Your post is anexcellent summary of the reasons for your position.
Unfortunately it does not address some concerns of mine regarding phenotypic features observable in some modern humans and H. nea skeletons. One can see short forearms, receeding chins, sloping foreheads and elongated skulls on any busy downtown street.
In addition, the information I got from this website (geared to the educated lay person):
http://www.appliedbiosystems.com/biobeat/index.jsp?articleId=113672dd-653c-ea97-69147147026d8325&type=0
leads me to suspect a degree of over interpretation of the data. The data I'd like to see would be from the earliest H. nea and the earliest H. sap in the middle east.
Some of your points regarding differences, while correct, do not seem to me to be a bar to breeding oreven necessarily indicative of a difference in intelligence. Little to no evidence of representational art might mean they painted their bodies, not their walls. Lack of technological development to me argues for lack of competition or environmental stress rewarding experimentation, not necessarily intellectual deficit. As a matter of fact, the neanderthal flute I've read about highlights an artistic and intellectual skill I, for one, totally lack.
That also looks like an interesting link. Thanks! I'm curious to look over it, but I have to go right now. If I have anything I think worth adding I'll BBL.