The Washington Times' Bill Gertz is reporting that Stephen Coughlin, the Pentagon's specialist on Islamic law, has been fired from his position on the military's Joint Staff. This is dire news. It shows that the Pentagon has decided to emulate the ostrich and turn away from the rational, fact-based assessment of sharia and the institution of  jihad  as presented by Coughlin, and embrace the  politically correct, reality-challenged propaganda of Islamic apologists such as Hasham Islam, key adviser to Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England. More to come.