Neoconservative Chronology 2008

January

7 During a visit to Israel, Geert Wilders tells Haaretz he will never associate with parties like Vlaams Belang because of their history of anti-semitism.
9 Prosecution of Derek Pasquill dropped because "internal FCO papers revealed that senior officials privately admitted that, far from harming British interests, Pasquill's leaking of the documents had actually helped to provoke a constructive debate."

4 Dean Godson defends the police bugging of Sadiq Khan, who he described as "the most Islamist-friendly of MPs."
8 Private Eye's anonymous RatBiter column reports that "furious Conservatives say they've no option but to sue or take a dossier on Peter Barron, Newsnight's editor, to the BBC's senior management" over the programme's coverage of Policy Exchange.

10 Charles Moore delivers the Keith Joseph Memorial Lecture at the Centre for Policy Studies, putting forward his view of a Conservative approach to Islam in Britain.
13 Opening day of European Freedom Alliance conference Identity Crisis: Can European civilization survive?
14 Concluding day of European Freedom Alliance conference Identity Crisis: Can European civilization survive?
17 Policy Exchange hosts panel discussion "So What Were the Troubles All About". The scheduled speakers were Ed Moloney, Sir John Chilcot, Professor Henry Patterson, Anthony McIntyre and Lord Bew.

21 Westminster launch of Global Politics After 9/11: The Democratiya Interviews sponsored by the Foreign Policy Centre, the John Smith Institute, Democratiya,the Henry Jackson Society, Progress and Engage. According to its editor Alan Johnson, the idea for the book originated with Rachel Kleinfeld of the Truman National Security Project.

18 Charities Commission finds no evidence of party political bias on the part of Policy Exchange, but does identify a lack of transparency.

23 Financial Times reports that North London Central Mosque has issued a writ over allegations in Policy Exchange Hijacking of British Islam report.
25 In a speech at the Four Seasons Hotel in New York sponsored by the Hudson Institute, Geert Wilders calls for an alliance of European patriots against Islamisation, to be launched at the upcoming Facing Jihad conference in Jerusalem.

24 It is reported that Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has written to Policy Exchange director Neil O'Brien protesting about the contents of a private briefing being circulated about the Global Peace and Unity event in London.

14 Geert Wilders speaks and screens Fitna at the Facing Jihad conference in Jerusalem, a one day event sponsored by the Ariel Center for Policy Research and right-wing Knesset member Arieh Eldad.
16 Geert Wilders tells Haaretz that he is considering an alliance with Vlaams Belang, which he has hitherto shunned.