Stating the Obvious can get you Beheaded

Recent allusions by Pope Benedict XVI to a 14th century exchange between a Byzantine emperor and a muslim "scholar" have caused a global rage my muslims resulting in the murder of an aging nun in Somalia and the torching of dozens of christian churches world wide. The question remains , who will man the walls in this, the 21st century?

By Andrew Bostom

In 846 a fleet of Arab jihadists arrived at the mouth of the Tiber, made their way to Rome, sacked the city, and carried away from the basilica of St. Peter all of the gold and silver it contained. This was a typical Muslim jihad naval razzia [raid]. Earlier, by 827, the Arabs had conquered Sicily, which they kept under their suzerainty for two and a half centuries. Thus was Rome itself under serious threat from a nearby Muslim colony.

During the same ninth century when Rome was assaulted and Sicily was conquered, the Muslim armies occupied Bari and Brindisi in Italy, for thirty years; Taranto for forty; Benevento for ten; they attacked Naples, Capua, Calabria, and Sardinia several times; they put the abbey of Montecassino to fire and the sword; they even made razzias into northern Italy, arriving from Spain and crossing over the Alps.

In 847, the year after the aforementioned naval assault on Rome, the newly elected Pope Leo IV began the construction of walls around the entire perimeter of the Vatican, 12 meters high and equipped with 44 towers. He completed the project in six years. These are the “Leonine” walls, and significant traces of them still remain. But precious few today understand that these walls were erected to defend the Holy See of Peter from an Islamic jihad. And many of those who do know this remain silent out of misplaced discretion.

HT/atlas shrugs

ΛΕΟΝΙΔΑΣ would suggest that the west keep its powder dry and heed the motto:
ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ