed a police officer
  • The ‘middle-aged’ attacker was then shot by armed officers as armed anti-terror police flooded the area
  • Parliament was suspended and the Prime Minister was rushed from the scene in her official car

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The President is rightly reaching out to our Arab Muslim allies. Today, he is gathering 68 nations in D.C. to strengthen anti-ISIS coalition.

March 22, 2017 By in Epicenter

Trump-SaudiDeputyCrownPrince(Dallas, Texas) — Just two months into the Trump-Pence administration, we are seeing a very aggressive and encouraging new approach to the war against the Islamic State.

  1. The President has asked the Pentagon for a comprehensive new strategy. Mr. Trump is telling Secretary Mattis and the generals that he doesn’t simply want to fight ISIS — he wants to crush it and win a decisive victory.
  2. The President is pushing his homeland security team to step up efforts to protect the American people from the threat of ISIS attacks and secure America’s borders. Liberal judges in Washington, Hawaii and Maryland are trying to block him, but the Commander-in-Chief dare not surrender to them. He needs to stay focused everyday on protecting the homeland. Last year alone, 37 people were arrested in the U.S. on ISIS-related plots. The threat is real. We must be vigilant.
  3. The President is rightly and wisely reaching out to our Arab Muslim allies. I’m so grateful for an improved US-Israeli alliance. But to defeat ISIS, we also need a broad Muslim coalition. That’s why I’m encouraged that the President met this week with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi to discuss how to finish the job of liberating and securing northern Iraq and protecting Muslims, Christians and Yazidis there. Last week, he met with the Saudi Deputy Crown Prince to discuss defeating ISIS. He recently met with Jordan’s King Abdullah II. In early April, he will meet with Egyptian President el-Sisi.
  4. Today, the Trump Administration has gathered foreign ministers from 68 nations in Washington to discuss how to work together more closely to defeat ISIS. Secretary of State Tillerson will take the lead in these meetings. There will also be lots of side meetings, all focused on developing a more effective strategy to win.

These are positive developments. But more is needed. ISIS wants to launch a series of catastrophic attacks inside the homeland. That’s what my new novel, WITHOUT WARNING, is all about. The President and his team need to work hard and stay focused to make sure this novel never comes to pass.

Trump-Abadi

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ABC News covers “Without Warning.” In 30 minute interview, we discussed writing political thrillers that feel ripped from tomorrow’s headlines — and the dangers of Islamophobia.

March 17, 2017 By in Epicenter

ABCNews-WithoutWarning(New York, New York) — Today, I did a 30 minute interview on ABC News Live, the network’s social media platform.

Correspondent Amna Nawaz, a lovely American Muslim journalist of Pakistani descent, asked me about the process of writing Without Warning, where I get the inspiration and ideas for my political thrillers, and how I wound up meeting with the King of Jordan.

She also asked me about the intersection between fiction and reality, my thoughts about the differences between President Obama’s approach to ISIS and President Trump’s approach, and why as a Jewish Evangelical I’m deeply concerned about Islamophobia.

During the interview, I noted that President Trump is the first American President to ever use the term “radical Islamic terrorism.” Neither President George W. Bush or Barack Obama used the term. I then called on Mr. Trump to give a major address defining what he means by the term, and urged him to be careful to explain the nature and magnitude of the threat to the American people, but also to always make clear that he’s not talking about all Muslims being a threat to us.

It was the most interesting interview I’ve done all week, and the first on this series about ISIS that I’ve done with a Muslim journalist. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch.

You can see the full ABC News interview by clicking here.

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ISIS is engaged in genocide against Christians & Shia Muslims. They must be stopped & brought to justice. I signed this statement with 40 Christian leaders urging President Trump & Congress to take action. Please stand with us.

March 17, 2017 By in Epicenter

ISIS-Libya-Christians(New York City) — This week marks the one year anniversary since Congress passed a resolution 393-0 condemning the Islamic State for engaging in outright genocide against Christians, Shia Muslims and Yazidis in Iraq and Syria. It was also one year ago this week that the Obama administration also defined ISIS atrocities as genocide.

Last week, I met in Washington with Rep. Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska), who authored the resolution, to thank him for taking the lead on this critical issue. We discussed a range of issues, including the exclusive new poll we’ve just released on how Americans view the war against ISIS. We also discussed next steps the U.S. government should take.

Robert Nicholson, executive director of The Philos Project, has also shown impressive leadership in educating Washington and the public about the ISIS genocide. Recently, he asked me to sign onto the following statement urging the Trump administration and Congress to take specific actions on this urgent matter. I readily agreed. I may write fiction about the ISIS threat, but this is an all-too-real evil we are facing and I want to do everything I can to stop the genocide and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Here is the full statement.

RECOMMENDED ACTIONS FOR THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND CONGRESS ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE U.S. GOVERNMENT’S RECOGNITION OF THE ISIS GENOCIDE

In 2016, the U.S. Congress and Secretary of State recognized that ISIS is responsible for genocide against religious minorities in areas under its control in Iraq and Syria – Yazidis, Christians, and others.  One year later, nearly all of the survivors of the ongoing genocide remain uprooted from their communities, either as refugees or internally displaced persons.  Without security, aid, justice, fundamental rights, and economic revitalization, these communities may never be able to return and rebuild.  To date, too few of the survivors have received assistance from the American people through U.S. government and UN programs.

To ensure that these communities survive in Iraq and Syria, and to promote American interests and values, we, the undersigned, urge the Trump administration and the U.S. Congress to take the following steps as the U.S. and Coalition drive ISIS back and liberate occupied territory:

  1. Direct the Departments of State and Defense to develop plans to secure, stabilize, and revitalize the ancestral homelands of indigenous religious minority communities targeted by ISIS for genocide in northern Iraq – particularly in the Sinjar, Nineveh Plain, and Tal Afar areas.  State, Defense, and supporting agencies should ensure that these communities receive U.S. and UN humanitarian aid and should encourage the private investment necessary to restore the productivity of these once self-sufficient local economies.
  2. Direct all agencies with a national security or law enforcement mission to use all available means to bring to justice both the perpetrators of this genocide and their accessories:  the material cooperators (collaborators, affiliates, financiers, and facilitators) of ISIS, Al Qaeda, and their affiliates.  The administration should also work with Congress to facilitate criminal and civil litigation to bring the aiders and abettors of this genocide to justice in the U.S. and worldwide.
  3. Appoint qualified and committed individuals to implement and oversee these priorities, with the aim of advancing national security and human rights, to the following posts:
  • National Security Council Special Advisor for Human Rights;
  • National Security Council Special Advisor for Religious Freedom;
  • Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights;
  • Special Envoy for Monitoring and Combating Anti-Semitism;
  • Ambassador at Large for Religious Freedom;
  • Special Envoy to Promote Religious Freedom of Religious Minorities in the Near East and South Asia;
  • Special Representative for Religion and Global Affairs;
  • Ambassador for Global Criminal Justice;
  • U.S. Representative UN Human Rights Council.

There is more, of course, the U.S. government can and should be doing. But these are three specific recommendations that I fully support.

To read the names of more than three dozen Evangelical, Catholic and other Christian leaders who have co-signed this statement, please click here.

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American liberals fear climate change more than ISIS with weapons of mass destruction, finds new poll. [Rush Limbaugh discusses poll on air.]

March 16, 2017 By in Epicenter

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(New York City) — A stunning finding in the new poll we released today: almost two-out-of-three liberals believe climate change poses a greater threat to the American people than Iran and the Islamic State obtaining nuclear, chemical and/or biological weapons.

This is just one of several intriguing if sobering findings in a national survey we recently commissioned from McLaughlin & Associates, a leading U.S. polling firm.

Today, Rush Limbaugh — the leading radio talk show host in the country with more than 20 million listeners — discussed the poll on his program.

Here’s the transcript from his website:

RUSH LIMBAUGH: You know, our old buddy Joel Rosenberg — who is now an acclaimed novelist about fictional events in the Middle East and the United States that are very closely attached to potential reality — has a new book out, and it centers on an ISIS plan to attack the U.S., Israel, and Jordan. Joel partnered with the McLaughlin group [McLaughlin & Associates] not long ago to do a massive nationwide poll of the American people and their thoughts on ISIS.

How big a threat do you think ISIS is? Are we beating ISIS? Are we even engaging ISIS? Is ISIS okay? Is ISIS bad? Are we winning? Are we losing? He called me and said, “Would you like to add a question to the survey?” And I said, “Really?” He said, “Yeah.” I said, “Okay. Ask the respondents if they fear climate change or ISIS the most.” It was a joke question! He said, “It’s a great question; I’ll put it in there,” and he did. And you know what? A majority of [liberal] Americans fear climate change more than they do ISIS, according to Joel’s poll.

Ha! I think everybody that was… I mean, Joel thought I was cracking a joke when I wanted the question in there. And I said, “Joel, you’ll be surprised here. I mean, the left has been pushing this issue far more than they’ve been pushing ISIS. Climate change is considered a greater threat by a majority of Americans than is ISIS.” So Joel’s got the poll. He’s got a piece at Fox News today analyzing and reporting on the poll results.

It is designed to coincide with his new book, which was released on Tuesday. And, again, all of this is being done on the basis that there really isn’t a heightened awareness or concern or — not fear, but — an alertness to the threat that we face from Islamic jihadists, be it ISIS or Al-Qaeda or whoever. And clearly the Democrat Party and their judicial branch, they’re willing to roll the dice. They’ll do anything to stop Trump, mount the resistance, and they’ll deal with the fallout (if there is any) later.

Here’s some of the key takeaways from Joel Rosenberg’s poll: “How do Americans view the war with the Islamic State?”  You ready for this? It found 63% of liberal Americans believe “the threat of climate change is greater than the threat of Iran and ISIS obtaining weapons of mass destruction.”  Of liberal Americans, Democrats think climate change is a greater threat than Islamic terrorism.

Less than 10% of the American people believe we are engaged in a war against Islam.  That’s big, that less than 10% believe that we’re engaged in a war on Islam, because the judge claims the exact opposite. Trump’s trying to wipe Islam out, keep ’em from coming into the country and so forth.  Forty-one percent of Americans believe we’re losing the war against the Islamic State.  Twenty-five percent say they’re not sure.

 

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Exclusive Poll: Are we winning or losing the war with ISIS? Do Americans fear attacks inside the homeland? Are we at war with all of Islam, or just the forces of “radical Islam”? Here are the full results, plus my new column for Fox News.

March 16, 2017 By in Epicenter

FoxNews-Opinion

(New York City) — Do Americans believe we are winning or losing the war against the Islamic State? Do they believe ISIS will launch terror attacks inside the homeland? Do they believe ISIS might even try to use weapons of mass destruction? And do they believe we are at war with the religion of Islam, or just a subset of extremists that could be best described as the forces of “radical Islam”?

These are the very questions and themes I explore in my new thriller, Without Warning, just released this week. But as we prepared for the book launch, I asked my publisher if we could commission an exclusive national survey to better understand how Americans view the actual war against the Islamic State.

Tyndale House readily agreed, so we turned to McLaughlin & Associates, a respected U.S. polling firm who clients have included U.S. Senators and Congressmen, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Trump campaign.

The results we found were sobering — Americans believe we’re losing to ISIS.

UPDATE: Two federal judges in the last 24 hours have shot down the President’s Executive Order temporarily restricting travelers wanting to enter the U.S. from six countries with a history of terrorism. This is not a Muslim ban. The order simply creates a delay until U.S. federal agencies can review and improve vetting procedures to make sure we’re not allowing terrorists to enter America. Given the very real terrorist threat that ISIS and other militant Islamist states and groups pose to the U.S., the President’s actions are sound and warranted. The first so called “travel ban” order was seriously flawed. I called for it to be withdrawn, and I’m glad it was. The second Executive Order was much better and certainly Constitutional. The leftist judicial attempt to prevent the Commander-in-Chief from protecting the American people is outrageous and a dangerous overreach of judicial power.

Here are some excerpts from my Fox News column:

  • President Donald Trump has made the defeat of the Islamic State one of his administration’s top priorities – and rightly so.
  • He has asked the Pentagon for a comprehensive new war plan. On March 22-23, his Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, will host foreign ministers from 68 countries to discuss how to significantly improve our combined efforts to crush ISIS once and for all. In April, Mr. Trump and Vice President Pence will reportedly host a summit for Sunni Arab leaders towards the same end.
  • It is useful, therefore, to consider the question: at present, are we winning or losing the war against the Islamic State?….
  • Only one-in-three Americans believe “the U.S. and our allies are winning the war against the Islamic State and getting safer every day.”
  • A remarkable 41 percent believe “the U.S. and our allies are losing the war against the Islamic State and the threat to our safety is growing.”
  • Fully one-in-four say they had no idea if we’re winning or not.
  • We also found that almost seven-in-ten Americans (68%) said they “fear catastrophic terrorist attacks by ISIS are coming to the U.S. homeland, possibly involving chemical or biological weapons.”….
  • President Trump is absolutely right to ask his advisors to design and execute a war plan that will achieve victory, and significantly improve homeland security policies to keep the American people safe from attack. ISIS is coming. God forbid we let ourselves be blindsided.

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“Without Warning” launches today worldwide with two CBN interviews.

March 14, 2017 By in Epicenter

Joel-CBN-WithoutWarning

(New York City) — It’s launch day, and with a good portion of the East Coast getting hit with the snow storm, it’s a perfect day to stay home with a pot of coffee and a pulse-pounding new thriller.

Because Without Warning is available on Kindle, Nook and other e-book formats, people all over the world are getting the opportunity to read it immediately. It’s been fun to already get Tweets from people as far away as India who have downloaded the book and have already plunged in. Please Tweet me or post a comment on Facebook telling me where you’re reading the book today — and please post your reviews of the novel on Amazon, Barnes & Noble’s website, your book, and via other social media.

Here are links to two CBN interviews I did to launch the novel, and discuss the very real threat ISIS poses to the homeland, and some of the interesting behind-the-scenes stories of people who have read the book.

Hope you enjoy them — feel free to share them on social media — and thanks again for your enthusiastic support for this trilogy. (All I ask is that you don’t give away the ending!)

UPDATE: Coverage of the snow storm bumped my interview on Fox & Friends this morning. Certainly understandable — I’ll keep you posted on whether it will be rescheduled.

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