Thread: The "New" Homeland Security

Secretary Johnson's words weren't only insulting, but carefully crafted propaganda that supports the radical Islamists who seek to radicalize some in our Muslim communities... Propaganda, but for the benefit of whom, certainly not Americans... Johnson and his boss belittle America in the name of multiculturalism, as if he somehow is required to run down this great country to communicate some affinity with Muslims broadly, perhaps radical Islamists more specifically.




Homeland Security Secretary makes plea for funding
By Betsy Klein Updated 10:56 AM ET, Wed February 18, 2015


Washington (CNN)—With just nine days until funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out, Secretary Jeh Johnson is using every platform he can to make the plea for funding.

Speaking at the White House Summit on Countering Violent Extremism on Wednesday, the secretary cautioned that a failure to pass an appropriations bill to fund the agency could have dramatic consequences. "As long as we're on a [continuing resolution], we're restrained to last year's spending levels and we're unable to engage in new starts, new initiatives for spending," Johnson said.

Johnson said that a failure to fund the department could have significant impacts on border security, implementing key recommendations from an independent review of the Secret Service, and staffing up security for presidential campaigns during the upcoming 2016 cycle.

"We're unable to do some of the things that the Secret Service, independent panel has recommended for the Secret Service, we're unable to hire for upcoming presidential elections cycle. We're unable to fund new non-disaster grants to many of the people in this room in uniform. We're unable to fund state and local law enforcement with our grants as long as we are on a continuing resolution," Johnson said, calling for a "fully-funded appropriation."

The Secretary noted that in his recent trip to Phoenix to oversee Superbowl security preparation, he was informed that the communications and surveillance technology was funded by his department. "As long as we're on the [continuing resolution]," he said, "We're unable to do these very important things for homeland security."

Johnson might have been preaching to the choir in his remarks: the only lawmakers in attendance at the Summit were Democrats, including Rep. Keith Ellison, Sen. Al Franken, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar. Other attendees included Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, and local officials and community leaders involved in pilot programs across the country in countering violent extremism.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/18/politi...lea/index.html

The debate over the Department of Homeland Security is literally pointless
By Max Ehrenfreund February 18 2015

The chances that the Department of Homeland Security shuts down at the beginning of March increase each day. Money for the department has gotten tied up in a spat in Congress over immigration. Republicans want Congress to pass legislation that would fund DHS but also block President Obama's plan to delay deportations for millions of undocumented immigrants. Democrats want a clean bill.

In this case, DHS has become the ultimate Washington contrivance, almost all symbolism and almost no substance.

Shutting down DHS sounds ominous, but it would accomplish nobody's goals. If the department does shutter, most of the country's Coast Guard officers and Border Patrol agents will keep going to work. The DHS office that would be responsible for processing the applications from undocumented immigrants, which is called Citizenship and Immigration Services, would also stay open. The office collects fees from people applying for citizenship and immigration papers, which it uses to pay its staff, so it doesn't depend on regularly receiving new money from Congress.

As this chart shows, only about 14 percent of the department's employees would be furloughed under a shutdown, since most are considered vital and are exempt from furloughs.



The background to all this, you see is that, after the 2014 midterm election, Obama announced he would allow undocumented immigrants to apply to have their deportations delayed for three years if they were the parents of children living in the country legally. The announcement enraged Republicans in Congress. They have refused to extend funding for the Department of Homeland Security beyond the end of this month, when they set aside money for the rest of the federal government through the fall.

Meanwhile, Democrats are accusing Republicans of gambling with national security in order to advance toward their political goals on immigration policy.

"In January, all the world was alarmed at what happened in Paris, and everyone was concerned about homeland security — in the country and, really, throughout the world," said Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the House minority leader, referring to the deadly terrorist attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. "You would think Paris would have given them some additional motivation to pass a clean Homeland Security bill, but not so."

It all doesn't make much sense. If the department shuts down, it's not as though all of the country's ports and border crossings will close and you'll be able to walk onto an airliner without going through a metal detector. The vast majority of Homeland Security's employees are Border Patrol agents and Coast Guard officers whose jobs are legally defined as essential to preserving life and protecting property.

As an old report from the Congressional Research Service notes, when the department shut down along with the rest of the government in 2013, more than 85 percent of Homeland Security's employees kept working.

For their part, Republicans blame the department's mess on Democrats. The House has passed a bill to extend funding, they point out, which hasn't come to a vote in the Senate. Democrats have filibustered the legislation, because it would prevent the administration from accepting applications from undocumented parents for a reprieve.

The charge of obstructionism would carry more weight, however, if Republicans in the House hadn't themselves prevented a vote on a major immigration bill two years ago. That bill passed the Senate by a wide margin after countless hours of work on the part of staffers to reach a compromise that everyone could agree to -- everyone, that is, except many Republicans in the House.

It's happened several times during the Obama administration: Republicans' initial refusal to compromise on an issue has not prevented the Obama administration from adopting more liberal policies. Had Republicans allowed that bill to come to a vote, it might well have passed, and exactly zero Homeland Security employees would be worrying about not getting a paycheck next month.

For the department's officers and staff, after all, a lapse in funding would be a major headache at an agency already confronting problems of morale and calls for its abolition. For that reason, it's unfortunate that Homeland Security's funding has been endangered by parliamentary maneuvering that doesn't even have a clearly discernible goal.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...lly-pointless/

DHS intelligence report warns of domestic right-wing terror threat
By Evan Perez and Wes Bruer, CNN
Updated 10:59 AM ET, Fri February 20, 2015


Washington (CNN)—They're carrying out sporadic terror attacks on police, have threatened attacks on government buildings and reject government authority.

A new intelligence assessment, circulated by the Department of Homeland Security this month and reviewed by CNN, focuses on the domestic terror threat from right-wing sovereign citizen extremists and comes as the Obama administration holds a White House conference to focus efforts to fight violent extremism.

Some federal and local law enforcement groups view the domestic terror threat from sovereign citizen groups as equal to -- and in some cases greater than -- the threat from foreign Islamic terror groups, such as ISIS, that garner more public attention.​ The Homeland Security report, produced in coordination with the FBI, counts 24 violent sovereign citizen-related attacks across the U.S. since 2010.

ISIS burned up to 40 people alive in Iraq, official says

The government says these are extremists who believe that they can ignore laws and that their individual rights are under attack in routine daily instances such as a traffic stop or being required to obey a court order.

They've lashed out against authority in incidents such as one in 2012, in which a father and son were accused of engaging in a shootout with police in Louisiana, in a confrontation that began with an officer pulling them over for a traffic violation. Two officers were killed and several others wounded in the confrontation. The men were sovereign citizen extremists who claimed police had no authority over them.

Among the findings from the Homeland Security intelligence assessment: "(Sovereign citizen) violence during 2015 will occur most frequently during routine law enforcement encounters at a suspect's home, during enforcement stops and at government offices."


DHS has documented examples of violence by sovereign citizen extremists since 2010. They range from incidents that occurred in the home and at traffic stops to attacks on government buildings.

The report adds that "law enforcement officers will remain the primary target of (sovereign citizen) violence over the next year due to their role in physically enforcing laws and regulations."

The White House has fended off criticism in recent days for its reluctance to say the words "Islamist extremism," even as the conference this week almost entirely focused on helping imams and community groups to counteract the lure of groups like ISIS.

Absent from the White House conference is any focus on the domestic terror threat posed by sovereign citizens, militias and other anti-government terrorists that have carried out multiple attacks in recent years.

An administration official says the White House is focused on the threat from all terrorists, including from sovereign citizen and other domestic groups.

Mark Potok, senior fellow at the Southern Poverty Law Center, said that by some estimates, there are as many as 300,000 people involved in some way with sovereign citizen extremism. Perhaps 100,000 people form a core of the movement, he said.

The federal government's focus on the domestic groups waxes and wanes, Potok said, in part because the threat from foreign groups like al Qaeda and its affiliates.

Potok says sovereign citizen groups have attracted support because of poor economic conditions. Some groups travel the country pitching their ideology as a way to help homeowners escape foreclosure or get out of debt, by simply ignoring the courts and bankruptcy law.

The Homeland Security report's focus on right-wing terrorists is a subject that garnered political controversy for the Obama administration in the past. In 2009, a Homeland Security report on possible recruitment of military veterans by right-wing militia groups prompted an outcry from veterans groups.

The report was produced by staff members during the Bush administration but wasn't published until then Homeland Security Janet Napolitano had taken office. Napolitano criticized her own agency for the report.

http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/19/politi...ity/index.html

The article is linked all over to stories such as DHS Secretary: ISIS reaching into U.S. to recruit http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/19/politi...ity/index.html ISIS burned up to 40 people alive in Iraq, official says http://www.cnn.com/2015/02/18/middle...ned/index.html

Explosion near NAACP office targeted accountant
AP on MSN.com · 18 hours ago

Thaddeus Murphy, accused of setting off a small explosion near a Colorado NAACP office, says his accountant's office was the target of the bomb.
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/...id=ansnewsap11

Bombs kill 40 in Libya in apparent revenge attack
Reuters on MSN.com · 1 day ago

Three car bombs rocked the eastern city of Qubbah on Friday in ab apparent retaliation for Egyptian airstrikes on Islamist militant targets.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/...d=ansnewsreu11


25 killed in al-Shabab attack in Somali capital
FOX News · 7 hours ago

MOGADISHU, Somalia – Twenty five people were killed from suicide attacks at a hotel in the Somali capital on Friday has risen to 25, and 40 wounded

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/02...omali-capital/

DHS Secretary: ISIS reaching into U.S. to recruit
Situation Room | Source: CNN
Added on 6:37 PM ET, Thu February 19, 2015

Depart of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson says ISIS is aggressively using social media to push their propaganda to new recruits.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2015/02...recruiting.cnn

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary

For Immediate Release February 18, 2015

Remarks by the President in Closing of the Summit on Countering Violent Extremism
South Court Auditorium

4:20 P.M. EST

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody, please have a seat.

Well, thank you, Lisa, for the introduction. Lisa is an example of the countless dedicated public servants across our government, a number of who are here today, who are working tirelessly every single day on behalf of the security and safety of the American people. So we very much appreciate her. And thanks to all of you for your attendance and participation in this important summit.

For more than 238 years, the United States of America has not just endured, but we have thrived and surmounted challenges that might have broken a lesser nation. After a terrible civil war, we repaired our union. We weathered a Great Depression, became the world’s most dynamic economy. We fought fascism, liberated Europe. We faced down communism -- and won. American communities have been destroyed by earthquakes and tornadoes and fires and floods -- and each time we rebuild.

The bombing that killed 168 people could not break Oklahoma City. On 9/11, terrorists tried to bring us to our knees; today a new tower soars above New York City, and America continues to lead throughout the world. After Americans were killed at Fort Hood and the Boston Marathon, it didn’t divide us; we came together as one American family.

In the face of horrific acts of violence -- at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee, or at a Jewish community center outside Kansas City -- we reaffirmed our commitment to pluralism and to freedom, repulsed by the notion that anyone should ever be targeted because of who they are, or what they look like, or how they worship.

Most recently, with the brutal murders in Chapel Hill of three young Muslim Americans, many Muslim Americans are worried and afraid. And I want to be as clear as I can be: As Americans, all faiths and backgrounds, we stand with you in your grief and we offer our love and we offer our support.

My point is this: As Americans, we are strong and we are resilient. And when tragedy strikes, when we take a hit, we pull together, and we draw on what’s best in our character -- our optimism, our commitment to each other, our commitment to our values, our respect for one another. We stand up, and we rebuild, and we recover, and we emerge stronger than before. That’s who we are. (Applause.)

And I say all this because we face genuine challenges to our security today, just as we have throughout our history. Challenges to our security are not new. They didn’t happen yesterday or a week ago or a year ago. We've always faced challenges. One of those challenges is the terrorist threat from groups like al Qaeda and ISIL. But this isn't our challenge alone. It's a challenge for the world. ISIL is terrorizing the people of Syria and Iraq, beheads and burns human beings in unfathomable acts of cruelty. We’ve seen deadly attacks in Ottawa and Sydney and, Paris, and now Copenhagen.

So, in the face of this challenge, we have marshalled the full force of the United States government, and we’re working with allies and partners to dismantle terrorist organizations and protect the American people. Given the complexities of the challenge and the nature of the enemy -- which is not a traditional army -- this work takes time, and will require vigilance and resilience and perspective. But I'm confident that, just as we have for more than two centuries, we will ultimately prevail.

And part of what gives me that confidence is the overwhelming response of the world community to the savagery of these terrorists -- not just revulsion, but a concrete commitment to work together to vanquish these organizations.

At the United Nations in September, I called on the international community to come together and eradicate this scourge of violent extremism. And I want to thank all of you -- from across America and around the world -- for answering this call. Tomorrow at the State Department, governments and civil society groups from more than 60 countries will focus on the steps that we can take as governments. And I’ll also speak about how our nations have to remain relentless in our fight -- our counterterrorism efforts -- against groups that are plotting against our counties.

But we are here today because of a very specific challenge -- and that’s countering violent extremism, something that is not just a matter of military affairs. By “violent extremism,” we don’t just mean the terrorists who are killing innocent people. We also mean the ideologies, the infrastructure of extremists --the propagandists, the recruiters, the funders who radicalize and recruit or incite people to violence. We all know there is no one profile of a violent extremist or terrorist, so there’s no way to predict who will become radicalized. Around the world, and here in the United States, inexcusable acts of violence have been committed against people of different faiths, by people of different faiths -- which is, of course, a betrayal of all our faiths. It's not unique to one group, or to one geography, or one period of time.

But we are here at this summit because of the urgent threat from groups like al Qaeda and ISIL. And this week we are focused on prevention -- preventing these groups from radicalizing, recruiting or inspiring others to violence in the first place. I’ve called upon governments to come to the United Nations this fall with concrete steps that we can take together. And today, what I want to do is suggest several areas where I believe we can concentrate our efforts.

First, we have to confront squarely and honestly the twisted ideologies that these terrorist groups use to incite people to violence. Leading up to this summit, there’s been a fair amount of debate in the press and among pundits about the words we use to describe and frame this challenge. So I want to be very clear about how I see it.

Al Qaeda and ISIL and groups like it are desperate for legitimacy. They try to portray themselves as religious leaders -- holy warriors in defense of Islam. That’s why ISIL presumes to declare itself the “Islamic State.” And they propagate the notion that America -- and the West, generally -- is at war with Islam. That’s how they recruit. That’s how they try to radicalize young people. We must never accept the premise that they put forward, because it is a lie. Nor should we grant these terrorists the religious legitimacy that they seek. They are not religious leaders -- they’re terrorists. (Applause.) And we are not at war with Islam. We are at war with people who have perverted Islam. (Applause.)

Now, just as those of us outside Muslim communities need to reject the terrorist narrative that the West and Islam are in conflict, or modern life and Islam are in conflict, I also believe that Muslim communities have a responsibility as well. Al Qaeda and ISIL do draw, selectively, from the Islamic texts. They do depend upon the misperception around the world that they speak in some fashion for people of the Muslim faith, that Islam is somehow inherently violent, that there is some sort of clash of civilizations.

Of course, the terrorists do not speak for over a billion Muslims who reject their hateful ideology. They no more represent Islam than any madman who kills innocents in the name of God represents Christianity or Judaism or Buddhism or Hinduism. No religion is responsible for terrorism. People are responsible for violence and terrorism. (Applause.)

And to their credit, there are respected Muslim clerics and scholars not just here in the United States but around the world who push back on this twisted interpretation of their faith. They want to make very clear what Islam stands for. And we’re joined by some of these leaders today. These religious leaders and scholars preach that Islam calls for peace and for justice, and tolerance toward others; that terrorism is prohibited; that the Koran says whoever kills an innocent, it is as if he has killed all mankind. Those are the voices that represent over a billion people around the world.

But if we are going to effectively isolate terrorists, if we're going to address the challenge of their efforts to recruit our young people, if we're going to lift up the voices of tolerance and pluralism within the Muslim community, then we've got to acknowledge that their job is made harder by a broader narrative that does exist in many Muslim communities around the world that suggests the West is at odds with Islam in some fashion.

The reality -- which, again, many Muslim leaders have spoken to -- is that there’s a strain of thought that doesn’t embrace ISIL’s tactics, doesn’t embrace violence, but does buy into the notion that the Muslim world has suffered historical grievances -- sometimes that's accurate -- does buy into the belief that so many of the ills in the Middle East flow from a history of colonialism or conspiracy; does buy into the idea that Islam is incompatible with modernity or tolerance, or that it's been polluted by Western values.

So those beliefs exist. In some communities around the world they are widespread. And so it makes individuals -- especially young people who already may be disaffected or alienated -- more ripe for radicalization. And so we've got to be able to talk honestly about those issues. We've got to be much more clear about how we're rejecting certain ideas.

So just as leaders like myself reject the notion that terrorists like ISIL genuinely represent Islam, Muslim leaders need to do more to discredit the notion that our nations are determined to suppress Islam, that there’s an inherent clash in civilizations. Everybody has to speak up very clearly that no matter what the grievance, violence against innocents doesn't defend Islam or Muslims, it damages Islam and Muslims. (Applause.)

And when all of us, together, are doing our part to reject the narratives of violent extremists, when all of us are doing our part to be very clear about the fact that there are certain universal precepts and values that need to be respected in this interconnected world, that’s the beginnings of a partnership.

As we go forward, we need to find new ways to amplify the voices of peace and tolerance and inclusion -- and we especially need to do it online. We also need to lift up the voices of those who know the hypocrisy of groups like ISIL firsthand, including former extremists. Their words speak to us today. And I know in some of the discussions these voices have been raised: “I witnessed horrible crimes committed by ISIS.” “It’s not a revolution or jihad…it’s a slaughter…I was shocked by what I did.” “This isn’t what we came for, to kill other Muslims.” “I’m 28 -- is this the only future I’m able to imagine?” That's the voice of so many who were temporarily radicalized and then saw the truth. And they’ve warned other young people not to make the same mistakes as they did. “Do not run after illusions.” “Do not be deceived.” “Do not give up your life for nothing.” We need to lift up those voices.

And in all this work, the greatest resource are communities themselves, especially like those young people who are here today. We are joined by talented young men and women who are pioneering new innovations, and new social media tools, and new ways to reach young people. We’re joined by leaders from the private sector, including high-tech companies, who want to support your efforts. And I want to challenge all of us to build new partnerships that unleash the talents and creativity of young people -- young Muslims -- not just to expose the lies of extremists but to empower youth to service, and to lift up people’s lives here in America and around the world. And that can be a calling for your generation.

So that’s the first challenge -- we've got to discredit these ideologies. We have to tackle them head on. And we can't shy away from these discussions. And too often, folks are, understandably, sensitive about addressing some of these root issues, but we have to talk about them, honestly and clearly. (Applause.) And the reason I believe we have to do so is because I'm so confident that when the truth is out we'll be successful. Now, a second challenge is we do have to address the grievances that terrorists exploit, including economic grievances. Poverty alone does not cause a person to become a terrorist, any more than poverty alone causes somebody to become a criminal. There are millions of people -- billions of people -- in the world who live in abject poverty and are focused on what they can do to build up their own lives, and never embrace violent ideologies.

Conversely, there are terrorists who’ve come from extraordinarily wealthy backgrounds, like Osama bin Laden. What’s true, though, is that when millions of people -- especially youth -- are impoverished and have no hope for the future, when corruption inflicts daily humiliations on people, when there are no outlets by which people can express their concerns, resentments fester. The risk of instability and extremism grow. Where young people have no education, they are more vulnerable to conspiracy theories and radical ideas, because it's not tested against anything else, they’ve got nothing to weigh. And we've seen this across the Middle East and North Africa.

And terrorist groups are all too happy to step into a void. They offer salaries to their foot soldiers so they can support their families. Sometimes they offer social services -- schools, health clinics -- to do what local governments cannot or will not do. They try to justify their violence in the name of fighting the injustice of corruption that steals from the people -- even while those terrorist groups end up committing even worse abuses, like kidnapping and human trafficking.

So if we’re going to prevent people from being susceptible to the false promises of extremism, then the international community has to offer something better. And the United States intends to do its part. We will keep promoting development and growth that is broadly shared, so more people can provide for their families. We’ll keep leading a global effort against corruption, because the culture of the bribe has to be replaced by good governance that doesn’t favor certain groups over others.

Countries have to truly invest in the education and skills and job training that our extraordinary young people need. And by the way, that's boys and girls, and men and women, because countries will not be truly successful if half their populations -- if their girls and their women are denied opportunity. (Applause.) And America will continue to forge new partnerships in entrepreneurship and innovation, and science and technology, so young people from Morocco to Malaysia can start new businesses and create more prosperity.

Just as we address economic grievances, we need to face a third challenge -- and that's addressing the political grievances that are exploited by terrorists. When governments oppress their people, deny human rights, stifle dissent, or marginalize ethnic and religious groups, or favor certain religious groups over others, it sows the seeds of extremism and violence. It makes those communities more vulnerable to recruitment. Terrorist groups claim that change can only come through violence. And if peaceful change is impossible, that plays into extremist propaganda.

So the essential ingredient to real and lasting stability and progress is not less democracy; it’s more democracy. (Applause.) It’s institutions that uphold the rule of law and apply justice equally. It’s security forces and police that respect human rights and treat people with dignity. It’s free speech and strong civil societies where people can organize and assemble and advocate for peaceful change. It’s freedom of religion where all people can practice their faith without fear and intimidation. (Applause.) All of this is part of countering violent extremism.

Fourth, we have to recognize that our best partners in all these efforts, the best people to help protect individuals from falling victim to extremist ideologies are their own communities, their own family members. We have to be honest with ourselves. Terrorist groups like al Qaeda and ISIL deliberately target their propaganda in the hopes of reaching and brainwashing young Muslims, especially those who may be disillusioned or wrestling with their identity. That’s the truth. The high-quality videos, the online magazines, the use of social media, terrorist Twitter accounts -- it’s all designed to target today’s young people online, in cyberspace.

And by the way, the older people here, as wise and respected as you may be, your stuff is often boring -- (laughter) -- compared to what they’re doing. (Applause.) You're not connected. And as a consequence, you are not connecting.



So these terrorists are a threat, first and foremost, to the communities that they target, which means communities have to take the lead in protecting themselves. And that is true here in America, as it's true anywhere else. When someone starts getting radicalized, family and friends are often the first to see that something has changed in their personality. Teachers may notice a student becoming withdrawn or struggling with his or her identity, and if they intervene at that moment and offer support, that may make a difference.

Faith leaders may notice that someone is beginning to espouse violent interpretations of religion, and that’s a moment for possible intervention that allows them to think about their actions and reflect on the meaning of their faith in a way that’s more consistent with peace and justice. Families and friends, coworkers, neighbors, faith leaders -- they want to reach out; they want to help save their loved ones and friends, and prevent them from taking a wrong turn.

But communities don’t always know the signs to look for, or have the tools to intervene, or know what works best. And that’s where government can play a role -- if government is serving as a trusted partner. And that’s where we also need to be honest. I know some Muslim Americans have concerns about working with government, particularly law enforcement. And their reluctance is rooted in the objection to certain practices where Muslim Americans feel they’ve been unfairly targeted.

So, in our work, we have to make sure that abuses stop, are not repeated, that we do not stigmatize entire communities. Nobody should be profiled or put under a cloud of suspicion simply because of their faith. (Applause.) Engagement with communities can’t be a cover for surveillance. We can’t “securitize” our relationship with Muslim Americans -- (applause) -- dealing with them solely through the prism of law enforcement. Because when we do, that only reinforces suspicions, makes it harder for us to build the trust that we need to work together.

As part of this summit, we’re announcing that we’re going to increase our outreach to communities, including Muslim Americans. We’re going to step up our efforts to engage with partners and raise awareness so more communities understand how to protect their loved ones from becoming radicalized. We’ve got to devote more resources to these efforts. (Applause.)

.....


And as government does more, communities are going to have to step up as well. We need to build on the pilot programs that have been discussed at this summit already -- in Los Angeles, in Minneapolis, in Boston. These are partnerships that bring people together in a spirit of mutual respect and create more dialogue and more trust and more cooperation. If we’re going to solve these issues, then the people who are most targeted and potentially most affected -- Muslim Americans -- have to have a seat at the table where they can help shape and strengthen these partnerships so that we’re all working together to help communities stay safe and strong and resilient. (Applause.)

And finally, we need to do what extremists and terrorists hope we will not do, and that is stay true to the values that define us as free and diverse societies. If extremists are peddling the notion that Western countries are hostile to Muslims, then we need to show that we welcome people of all faiths.

Here in America, Islam has been woven into the fabric of our country since its founding. (Applause.) Generations of Muslim immigrants came here and went to work as farmers and merchants and factory workers, helped to lay railroads and build up America. The first Islamic center in New York City was founded in the 1890s. America’s first mosque -- this was an interesting fact -- was in North Dakota. (Laughter.)

Muslim Americans protect our communities as police officers and firefighters and first responders, and protect our nation by serving in uniform, and in our intelligence communities, and in homeland security. And in cemeteries across our country, including at Arlington, Muslim American heroes rest in peace having given their lives in defense of all of us. (Applause.)

And of course that’s the story extremists and terrorists don’t want the world to know -- Muslims succeeding and thriving in America. Because when that truth is known, it exposes their propaganda as the lie that it is. It’s also a story that every American must never forget, because it reminds us all that hatred and bigotry and prejudice have no place in our country. It’s not just counterproductive; it doesn’t just aid terrorists; it’s wrong. It’s contrary to who we are.

I’m thinking of a little girl named Sabrina who last month sent me a Valentine’s Day card in the shape of a heart. It was the first Valentine I got. (Laughter.) I got it from Sabrina before Malia and Sasha and Michelle gave me one. (Laughter.) So she’s 11 years old. She’s in the 5th grade. She’s a young Muslim American. And she said in her Valentine, “I enjoy being an American.” And when she grows up, she wants to be an engineer -- or a basketball player. (Laughter.) Which are good choices. (Laughter.) But she wrote, “I am worried about people hating Muslims…If some Muslims do bad things, that doesn’t mean all of them do.” And she asked, “Please tell everyone that we are good people and we’re just like everyone else.” (Applause.) Now, those are the words -- and the wisdom -- of a little girl growing up here in America, just like my daughters are growing up here in America. “We’re just like everybody else.” And everybody needs to remember that during the course of this debate.

As we move forward with these challenges, we all have responsibilities, we all have hard work ahead of us on this issue. We can’t paper over problems, and we’re not going to solve this if we’re always just trying to be politically correct. But we do have to remember that 11-year-old girl. That’s our hope. That’s our future. That’s how we discredit violent ideologies, by making sure her voice is lifted up; making sure she’s nurtured; making sure that she’s supported -- and then, recognizing there are little girls and boys like that all around the world, and us helping to address economic and political grievances that can be exploited by extremists, and empowering local communities, and us staying true to our values as a diverse and tolerant society even when we’re threatened -- especially when we’re threatened.

There will be a military component to this. There are savage cruelties going on out there that have to be stopped. ISIL is killing Muslims at a rate that is many multiples the rate that they’re killing non-Muslims. Everybody has a stake in stopping them, and there will be an element of us just stopping them in their tracks with force. But to eliminate the soil out of which they grew, to make sure that we are giving a brighter future to everyone and a lasting sense of security, then we're going to have to make it clear to all of our children -- including that little girl in 5th grade -- that you have a place. You have a place here in America. You have a place in those countries where you live. You have a future.

Ultimately, those are the antidotes to violent extremism. And that's work that we're going to have to do together. It will take time. This is a generational challenge. But after 238 years, it should be obvious -- America has overcome much bigger challenges, and we’ll overcome the ones that we face today. We will stay united and committed to the ideals that have shaped us for more than two centuries, including the opportunity and justice and dignity of every single human being.

Thank you very much, everybody. (Applause.)

END
4:54 P.M. EST

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-...lent-extremism

Biden's Somali Friends
During remarks at the White House Summit on Countering All Forms of Violent Extremism Including That of Quakers and Fundamentalist Bingo Groups, Joe Biden said some of his best friends are Muslims. Well, sort of.

"Somalis have made my city of Wilmington, Delaware, [their home] on a smaller scale," he explained. "There is a large, very identifiable Somali community. I might add if you ever come to the train station with me you'll notice I have great relationships with them because there's an awful lot driving cabs and are friends of mine. For real. I'm not being solicitous. I'm being serious."

The Washington Post makes short work of Biden's buddy claim, noting,

"More than 75,000 Somali refugees have settled in the United States since 2004, according to the Office of Refugee Settlement. But the detailed annual reports show that since 2000, exactly zero have arrived to live in Delaware."

There's also no truth to the rumor that Biden was aboard Brian Williams' helicopter when it was shot down.

`` Patriotic Post

Obama’s Homeland Security Adviser Mohamed Elibiary Goes on Hate-Filled Anti-Christian Rant, Attacks Jindal as ‘Bottom Feeder’
— February 7, 2015

Obama administration Muslim adviser Mohamed Elibiary is no stranger to regular PJ Media readers.

In September, Elibiary was unceremoniously removed from his fellowship position with the Department of Homeland Security, which he tried to spin as a “resignation,” but letters sent to members of Congress by DHS officials indicated he would not be reappointed.

Undoubtedly, one of the chief reasons for DHS cutting ties with Elibiary was a long string of extremist statements he had been making on Twitter, including talking about the inevitability of the return of an ISIS-style caliphate — tweets that were subsequently used by ISIS supporters for recruiting purposes.

But Elibiary has apparently not learned his lesson, engaging in a hate-filled anti-Christian rant on Twitter yesterday, even going so far to attack Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal as a “bottom feeder”:

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

Oh no @BobbyJindal isn't racist, he's what we call in the #GOP a bottom feeder appealing to southern segregationists
http://www.mediaite.com/online/bobby...-its-invasion/ …

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2:03 PM - 28 Jan 2015

Nor, as you’ll see below, is this the first time he has indulged in his anti-Christian bigotry.

Before revisiting his Twitter meltdown, perhaps it’s useful to revisit some of Elibiary’s greatest hits:

•Elibiary admitted that his mentor and long-time friend was none other than Hamas terrorist leader Shukri Abu Baker, who is currently serving a 65-year prison sentence.

•In 2003, Elibiary was listed as a board member for the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Dallas chapter, which was founded by now-convicted Hamas operative Ghassan Elashi. In 2008, federal prosecutors declared in a federal court brief that “from its founding by Muslim Brotherhood leaders, CAIR conspired with other affiliates of the Muslim Brotherhood to support terrorists.”

•In Dec 2004, Elibiary was a featured speaker at a Dallas rally honoring the Ayatollah Khomeini as a “Great Islamic Visionary,” an event the Dallas Morning News called a “disgrace.”

•Immediately after the Fort Hood massacre in November 2009, Dallas Morning News editor Rod Dreherrecounted Elibiary’s strident defense of jihadist ideologue Sayyid Qutb, whom the 9/11 Commission identified as the chief architect of Al-Qaeda’s ideology.

•In April 2010, he published an op-ed at Fox News pleading with the Obama administration to not kill senior Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaki.

•In June 2010, he attacked the Supreme Court after they upheld the material support for terrorism statute in an op-ed for the Dallas Morning News.

•In June 2011, the IRS revoked the 501c3 tax-exempt status of Elibiary’s Freedom and Justice Foundation for failing to file the required IRS Form 990s over a period of several years, documents which would reveal the source of his organization’s funding.

•In October 2011, I reported exclusively here at PJ Media that Elibiary had downloaded sensitive documents by the Texas Dept. of Public Safety from a secure DHS database, and then unsuccessfully tried to shop them to the media claiming then-Gov. Rick Perry was running an “Islamophobic” operation. Despite multiple claims by top DHS officials that an internal investigation exonerated Elibiary, in Sept 2013 DHS admitted in response to the Judicial Watch FOIA request that no records related to any internal investigation existed, prompting members of Congress to claim DHS was engaged in a cover-up. Texas DPS, having conducted their own investigation, severed their relationship with Elibiary.

•After 30 million Egyptians took to the streets to remove Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi, leading to his ouster, Elibiary added a Muslim Brotherhood logo to his Twitter avatar in solidarity with the extremist Islamic group.

•In November 2013, Elibiary took to Twitter to announce that the U.S. was a shariah-compliant Islamic country.

So that provides some context for his hate-filled Twitter rant yesterday.

Elibiary began his meltdown by denouncing “guilt by association,” and then engaged in the very group scapegoating (“Christianist culture wars”) he had just condemned:

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

We don't assign collective guilt 2 whole groups of fellow Americans under our constitution & laws.
#Chistianists culture wars are just that.

12:55 PM - 27 Jan 2015

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

When I started TW'n in 2012, I told y'all that the real driving force for the #FarRight is the religion of Islam itself. Hence #Islamophobia

3:13 PM - 28 Jan 2015

Then in a bizarre statement, he claimed that Islam is the driving force for the “Far Right” (presumably he means that hatred of the religion of Islam itself drives the “Far Right” — again another sweeping group indictment that he previously denounced):

He then launched into a rage about “Christianist subculture”:

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

During my visits to WH during Bush 43 Admin & in other venues,I had plenty convos w/ ldrs of this #Christianist subculture of #Evangelicals.

In #GOP, many of us understand & will continue to contain advocacy of this #Christianist subculture eager for social discrimination & wars.

#Christianist sub-culture of #Evangelicals is sizable in millions, but at end of the day geographically, culturally & politically contained.


11:25 AM - 27 Jan 2015

“Christianist” is a slur invented by Leftist reactionaries to attack Christians who take their faith seriously and are politically involved. And yet if Elibiary’s co-conspirators at CAIR can denounce the use of the term “Islamist,” as they recently did, isn’t it equally bigoted and unfair to use the term “Christianist” to attack Elibiary’s perceived enemies? http://www.cair.com/cair-blog/entry/...-islamist.html

But he continues, identifying “Christianist subculture” as a “problem” for Muslims, and presumably one that must be eradicated:

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

#Muslims don't have an America, Christian or even a mainstream #Evengelicals problem. What we have is a #Christianist sub-culture problem.

Fellow American #Patriots: If u find yourself gravitating towards a view that blames religion of Islam or Muslims broadly, then you're lost.

10:13 AM - 27 Jan 2015

Mohamed, if you find yourself gravitating towards a view that blames “Christianist subculture” broadly, then you’re lost.

But don’t dare call him out on his hypocrisy!

TX Muslim Republican @MohamedElibiary

Judging from the reaction on my TL, #Chistianists got irritated that I called their subculture unrepresentative of mainstream US Christians.


12:48 PM - 27 Jan 2015

One is given to wonder what Elibiary’s reaction would be if someone were to simply modify his tweets to replace “Christianist subculture” with “American Islamist subculture.” Undoubtedly, he would froth at the mouth with rabid accusations of racism and “Islamophobia.”

This, however, is not remotely the first time that Christians have been the targets of Elibiary’s unbridled rage.

In September 2013, he engaged in a series of tweets attacking Egyptian Coptic Christians:


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