Neoconservative Chronology 2007

February

15 In the Times, Dean Godson attack an 'MCB-friendly' faction of the Conservative Party, singling out Dominic Grieve and Sayeeda Warsi.

11 Policy Forum initiates dissolution as UK company.
22 Democratiya, Engage, Mishcon De Reya, and the Euston Manifesto group sponsor an evening with Nick Cohen. Cohen is interviewed by Anthony Julius about his book, What's Left, How Liberals Lost Their Way.

21 Euston Manifesto hold a debate on Terror and Liberalism chaired by Brian Brivati. speakers include Imran Ahmad of British Muslims for Secular Democracy, Alan Johnson, Reem Magribi of Sharq magazine, and MPs Louise Ellman, John Mann and James Purnell.
21 In the Times, Dean Godson supports David Maclean's bill to exempt MP's from the Freedom of Information Act.
30 A conference entitled Solidarity and Rights: The Euston Manifesto one year on is held at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Speakers included Norman Geras, Shalom Lappin, Fred Halliday, Eve Garrard and Michael Walzer.

19 In the Times, Dean Godson accuses Jack Straw and John Denham of attempting to rehabilitate the Muslim Council of Britain.
23 Pentagon issues notification that Under Secretary for Policy Eric Edelman intends to award Devon Cross's Policy Forum on International Security Affairs a contract to "engage London based European and Arab media in candid discussions on a wide variety of national security issues of interest to senior Department of Defense (DoD) officials."
29-30 Gordon Brown meets George W. Bush at Camp David, and discusses the need for a Cold War-style 'battle for hearts and minds' in the War on Terror.

2 Matthew D'Ancona reports in the Guardian that Gordon Brown's approach to terrorism would "mean finding resources for moderate Muslims and cutting off funding to anyone else".
22 Shadow Communities Minister Paul Goodman MP writes to Foreign Secretary David Miliband and Home Secretary Jacqui Smith asking if there has been any Saudi pressure over the Channel 4 Dispatches programme Undercover Mosque.
23 Writing in the Times, Dean Godson attacks West Midlands Police for referring Undercover Mosque to Ofcom, and for their links with Birmingham Central Mosque.

Pentagon awards $79,000 contract to Devon Cross in line with 23 July announcement.

18 Opening day of the CounterJihad Europa conference in Brussels. Sponsored by the Center for Vigilant Freedom, the conference brings together American neoconservatives, Right-wing revisionist zionists, and the European far-right.
19 Concluding day of the CounterJihad Europa conference.
29 Policy Exchange publishes The Hijacking of British Islam: How Extremist Literature is Subverting Mosques in the UK by Denis MacEoin. The report calls for the British authorities to reconsider their relationship to the Muslim Council of Britain, the Islamic Foundation and the Muslim Safety Forum.

12 Newsnight reports that some of the receipts supporting the claims in Policy Exchange's Hijacking of British Islam report may be forged. Dean Godson accuses Peter Barron of "disastrous editorial misjudgement" and of "appalling stewardship of Newsnight". Policy Exchange announces that it's executive will meet the next day to discuss legal action against the BBC.
13 Policy Exchange announces that is "in legal consultations about action in this matter." The BBC responded: "Policy Exchange's statement is misleading in many ways and doesn't answer the simple question raised by Newsnight's film. Given that the Policy Exchange report was based on the testimony of the researchers who gathered the receipts, do they believe all the receipts are genuine?"
15 Policy Exchange chairman Charles Moore attacks Peter Barron in the Daily Telegraph.
17 The Times issues an apology to Dr Muhammad Abdul Bari of the East London Mosque in connection with its coverage of the Policy Exchange report.