Giving Up Ground In the Terror War By: Christopher G. AdamoHaving had his fill of liberal backstabbing, America's UN Ambassador JohnBolton is stepping down. Though President Bush had vowed to fight for hisposition, Bolton decided that he wants no more of it. Who can blame him?Since he was initially nominated, Democrats worked tirelessly to smear hisreputation and otherwise characterize him as wholly unfit to hold the postof UN Ambassador. So to them, this constitutes a victory. And in theirbizarre world, where causes and effects often remain unconnected inperpetuity no matter how obvious they might be, liberals will likely clingto their smug assessment of the situation even as the nation suffers fromit. Among liberal political hacks, it is a good story, so they will stick  to it.Not surprisingly, their "PR" spin machines immediately jumped on theoccasion of Bolton's resignation as an opportunity to advance their  twisted liberal concepts of international relations. The New York Times claims  that his departure will improve America's international relations. Happiness  and approval of Bolton's departure appears to be nearly universal, at leastamong America's foreign enemies and their toadies on the left.Elsewhere, ominous signs continue to appear, just as they did throughout  the 1990's. And just as predictable is the danger they currently represent,  not only to America, but also to Europe and all of the civilized world.Remaining intentionally ignorant of them will hardly make them go away,  and in fact will only increase their impact when the inevitable confrontationcomes.As a result of America's initially aggressive and resolved response to  9-11, a window of opportunity was opened, by which the forces of Islamicfanaticism could have been driven into remission. But as a result of  growing indecisiveness and self-doubt in Western nations, the time of thatopportunity is passing. The once-scattered Islamists are regrouping.Something far worse lies ahead.At virtually the same time of Bolton's resignation, Iranian PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad warned the Europeans to leave his nuclear programsalone. The significance of his warning cannot be overstated.He already knows that the European Continent does not possess the  collective spine to take any legitimate action to stop him. Certainly, he has no  reason to fear Europe's most strenuous reprisal, which would likely be somedeliberately insignificant and wholly symbolic effort at "sanctions." So  to what is he responding? In essence, he is forbidding the mere verbalcriticism.In other words, Ahmadinejad not only intends to press forward in his questto build a bomb, he demands to be allowed to do so free from criticism ofany kind. Like the rioting Muslims who called for the death of the Popeafter he made reference to their history of violence (no irony there),Ahmadinejad insists not only on the right to build nuclear weapons, but  with immunity from any questions of his motives or the threat he might  represent, once armed.Islamists can do what they will, in the name of their "peaceful religion,"and the West dare not even verbally protest against them. It may take a  few violent demonstrations or car bombings, but ultimately, Europe will ensurethat the Islamists get their way.In America, the diligence of the leftists is similarly paying off, albeit  at a slower pace. Though the Islamists have, since 9-11, been thwarted in  their efforts to conduct another frontal attack, their insidious surrogates haverelentlessly conducted a "stealth war," eventually reaping perhaps evengreater success.At a time when Islamic factions are maiming and killing with abominableregularity in Iraq and throughout the world, the Washington D.C. based"Council on American-Islamic Relations" (CAIR) has found something to bereally concerned about. It seems that radio talk show host Dennis Pragertook umbrage with the possibility that newly elected Minnesota DemocratKeith Ellison, a Muslim, plans to take his oath of office on the Koran.Wanton slaughter of innocents is one thing, but such an atrocious comment  by the likes of Prager is clearly too much. CAIR, whose membership could notmuster much enthusiasm over the past five years to vigorously condemn rampant violence from the Islamists, now demands that Prager be removed  from the board of the U.S. Holocaust Museum. Amazingly, CAIR makes this  assertion under the banner of "religious tolerance."From CAIR's perspective, individuals such as Prager who would stand in thepath of Islam's continuing encroachment on America must be immediatelysilenced. The cinch grows ever tighter with the passage of time.Admittedly, "political correctness" and "diversity" have wreaked havoc onthe bedrock of the American culture, leaving an enormous moral and  spiritual void in its place. So it should not be surprising to see the advocates of  an "Islamic America" rushing in to fill that void. But the ferocity andbrazenness with which they are doing so, and the near total lack ofopposition to them, ought to be unsettling to any who hope for the future  of America as the "Land of the Free."Nations whose citizenry can be easily put to flight over such an issue asthis will be hard pressed to muster the necessary fortitude to stave off amadman who seeks to wield the power of a nuclear bomb.This is not a single faceted attack, and cannot be successfully dealt withas such. On numerous fronts, the plans of the Islamists continue to  advance while Western Culture ponders nothing less than a full retreat.