Last week, Oct. 7 to be precise, was the 450^th anniversary of the Battle of Lepanto. Why should you give a flying fig? Because it was a pivotal clash in a war that has not yet ended, a war in which the United States recently lost a significant battle. Perhaps I better back up.

In the 7^th century, Islamic armies sprang from Arabia and began conquering and colonizing. Fearless troops marched west across North Africa and up into Spain. They ventured east through Central Asia, and deep into India.

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Over recent days, foreign leaders, rulers, and tyrants flocked to New York City for the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, also known as UNGA (pronounced uhng-guh). Did you listen to their speeches? I thought not. So, it occurred to me that I should provide you with the highlights. Only I couldn't find any. So, instead, I will treat you to some lowlights – lies, evasions, boilerplate, and insults to your intelligence.

Start with Xi Jinping, president of the People Republic of China, who pledged "to fight COVID-19 in solidarity" and "always put people and their lives first and care about the life value and dignity of every individual."

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"People Love Dead Jews: Reports from a Haunted Present" is the title of Dara Horn's new book. I happened to receive a copy last week just as anti-Israeli members of Congress were doing their best to ensure the proliferation of more endearing corpses in the future.

In case you missed it: On Wednesday, members of the "Squad," far-left House Democrats including Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, blocked a bill to keep the federal government operating until it was stripped of funds to replenish Israel's Iron Dome.

To be clear: The Iron Dome is not a weapon. It is a shield. It intercepts and destroys short-range missiles before they can reach their intended victims.

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Who's to blame for America's humiliating surrender in Afghanistan, the dishonorable abandonment of American citizens along with Afghans who sided with us against the Taliban and al Qaeda, the disgraceful treatment of NATO allies, and the lethal incompetence with which the retreat was carried out? The buck stops on the desk behind which Joe Biden sits. But we would be remiss to ignore the contributions of others to this historic fiasco. Prominent among them: Pakistan's leaders.

I take no pleasure in saying this. I first visited Pakistan 38 years ago. Most of the people I encountered were gracious, hospitable, and tolerant. They were open to talking about anything – in English!

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On the first anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks, I wrote a column about a BBC radio program on which I had been a guest along with "activist" Bianca Jagger, and Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite. Neither evinced sympathy for what Americans had suffered at the hands of al Qaeda and its enabler, the Taliban. On the contrary, Ms. Jagger accused the Bush administration of killing "thousands" of innocent Afghans and failing to pay "reparations."

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