The Problem Is Obama, Not Huma Abedin

PJ MEDIA

July 21, 2012 - 8:06 pm - by David P. Goldman

Why should anyone worry about agents of the Muslim Brotherhood creeping in the back windows of the State Department, when President Obama has invited them to the front door of the White House? This is a time to unify the Republican Party, not split it, and Rep. Michele Bachmann’s misstep in the Huma Abedin affair weakened the Republican side. The way to win is to attack Barack Obama directly for coddling the Muslim Brotherhood. Nobody said it better than Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post:

Two weeks ago, in an unofficial inauguration ceremony at Tahrir Square in Cairo, Egypt’s new Muslim Brotherhood President Mohamed Mursi took off his mask of moderation. Before a crowd of scores of thousands, Mursi pledged to work for the release from US federal prison of Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman. According to The New York Times’ account of his speech, Mursi said, “I see signs [being held by members of the crowd] for Omar Abdel-Rahman and detainees’ pictures. It is my duty and I will make all efforts to have them free, including Omar Abdel-Rahman.”

Otherwise known as the blind sheikh, Abdel Rahman was the mastermind of the jihadist cell in New Jersey that perpetrated the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. His cell also murdered Rabbi Meir Kahane in New York in 1990. They plotted the assassination of then-president Hosni Mubarak. They intended to bomb New York landmarks including the Lincoln and Holland tunnels and the UN headquarters. Rahman was the leader of Gama’a al-Islamia – the Islamic Group, responsible, among other things for the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981. A renowned Sunni religious authority, Rahman wrote the fatwa, or Islamic ruling, permitting Sadat’s murder in retribution for his signing the peace treaty with Israel. The Islamic group is listed by the State Department as a specially designated terrorist organization.

 After his conviction in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Abdel-Rahman issued another fatwa calling for jihad against the US. After the September 11, 2001, attacks, Osama bin Laden cited Abdel-Rahman’s fatwa as the religious justification for them. By calling for Abdel-Rahman’s release, Mursi has aligned himself and his government with the US’s worst enemies. By calling for Abdel-Rahman’s release during his unofficial inauguration ceremony, Mursi signaled that he cares more about winning the acclaim of the most violent, America-hating jihadists in the world than with cultivating good relations with America.

And in response to Mursi’s supreme act of unfriendliness, US President Barack Obama invited Mursi to visit him at the White House.

UPDATE: Mohammed Morsi has just pardoned 25 convicted Egyptian terrorists from Jama’a al-Islamiya and Islamic Jihard, according to the Egypt Independent:

Mohamed al-Zawahiri, brother of Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri, has said that the 572 military detainees pardoned by President Mohamed Morsy on Thursday included 25 leaders of Islamic Jihad and Jama’a al-Islamiya [the organization led by the "Blind Sheikh" Abdul Rahman, convicted of the first World Trade Center bombing].

Jama’a al-Islamiya engaged in armed confrontations with security forces in the 1990s, aiming to depose the Mubarak regime and establish an Islamic state. In the late 1990s it renounced its violent, jihadist ideology, and apologized for its attacks that had killed hundreds. Its members were targeted by the intelligence services, but since the 25 January uprising many have been released from prison and it now has a political arm, the Construction and Development Party. Islamic Jihad, which was led in the 1990s by Ayman al-Zawahiri, also renounced violence some years ago [and if you believe this, there's a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you].

Morsi supports the deadliest terrorist in an American jail, and has just pardoned two dozen of his convicted terrorist minions. Obama invites him to the White House. That’s something the voters can understand. And that’s where Republicans should focus their fire, not on the murky case of Hillary Clinton’s long-time assistant Huma Abedin. Unless Rep. Michele Bachmann et. al. have a smoking gun case against Ms. Abedin, they should stop wasting their time. Yes, Ms. Abedin has family connections to the Muslim Brotherhood. But she’s also married to a liberal Jew, former Congressman Anthony Weiner, with whom she is seen pushing a baby carriage in a photo in the July 18 New York Post. The Weiner-Abedin household made it into a People magazine profile this weekend.  That’s what the voters will see, to the extent they bother. The fact is that no-one cares about Ms. Abedin. For that matter, no-one cares about Hillary Clinton. There’s one issue in this election, and that is Barack Obama.

Inviting the blind sheikh’s backer to the White House: there’s no ambiguity there. It speaks for itself. Barack Obama wants the Muslim world to succeed as an article of faith, and will embrace elected Islamists no matter how outrageously they behave towards the United States. By embracing the odious Mr. Morsi, Obama is doing the Republicans a big favor. If he offers Morsi any aid, he’ll be doing us an even bigger favor.

Morsi’s visit to the White House also puts the likes of John McCain on the defensive–to the extent that matters. The failed 2008 presidential candidate came off as a gentleman and man of honor defending Ms. Abedin against what seem to be rather murky and indirect charges. The bad news is that  McCain  still believes that Arab democracy will support American interests. Along with Sen. Joe Lieberman, he sent a congratulatory message to Morsi the moment that election results were announced June 24:

Senators John McCain (R-AZ) and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) on Sunday congratulated Mohammed Morsi on his election as the new president of Egypt.

“The Egyptian people have spoken,” the senators said in a joint statement, “and we respect their choice and look forward to working with President-elect Morsi in a spirit of mutual respect and in pursuit of the many shared interests of the United States and Egypt.”

 The good news is that no-one cares about McCain. Like George W. Bush, he remains beguiled by the mirage of Arab democracy. As Bush wrote on May 17 in the Wall Street Journal,

America does not get to choose if a freedom revolution should begin or end in the Middle East or elsewhere. It only gets to choose what side it is on.

The day when a dictator falls or yields to a democratic movement is glorious. The years of transition that follow can be difficult. People forget that this was true in Central Europe, where democratic institutions and attitudes did not spring up overnight. From time to time, there has been corruption, backsliding and nostalgia for the communist past. Essential economic reforms have sometimes proved painful and unpopular.

 It takes courage to ignite a freedom revolution. But it also takes courage to secure a freedom revolution through structural reform. And both types of bravery deserve our support.

Much as I like the man personally, George W. Bush was a disaster for his country and his party, squandering the enormous mandate he received after 9/11 to the point that a first-term senator from Illinois could walk into the White House. The delusion that democracy can be exported help cost the Republicans the 2008 election. McCain continues to push for U.S. intervention in Syria, despite massive public opposition to an American role. Intervening in Syria is the dumbest thing America could so. As I argued in this space on June 13, we should neutralize Iran and let the Syrian business play out as it might. We don’t want the pro-Iranian Alawite regime to keep control, and we don’t want an opposition dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood to take power. The solution that best corresponds to American interests is “none of the above,” and we should do our best to arrange that.

The best way to deal with the rancid leftovers of the Bush Freedom Agenda and its affection for elected Islamists is to ignore them. There is no consolation for the Republican establishment. After more than 6,500 American dead and nearly ten times that number wounded, not to mention scores of thousands of disrupted lives, and a trillion-dollar expense, we might say that the supposed universal human yearning for freedom was a weak hook on which to hang American foreign policy.  If you sent the soldiers off to die and spent the taxpayers’ money, though, it’s hard to admit that this is your legacy.

Put the onus on Obama. Let McCain explain, if he wants to, why it doesn’t bother him that Morsi wants to spring the blind sheikh of the World Trade Center bombings. No-one will care what McCain says. As for Ms. Abedin: she might be a threat to national security in her State Department perch, but she’d have to take a number to do any harm. There are a couple of dozen Obama appointees at State who worry me a great deal more, not to mention a president.

This is an election, not a battle of the blogs. Obama is soft on the declared enemies of the United States. Hit the hot button and stay on message.

____________________

BEE'S NOTE: ...Listen to video:

also, 

the National Review has a great article: Questions about Huma Abedin 

ATTENTION: Obama Administration Draws Closer to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2012

MIDDLE EAST AND TERRORISM

by C. Hart

The cozy relationship between the United States government and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood should be cause for concern both to Americans and to Israelis. U.S. lawmakers are calling for an investigation into President Barack Obama's administration to determine whether some associations with Islamists could be detrimental to the security of the United States.

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann and several other lawmakers are asking federal officials to conclude whether there are potential Islamist infiltrators interacting with American agencies, including front groups for the Muslim Brotherhood. (See also: "'Gentlemen's Club' Gangs Up on Bachmann.")

The Obama administration has displayed considerable favor towards the Muslim Brotherhood, beginning with the rejection of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak during the peak of the Egyptian revolution last year. Bachmann, along with U.S. Representatives Trent Franks, Lynn Westmoreland, Louie Gohmert, and Thomas Rooney, wants to know why this favor has increased since Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi took office.

They are questioning how Huma Abedin, deputy chief of staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, received a security clearance to work for the State Department. Some Middle East analysts conclude that Abedin, who has close family ties to the Muslim Brotherhood (see also "Saleha Abedin and the Muslim Sisterhood"), could be influencing U.S. foreign policy, especially if she is privy to classified information. It has also been reported that Hani Nour Eldin, an Egyptian lawmaker with close ties to a U.S.-designated terrorist group, met with Obama administration officials in June 2012.

Just how much influence do sympathizers of the Muslim Brotherhood have in the formation of American foreign policy in the Middle East?

If U.S. foreign policy is driven by links to Islamists, this complicates the U.S. Strategic Cooperation Agreement with Israel. Israeli officials have put their trust in the Obama White House to keep Israel's interests in mind during this transitional period in Egyptian politics. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in his great concern that the newly elected Egyptian president will keep the peace treaty intact, has depended on American diplomacy to deliver the right message to Morsi -- one that will benefit America's main ally in the Middle East...Israel.

Yet a recent meeting among Clinton, Morsi, and the latter's foreign minister has revealed a new and worrisome development. During a news conference in Cairo, Clinton stated:

More than three decades ago, Egypt and Israel signed a treaty that has allowed a generation to grow up without knowing war. And, on this foundation, we will work together to build a just, comprehensive, regional peace in the Middle East based on two states for two peoples with peace, security and dignity for all.

For the first time, the U.S. has publicly linked the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty to a peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, as noted in Clinton's remarks. This is exactly what Morsi has stipulated in his public remarks, and it is a dangerous precedent set by the United States.

In the future, pressure on Israel to succumb to Palestinian aspirations may become an even greater demand of the Obama White House based on the influence of Islamists working within the American government. Obama could have the strong backing of not only the State Department, but also other government agencies as he insists that Israel comply with certain Palestinian ultimatums in order to move the peace process forward. Already, Israel is being asked, once again, to work on new concessions in order to bring the Palestinians back to the peace table.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is sticking to his declarations that Israel must halt construction in the West Bank (Judea and Samaria) and East Jerusalem, must accept a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 lines, and must release more than 100 Palestinians in Israeli jails.

A re-elected President Obama would have more leverage on Israel in his second term in office, because he would not have to depend on American Jewish support, as he does now leading up to the November 2012 election. If Obama's current Middle East policy continues, linking the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty to a comprehensive peace deal in the Middle East (foremost with the Palestinians), it will force Israel's hand to comply not only with Palestinian demands, but also with Egyptian demands. It will become a point of contention and increased friction between the Israeli and Egyptian governments.

At the recent news conference in Cairo, Egypt's Foreign Minister Kamel Amr proclaimed that President Morsi "has repeatedly reaffirmed, and on all occasions, that Egypt continues to respect all treaties signed as long as the other party to the treaty respects the treaty itself."

Does this mean that Morsi will look for an excuse to re-examine the Israeli-Egyptian peace treaty because he feels that the Israeli government is not respecting the agreement in its refusal to meet Palestinian demands?

In his statement to the media, Foreign Minister Amr reiterated Morsi's remarks regarding Egypt's treaty with Israel and Egypt's understanding of peace, "that it should be comprehensive, exactly, as stipulated in the treaty itself. And, this also includes the Palestinians, of course, and... their right [to] have their own state on the land that was - the pre-June 4^th, 1967 borders - with Jerusalem as its capital."

This statement strongly indicates that a newly formed Egyptian government can be expected to pressure Israel in order for peaceful relations with Egypt to continue. This linkage is a clear sign of trouble ahead for Israel. Morsi could accuse Israel of not adhering to the tenets of the Egyptian peace treaty because the Jewish state is unwilling to sign a comprehensive peace deal -- not only with the Palestinians, but with other countries in the region as well.

What is unconscionable is that Obama is already aligning his foreign policy with Morsi's, to the detriment of Israel.

Egypt has always been the leader of the Arab world and, until the country's recent upheaval, has demonstrated its diplomatic power throughout the Middle East.

The last time Israel seriously entered into comprehensive peace negotiations was with Syria, brokered by Turkey, during former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's reign. Now, diplomatic relations between Turkey and Israel have soured, and the Syrian government is about to fall. That leaves Egypt, and a much weaker Jordan, to pick up the mantle of brokering a Middle East comprehensive peace deal.

Meanwhile, Israeli leaders should be protesting to U.S. officials privately, even if they are keeping a low profile publicly, about Obama's foreign policy in regard to Egypt and the Muslim Brotherhood. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns visited Morsi in early July. He underscored America's commitment to building a new partnership with a new democratic Egypt. But there is serious doubt that Morsi's vision for Egypt includes the formation of a democratic state in the way that America understands democracy.

Morsi, whose first official state visit was to Saudi Arabia, is expected to get needed financial aid to help Egypt's ailing economy. He also welcomes U.S. aid, but not in a way that will interfere with his ideology. Obama seems to be ignoring this fact, hoping that U.S. influence will work in Egypt. He recently invited Morsi to visit him in September.

Morsi is currently in a political battle with the ruling Egyptian army, which is delaying efforts to write and complete a new Egyptian constitution. Secular Egyptians are not in agreement with Morsi's Islamic doctrine, which was revealed in his campaign speech before supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood in May 2012.

At the time, Morsi proclaimed:

The Koran is our constitution. The Prophet Muhammad is our leader. Jihad is our path. And, death for the sake of Allah is our most holy aspiration. And, most of all, Allah is our goal. The Sharia; then the Sharia; and, finally the Sharia. This nation will enjoy blessing and revival only through the Islamic Sharia. I take an oath before Allah and before you all, that regardless of the actual text [of the constitution], Allah willing, the text will truly reflect [the Sharia], as will be agreed upon by the Egyptian people, by the Islamic scholars, and by legal and constitutional experts. Rejoice and rest assured that these people will not accept a text that does not reflect the true meaning of the Islamic Sharia as a text to be implemented and as a platform. The people will not agree to anything else." (MEMRI video translation, 5/2012)

Obama's Middle East policymakers have been misled in their appeasement of radical Islamists like Morsi, despite no guarantees that Egyptians will live in a free democratic society. For Obama administration officials to fully embrace Morsi, knowing that he is not fully committed to the peace treaty with Israel, is a White House slap in the face to Israeli leaders.

Another concern is the increased favor Hamas has with the new Egyptian president and the parliament, which is dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood -- the parent organization of Hamas. Morsi and his government can be expected to turn a blind eye to the increased smuggling into Gaza of advanced weapons systems, whether supplied by Libyan operatives or Iran. Recently, Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal met with Morsi in Cairo and said that Morsi's presidency was the start of a new era for Egypt and the Palestinians. He confirmed Egypt's leadership role in the Arab world.

Now, it is up to Morsi to show respect for all Egyptian citizens, whether secular or religious; to keep the peace with Israel regardless of Israel's relationship with the Palestinians or neighboring Middle East countries; and to accept American economic aid in exchange for a peaceful transition to a free and democratic society. That scenario is unlikely as Islamists take control of the Arab Spring and exercise their power in the Middle East. It is time for American officials to stop their appeasement policies, wake up, and see the handwriting on the wall.

C. Hart is a news analyst reporting on political, diplomatic, and military issues as they relate to Israel, the Middle East, and the international community.

Source:http://www.americanthinker.com/2012/07/obama_administration_draws_closer_to_egypts_moslem_brotherhood.html

Copyright - Original materials copyright (c) by the authors.

We interrupt this vacation ....

Yes, I had notified everyone that I was "on vacation" until the first of August.  For someone who spends so much time on the computer, the first few days "away" were quite difficult for me, as I felt as though I was having major withdrawal symptoms.  Since I don't live in a box, spending more time with family and enjoying what I considered a time to catch my breath, has not prevented the world to stop reporting news and events from around the world that are so horrific, so shocking, it makes me wonder if continuing this blog is "good" for my health.  A constant diet of bad news is not good for anyone, which is one reason why I decided to take this time off just to reflect.


However, there isn't a day that goes by when Israel hasn't had to deal with terrorism and terrorist attacks and so, the Islamic attack that killed 7 Israelis and injured 32 Bulgaria on the 18th anniversary of the Iran-sponsored AMIA Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires is no coincident. I felt the need to "speak" and post yet another attack of Israelis and so, posted as a "record" of the latest attack on Jews.  Israel and Jews throughout the world are on constant alert, due to growing anti-Semitism and terrorism, that prevent a Jew from taking a vacation without first preparing for the worse, while making plans for a summer vacation.  Doesn't anyone wonder why Hilliary's decide to exclude Israel from the recent Global Counter-terrorism Forum?!  Let me guess - was it because Turkey and other Islamic leaders refused to sit at a table with Israeli leaders?


This blog is a mere speck among blogs - there are huge blogs with great writers and supporters of Israel, many of whom I also post here in an effort to share what is happening in and to Israel, along with this present Administration's foreign policies and treatment towards one of America's major ally's.  It hasn't been a pretty picture: Israelis have not only had to tend with unfriendly neighbors, threats from the Iranian madmen, bombs and missile attacks from major terrorist organizations, it also must contend with propaganda and unbelievable  false statements within major newspapers and blogs that are less friendly towards the Jewish people.  I will give you one example of demeaning the Land of Israel:  Weeks before the Olympics begin in London, the BBC refused to acknowledge that Jerusalem is the Capital of Israel.  And then, there is he refusal of the Olympic Committee to allow Israel one minute of silence on the anniversary of the Munich massacre that took place in 1972, to appease the Muslim nations.  The Olympics are not suppose to be "political" and yet, by the very refusal to honor the murdered Israeli athletes, the OIC has bowed to Islamic pressure - "Let the Games Begin!"
Photo: The Olympic Flame visits a dedicated London 2012 training facility

Torchbearer Scott Emmons carries the Olympic Flame around Mayesbrook Park Training Centre, a dedicated training centre for London 2012 athletes, on the Torch Relay leg through Barking and Dagenham (London Borough).

What other country in this world has had its capital and seat of government denied by the international community? Answer - none, none but the State of Israel.  As a matter of fact, the West, including the United States of America has refused to honor Israel's choice and right to define where its Capital exists - just like so many among the Muslim world refuse Israel's right to exist.

Is Israel the only country that experiences terrorism?  Of course not!  Whether from a lone gunman in Colorado who murdered 12 and wounded 59 innocent people, terrorism appears to be on-going and never-ending.  But I will continue to state that 99% of world-wide terrorism is from the bloody hands of Islamic followers.
The scenes from Colorado, the survivors who spoke of their experiences escaping from the movie theater, the list of victims, the tears shed by the families of the victims are shared with every American.  The photo below is from Mitt Rommney's Facebook page: "If any names are to be remembered regarding the tragedy in Aurora let be the names of the victims rather than that of the killer. Please keep their families, friends and the community of Aurora in your prayers."  You can go here for more stories of the real heroes - https://www.facebook.com/PresidentMittRomney

The two horrific acts of terrorism have caused both America and Israel to become as "one" in their losses fof innocent civilians.   -  both attacks were carefully planned to harm as many people as possible.  I am only mid-way into my vacation, but have made the decision to continue this blog when I return, as I believe both America and our ally Israel can share a different perspective than the one posted in the Main Stream Media.  No matter where you are or what you're doing, the shock of terrorist actions will always make one stop, think, and give "One Minute" of silence, in prayer, to acknowledge and honor the victims of terrorism.

God bless America and God bless Israel.
Friend, always
Bee Sting

HEAVEN GOT ANOTHER ANGEL TONIGHT - BY GORDON TRUE