Tag Archives: Muslim Brotherhood

Desantis Hearing Establishes the Muslim Brotherhood Must Be Designated as a Terrorist Organization – the Sooner, the Better 

NEWS RELEASE, July 11, 2018

For more information contact:

Deborah Hamilton, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, 610.584.1096, ext. 102, or Patrick Benner, 610.584.1096, ext. 104.

DESANTIS HEARING ESTABLISHES THE MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD MUST BE DESIGNATED AS A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION – THE SOONER, THE BETTER 

Washington, DC:  It is no longer a question of whether the United States will designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a foreign terrorist organization. It is only a matter of when and how.

That’s the principal take-away from a congressional national security panel this morning that addressed “The Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Threat” and what the US should do about it.

“This hearing is an opportunity to discuss what the United States’ next step should be in combatting the Muslim Brotherhood’s threat,” said Congressman Ron DeSantis (R-FL), chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security of the House oversight committee.

“The Muslim Brotherhood is a militant Islamist organization with affiliates in over 70 countries,” DeSantis said. “There’s no question that the Muslim Brotherhood’s affiliates are involved in terrorism.”

The historic hearing follows a June 28 Center for Security Policy Decision Brief that called on the Trump Administration to declare the entire Muslim Brotherhood and its fronts and affiliates as terrorist organizations.

“Thankfully the Trump Administration has discarded the Obama-era policy of treating the Brotherhood as a potential ally,” DeSantis said. “Now, the questions are focused on how expansive to make the terror designation, and whether it should be done through the State Department or Treasury Department.” 

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser, President of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy and a longtime associate of the Center for Security Policy, was one of the four witnesses who testified. He was the only Muslim witness, and made the case powerfully for Center-recommended policy of designating the entire Muslim Brotherhood and its fronts as terrorist entities.

In the course of his testimony, Dr. Jasser rebutted characterizations by the Brotherhood’s apologists and enablers of its critics as “haters” and “Islamophobes”:

Nothing would be more pro-Muslim than the marginalization of the Muslim Brotherhood and its direct affiliates. Making the Muslim Brotherhood radioactive would allow the light to shine upon their most potent antagonists in Muslim communities – those who reject political Islam and believe in liberty and the separation of mosque and state.

He also discussed national security risks associated with failing to designate the Muslim Brotherhood and its affiliates as terrorist entities. One of them is censorship of jihadist terminology in U.S. government agencies.  Dr. Jasser correctly observed that such censorship impedes analysts’ ability to protect the nation:

To think that these words and concepts, and others are off limits in the freest nation on earth, censored [in] our agencies, is just incredulous considering the growing threat we face today from violent Islamism.  It smacks of a bizarre invocation of blasphemy laws in America. It is groups like the Muslim Brotherhood that have benefited from our refusal to discuss these elements of Islam and Islamism.

The three other witnesses – Hillel Fradkin of the Hudson Institute, Jonathan Schanzer of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and Daniel Benjamin of the Qatar-funded Brookings Institution – agreed to varying degrees that the Muslim Brotherhood constitutes a threat.  They recommended, however, more narrow terrorist designations of specific Muslim Brotherhood entities.

Chairman DeSantis observed: “It is clear that the Brotherhood constitutes a real threat to the national security interests of the United States.  We can debate the best way to counter this threat, but simply ignoring the threat is not an acceptable answer.”

The Center for Security Policy has submitted a statement for the hearing record endorsing Rep. DeSantis’ assessment and laying out the factual basis for designating the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist organization.

Center President Frank J. Gaffney urged legislators, executive branch officials, the media and the public at large to examine particularly compelling evidence of the threat the Brotherhood poses: Its 1991 Explanatory Memorandum on the General Strategic Goal of the Group in North America– a secret plan for “destroying Western civilization from within” written by a top Muslim Brotherhood operative, Mohammed Akram, and introduced by the federal government into evidence in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation et.al. v. United States terrorism financing trial.

Rep. Ron DeSantis opens hearing on Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Threat

The House Subcommittee on National Security heard testimony regarding the Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Threat on Wednesday, July 11, 2018.

Counter-Islamist Dr. Zuhdi Jasser denounces terrorist Muslim Brotherhood

Dr. Zuhdi Jasser of the American Islamic Forum for Democracy provided testimony to the House Subcommittee on National Security regarding the Muslim Brotherhood’s Global Threat on Wednesday, July 11, 2018.

DECISION BRIEF: Designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

Decision: Under Section 219 of the Immigration and Naturalization Act, the United States should immediately designate the Muslim Brotherhood and its components as foreign terrorist organizations.

Reason: The Muslim Brotherhood (MB) is an international Islamist organization and network founded in 1928 in Egypt, and an ideological precursor of modern jihadist terrorist groups. The MB’s strategic goal of creating a global Caliphate, which requires the overthrow of the US Constitution, is identical to that of ISIS and al Qaeda. The MB tactically shifts between approving and not approving violent extremism, depending on place and circumstance.

Background: Historically, the MB has established and maintained the ability to wage terroristic violence, from its “Special Apparatus” terrorist cells in the 1930s to the present. Beginning in the 1980s, the MB established an Islamist Palestinian terrorist group, resulting in the formation of Hamas in 1987. President Clinton designated Hamas as a terrorist organization in 1995 under Executive Order 12947, which formed the basis for creation of the State Department’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list. Following the ouster of the MB-led regime in Egypt, the MB again displayed its will to engage in violence, including the formation of two armed groups. The US has designated both as terrorist organizations. Earlier this year, the MB called for an “uprising” against the US in response to the relocation of the American Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, threatening US interests worldwide.

Pushback: Expect pushback from across the government. The previous administration’s Presidential Study Directive 11, which remains classified, appears to have provided a basis for US support for the Muslim Brotherhood as a “moderate” ally against “violent extremism.”

Governing Laws and Regulations:The authority to designate an organization as an FTO resides with the Secretary of State, under 8 US Code § 1189(a), and requires satisfaction on three points: the organization is foreign; engages in terrorism activity as defined by section 1182(a)(3)(B) of Title8 or terrorism as defined by section 2656f(d)(2) of title 22OR retains the capability and intent to engage in terrorist activity or terrorism; andthat the terrorist activity threatens “the national defense, foreign relations, or economic interests of the United States;” or threatens US nationals.

Section 1182(a)(3)(B)defines “engage in terrorist activity” to include: inciting, preparing, planning or gathering intelligence on targets of, or material support for, terrorist activities. Both section 1182(a)(3)(B) of Title8and section 2656f(d)(2) of title 22define “terrorist groups” to include organizations with a sub-group that engages in terrorist activity. The USG successfully demonstrated during US v Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Developmentthat MB members and organizations engaged in terrorist activity so defined – specifically providing material support for terrorism. The USG has already designated multiple MB sub-groups as FTO or Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs), as noted above. Finally, multiple MB leaders or groups have directly incited terrorist violence against US persons and US interests inside and outside American territory.

Rebuttal of Policy Objections: The Bush-Obama Global War on Terror/CVE approach was to treat the MB as a “moderate” ally against “violent extremists,” while ignoring the Brother’s long history of subversion and terrorism. Professionals will argue that designating the MB will undermine US counterterrorism efforts by alienating the Brotherhood, when in fact the MB has stymied them. Many will argue that MB penetration of/participation in friendly Middle Eastern governments would harm those governments and needlessly compromise relations with them, when in fact the USG maintains relations and cooperative agreements with other nations whose governments contain members of designated terrorist organizations, including Lebanon and Iraq. In addition, multiple regional allies, including Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, have themselves designated the MB or parts thereof as terrorist.

The Bottom Line:The Muslim Brotherhood is not a “moderate” organization or movement, but a terrorist one. The President should instruct the Secretary of State immediately to designate the Muslim Brotherhood, its fronts and controlled organizations, as Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists.

Decision Brief 001.2 – Muslim Brotherhood Designation

Protests in Jordan Could Affect Regional Security

On Wednesday, May 30th, Jordanian workers staged a strike in the capital city of Amman against the government’s latest income tax proposal. The proposal was set to increase government revenue by raising the individual tax rate to up to 25% of their reported income and anywhere between 30% and 40% for most businesses. The plan was also set to eliminate exemptions and tax pensions and inheritance for the first time.

The reforms come just months after an earlier tax hike as part of an agreement with the International Money Fund (IMF) to reduce Jordan’s $40 billion public debt. The IMF conditioned its aid package on Jordan enacting austerity measures, such as an increase in government revenue or unpopular spending reductions.

The strike was set to last from 9am to 3pm with a demonstration to follow, but demonstrations continued peacefully into the night. Unique about this protest is the fact that it was organized by professional workers’ unions rather than political parties.

The unions cover a diverse set of trades, including teachers, doctors, shop workers, and bankers. Historically, many Jordanian unions have been dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood’s Islamic Action Front, but the group has fared poorly in recent union elections. In current protests, with a less influential Muslim Brotherhood, participants have been adamant about not allowing the Muslim Brotherhood or any other external group to use the protests for ideological gains. Instead, protesters insist they have learned from the past and are attempting to stay focused on “singular goals.”

Much of the protests are led by young men and women who are motivated by the failures of the Arab Spring protests in 2011, which led to “half-hearted” reforms among Jordan’s government that had minimal results.

Although initially concerned with the tax reform law, protests morphed into demonstrations against the government’s corruption and poor economic policies. On Wednesday, June 6th, the 7th day of demonstrations, protests turned violent when a security guard was non-fatally stabbed by a protester who was then arrested. No acts of violence have been reported since.

To appease the protesters, Prime Minister Hani al-Mulki resigned on Monday, June 4, and was replaced by Omar Razzaz, a former World Bank official. In another victory for the protesters, Razzaz announced his intent to withdraw the tax reform as soon as he was sworn into office by King Abdullah. Additionally, Jordan has asked the IMF to slow its reforms.

These steps by the government convinced union leaders to suspend protests to allow the government to make further changes. This was poorly received by protesters, however, who pressured union leaders to continue lobbying efforts with members of Jordan’s parliament.

What’s At Stake?  

Jordan has been an ally to United States’ efforts for peace and security in the Middle East, but economic troubles could restrain the Jordanian government’s ability to assist the U.S. in some of its key regional security goals. Jordan is one of two countries in the Middle East to sign a peace treaty with staunch U.S. ally Israel, which it did in 1994.

Jordan maintains a vested interest in Jerusalem, where it administers the Temple Mount, a major religious site for Jews and the site of Al Aqsa mosque, which is highly regarded by Muslims. Tensions increased between Jordan and Israel over the decision to relocate the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem, and in January of 2018, Jordan’s King Abdullah affirmed his support for the Palestinian cause. This relationship is an important factor to peace in the region.

Although seemingly friendly, Jordan and Palestinians have historically had a complex relationship. After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, Jordan annexed the West Bank and granted citizenship to the Palestinian population. With the creation of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), the situation devolved into conflict after the 1967 Six-Day War.

Human Rights Watch reported that more than half of Jordan’s population is of Palestinian origin, but more than 2,700 of them were stripped of Jordanian citizenship beginning in 1988, the height of the first Palestinian uprising against Israel in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The possibility of a Palestinian majority poses a threat to the political power of the Hashemite ruling family of Jordan. Therefore, Jordan has supported the right of return for Palestinians and a two-state solution between Israel and Palestinian territories to prevent Israel from controlling the West Bank and prevent Palestinians from threatening Jordan’s rulers.

If a severe economic crisis develops in Jordan, it would result in Jordan’s inability to be a significant ally in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. The U.S. or Israeli governments might have to take a more proactive role in finding a long-term peaceful solution, an already difficult task made more complex by recent, ongoing protests and the U.S Embassy relocation to Jerusalem, which further angered Palestinian supporters. Although Hamas has been linked to sponsoring the protests to pressure Israel, reporting has often portrayed the Israeli military as unnecessarily aggressive, further straining relations.

Jordan has also been a major partner in the Syrian refugee crisis, taking in the second highest total of Syrians and offering them protection, health and education services, employment opportunities, and access to resources. Expenditures for the Syrian refugees totals over $2.5 billion per year, a quarter of government revenue and 6 percent of Jordan’s gross domestic product. In other words, the refugee crisis has been a significant financial burden on Jordan, and its economic crisis could send more Syrians on the move. That scenario could result in Syrians attempting to seek refuge in the U.S. or European countries, which would pose potential security threats.

Jordan’s economy is dependent on foreign aid with no oil or other natural resources, so its foreign policy is dependent on its largest donor. Since the U.S. is Jordan’s largest donor, Jordan has historically adopted a pro-West stance. It is notable then, that after agreeing to a $1.2 billion financial aid package with the United States, Jordan’s King Abdullah met with Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani. In their meeting, the two leaders expressed their displeasure in the U.S. decision to relocate its embassy to Jerusalem and affirmed their support for the Palestinian cause. Rouhani later stressed a desire to improve relations with Jordan, and the tensions between the U.S. and Jordan could provide an opening for both leaders to cultivate the relationship. Because of Iranian tendency to undermine stability in the region by supporting insurgencies or other divergent tactics, the relationship between these two is worth watching. However, the Jordanian monarchy still maintains close economic and military ties with the U.S., the E.U., and Saudi Arabia.

After repeated failed promises to reform Jordan’s government, King Abdullah’s appointment of Omar Razzaz seems to ignore the demands of the protestors. The IMF-backed reforms have strained middle and lower class Jordanians, and a former World Bank official as Prime Minister is indicative of Jordan’s intent to continue pursuing IMF reform proposals. Jordan’s Military Veterans Association also expressed disappointment in Razzaz, calling him “unfit” to lead the country through this crisis. Although popular now, Abdullah must carefully weigh the necessary austerity measures with the economic realities of Jordan’s lower class citizens, who began their protests because of such measures.

For the time being, the demonstrations remain as mostly peaceful protests against increased costs of living, higher taxes, and limited job opportunities. The protests are advocating for governmental reform rather than regime change. But if the King is unable to promote meaningful reform, Jordanian citizens could reach a breaking point.

Considering that some of Jordan’s veterans groups have been critical of the monarchy in the past, this event should not be written off as a simple protest. Jordan’s economic woes have continued for years, and its government does not appear to be close to a solution.

The U.S. government must closely monitor the situation while also remaining wary of Iran’s attempts to increase its influence in the Kingdom. If Jordan is unable to overcome this economic crisis, the United States risks losing a key ally in improving the security of the Middle East.

 

 

Egyptian Authorities Raid Apartment, Killing 6 Linked To Hasm Movement

On March 25th Egyptian authorities raided an apartment building in the Beheira governorate region killing 6 people linked to Hasm, an armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood that was put on the U.S. Department of Treasuries’ in January of 2018 and the United Kingdom’s (UK) proscribed terrorist organizations list in December of 2017. Several weapons were confiscated during the raid including six explosive devices, and four safes containing ammunition.

Hasm, a group founded by Mohamad Kamal who was a former council member for the Muslim Brotherhood, was constructed after the Brotherhood was ousted from power in 2013. In addition to Hasm, Kamal structured multiple terror cells like Ajnad Misr and Liwa al-Thawra. These groups targeted security forces on behalf of the Muslim Brotherhood’s interests. But in October of 2016 Kamal was killed during a firefight with security forces in Cairo.

In 2016-17 Hasm carried out multiple attacks on Egyptian security personnel. The group had first announced its creation in July of 2016 after an attack in the Fayoum Governate. Then, in December of 2016 6 police officers were killed due to the explosion of a road side bomb at a police checkpoint. In October of 2017, 16 police officers were killed and 13 others were injured after attempting to raid a “desert hideout” 84 miles west of Cairo.

Hasm’s latest attack occurred on March 24th when the motorcade of Major-General Mostafa al-Nemr, the head security chief of Alexandria, was attacked. The motorcade was traveling through the neighborhood of Rushdi when a bomb under a car exploded killing two soldiers. The interior ministry said Brotherhood leader Bassem Gad was responsible for ordering the attack on al-Nemir’s convoy.

The attack came just days before Egypt’s 2018 presidential election which was held from March 26th-28th. Egypt has been beefing up security nationwide ahead of the election. In March of 2018 the Islamic State (IS) published announcements on a website called Akhbar al-Muslimeen warning the people of Egypt to stay away from election centers. IS also stated that if your home is adjacent to an election center, you should leave it temporarily.

The Islamic State has had relative success in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, but on February 9th, 2018, the Egyptian military launched an offensive against the Islamic State and have killed 105 IS fighters since the beginning of the operation. A military spokesman said that there is no time limit for the operation and it will conclude when it achieves its goal(s).

The Egyptian government should continue to target the Hasm Movement as their attacks continue throughout the nation. The designations from the UK and US will help Egyptian government officials in their fight against the movement.

Islamist Influence in Hollywood

Islamist Influence in Hollywood

Exposed: The Civilization Jihad Against America’s Popular Culture

New Monograph from Center for Security Policy Reveals Efforts to Manipulate Hollywood Films, and Therefore Popular Culture, to Undermine and Ultimately Dominate America

The #MeToo movement has revealed the hypocrisy of prominent individuals in Hollywood who claim to support women’s rights, while at the same time serially violating them. Yet, an even more sinister hypocrisy in Hollywood still lies beneath the surface – under-reported, often unnoticed and sometimes blatantly denied. That is the alliance of Hollywood Lefists with Islamist organizations that present themselves as champions of multiculturalism and inclusion, but in reality oppose everything that the Left claims to hold dear.

This as-yet-unchallenged hypocrisy has, however, just been brilliantly exposed in a new monograph by Center for Security Policy Senior Fellow Deborah Weiss, Esq., an expert on the censorship and other influence operations of Sharia-supremacist organizations, here and abroad. Islamist Influence in Hollywood reveals such groups’ concerted efforts to manipulate Hollywood movies and independent films, and therefore the popular culture, in the service of their agenda of undermining America, and ultimately dominating it.

Of particular concern is the success such operations have had in whitewashing Islamic terrorism and the totalitarian political, military and legal doctrine that animates it: Sharia. To the extent they have effectively targeted the film-making industry in order to shape popular perceptions and control the public narrative on critical issues of the day, these initiatives are insidious and even subversive.

Though purely pietistic aspects of Sharia can be practiced within constitutional bounds, in its entirety, Sharia is antithetical to the U.S. Constitution and the liberties it guarantees. It treats women as second- class citizens, discriminates against non-Muslims, severely punishes homosexuality, and precludes both freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Those who whitewash such facts want to keep the American people from understanding their true mission of undermining liberty and human rights as practiced in this country.

As Ms. Weiss documents, Sharia-supremacists are insinuating themselves into script-writing, Hollywood “consulting,” film production, and even financial scholarships designed to facilitate young Muslims’ penetration of the entertainment industry. The public will be surprised to learn of the extent of Islamist influence in Hollywood, both in movies held out as simply entertainment as well as in so-called “documentaries.”

Islamic supremacist organizations, however, cannot succeed on their own. Ms. Weiss’s monograph documents Hollywood’s complicity and collaboration with Islamist organizations, in some cases capitulating to their demands out of fear, and in other cases championing their cause in the name of political correctness.

The election of President Trump has only exacerbated the situation. With the far-Left’s hatred of all things Trump, whatever objectivity the entertainment industry had has largely been lost. Emotions are running high and wittingly or not, many producers, script-writers, and actors are aligning with Islamic supremacists, simply for the sake of delegitimizing the President.

For example, Hollywood, as well as many in the mainstream media and political elite, overwhelmingly and falsely characterized Trump’s Executive Order imposing a temporary immigration pause as a “Muslim ban.” In fact, the order omitted the vast majority of predominantly Muslim countries and was premised on a list of “countries of concern” designated by President Obama as having a high risk of importing terrorism. The Executive Order, eventually determined to be constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court, sought only to afford the new Administration a chance to develop an effective approach for screening out terrorists. Yet, many in Hollywood aligned with the Islamists among them in mischaracterizing this eminently sensible, modest and short-duration national security measure as religious discrimination motivated by anti-Muslim animus.

Michael Moore perfectly captured the extent of this alignment when he posted a photo of himself holding a sign saying “We are all Muslim.” Ironically, if the Sharia-supremacists such Hollywood celebrities enable are able to get their way, we all may wind up having to be Muslims or dhimmis the Islamists compel to submit and pay a degrading tax known as the jizya.

Upon the release of Islamist Influence in Hollywood, Frank Gaffney Jr. President of the Center for Security Policy observed:

Deborah Weiss’ well-researched and meticulously documented monograph reminds us of the importance of Hollywood and the film industry as an agent for social change. She reveals how Islamist organizations who believe neither in free speech nor equality for all use that core American freedom to censor information about Sharia and its supremacist agenda. The role of Hollywood’s influence in determining how society and its institutions – notably, academia, law enforcement and the faith community – perceive Sharia’s threat should not be overlooked or underestimated.

Ms. Weiss’ in-depth research connects the dots between Islamist organizations that would do us harm and the script-writers, producers and actors in Hollywood who have made them bedfellows. The Center for Security Policy is proud to present Deborah Weiss’ new monograph as an excellent addition to its Civilization Jihad Reader Series.

Israeli Defense Forces Destroy Hamas Tunnel

March 17th an explosive detonated on the Israeli/Gaza border, with no casualties and minimal damage to the security fence separating Gaza and Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces responded with tank fire shelling a Hamas outpost just east of Gaza City, where one person was slightly injured.

On March 18th, the Israeli air force destroyed an underground Hamas facility located in the Gaza strip and a separate tunnel which ran from southern Gaza into Israel.

The tunnel was destroyed from within Israeli territory, using a compound developed for the purpose. According to the IDF Hamas was seeking to reconnect an older tunnel which was destroyed in 2014 to a new section of tunnel in southern Gaza.

This is the fourth tunnel Israel has destroyed since October of 2017. Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Hamas should invest money in the welfare of the people in Gaza because the Israelis intended to destroy the Hamas tunnel project “by the end of the year.”

 

In 2014 Israel launched Operation Protective Edge which was a war between Israel and Gaza. It started due to three Israeli teenagers being kidnapped and killed by Hamas operatives in the West Bank. Israel launched a military operation to find the three boys and arrested hundreds of Hamas members. Hamas responded by launching rocket attacks out of Gaza. During the conflict Israel had placed a high priority on the tunnel threat when Hamas fighters infiltrated Israel killing 5 Israeli soldiers.

 

The Israeli military said it did not know the scope of the tunnel system until troops were put in the area, that year Israel destroyed 32 tunnels.

 

The tunnels were established to undermine Israeli control of borders to and from the Gaza strip. The tunnels ran from south Gaza into Egypt, with Hamas controlling tunnel access for a profit. Weapons, people, and cars were smuggled through the tunnels as well as Egyptian gasoline due to Israeli fuel being too expensive.

 

Egypt’s prior President Mohammed Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood were sympathetic towards Hamas. But after Morsi was ousted in 2013 and the beginning of a Muslim Brotherhood-backed insurgency against now Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the Egyptian Army has targeted and destroyed many cross-border smuggling tunnels.

 

The Islamic State (IS) is currently fighting the Egyptian military in the Sinai Peninsula and much of their success has come from trade with Hamas through the tunnel system. The IS smuggled weapons into Gaza and Hamas helped train IS fighters. But in early 2018 IS declared war on Hamas, publicly ending their relationship.

 

In January of 2018 Israel unveiled plans to have a 40-mile-long underground wall built around Gaza. Israeli military officials said this wall will stop Hamas from launching attacks from the tunnels into southern Israel. The wall is expected to take two years to build and cost 500 million euros.

CAIR attempts to shut down valuable police training in Georgia

by Christopher Holton

The Muslim Brotherhood’s Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) is up to its usual tricks.

This time, in the state of Georgia, CAIR is waging a disinformation campaign to end valuable counterjihad training that has been conducted by a military and law enforcement professional across the southeastern United States for years.

The thorough and authoritative training is led by a man named David Bores. Bores is a retired US Army Lieutenant Colonel and Vietnam combat veteran who, upon retiring from the Army embarked upon a successful law enforcement career, rising to the rank of Major in one of Georgia’s sheriff’s departments, before becoming the chief of police in Woodstock, Georgia.

Since retiring from active law enforcement, Bores has, without compensation, trained dozens of law enforcement agencies on the state and local level from the Carolinas to Arkansas and Louisiana.

His training is certified and he has provided training at police academies, as well as to on-duty peace officers. His curriculum has been praised and endorsed by Georgia’s Association of Chiefs of Police.

CAIR held a news conference recently at a leftist union hall to call for an end to Bores’ training, not based on any specific content in the course, but because Bores is not an Islamic theologian.

Not surprisingly, the secretive and discredited leftist Southern Poverty Law Center, a close ally of CAIR, has piled on with it’s own disinformation campaign aimed at Bores, who can accurately be described as a true patriot and American hero.

Law enforcement everywhere would benefit from David Bores’ training. Any leader or member of the law enforcement community who is having second thoughts about Bores’ training should regard CAIR’s opposition as the equivalent as an endorsement of the training.

The opposition from CAIR to the training should raise a red flag, simply because of what CAIR is.

CAIR is a nefarious, subversive organization with a disturbing past and even more disturbing ties to Jihadist terrorism. The evidence indicating that CAIR is actually an anti-American, sharia-supremecist organization is overwhelming:

• The Federal Bureau of Investigation has suspended all formal contacts with CAIR due to evidence demonstrating a relationship between CAIR and HAMAS, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.

• In the U.S. v the Holy Land Foundation, the largest successful terrorism financing prosecution in U.S. history, CAIR was identified as a Muslim Brotherhood front group and was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the trial…CAIR opened its first office in Washington, D.C. with the help of a grant from the Holy Land Foundation, a charitable organization that was shut down by the US Treasury Department for funding Jihadist terrorist organizations.

• In 2014, U.S. ally the United Arab Emirates officially designated CAIR as a terrorist organization.

• In March 2011, Muthanna al-Hanooti, one of CAIR’s directors, was sentenced to a year in federal prison for violating U.S. sanctions against Saddam’s Iraq.

• In 2006, the co-founder of CAIR’s parent organization, IAP (Islamic Association for Palestine), Sami Al-Arian, was sentenced to 57 months in prison on terrorism charges for financing Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a designated terrorist organization according to the US State Department.

• In 2004, CAIR-Northern Virginia director Abdurahman Alamoudi pled guilty to terrorism-related financial and conspiracy charges, which resulted in a 23- year federal prison sentence.

• In 2009, Ghassan Elashi, who served as a founding board member for CAIR’s regional chapter in Texas, was sentenced to a total of 65 years in prison after being convicted of 10 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization; 11 counts of conspiracy to provide, and the provision of, funds, goods and services to a Specially Designated Terrorist; 10 counts of conspiracy to commit, and the commission of, money laundering; one count of conspiracy to impede and impair the Internal Revenue Service (IRS); and two counts of filing a false tax return.

• Randall Todd (Ismail) Royer, who served as a communications specialist and civil rights coordinator for CAIR, trained with and set up an internet-based newsletter for Lashkar-I-Taiba, an al Qaeda-tied Kashmir organization that is listed on the State Department’s international terror list and was also indicted on charges of conspiring to help al Qaeda and the Taliban battle American troops in Afghanistan and was sentenced to twenty years in prison on April 9, 2004.

• In September 2003, CAIR’s former Community Affairs Director, Bassem Khafagi, pled guilty to three federal counts of bank and visa fraud and agreed to be deported to Egypt after he had funneled money to activities supporting terrorism and had published material advocating suicide attacks against the United States, illegal activities which took place while he was employed by CAIR.

• Ann Arbor, Michigan CAIR fundraiser Rabih Haddad was arrested on terrorism-related charges and was deported from the United States due to his work as Executive Director of the Global Relief Foundation, which in October 2002 was designated by the U.S. Treasury Department for financing al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

Opposition from CAIR to training designed to help America’s law enforcement heroes should be viewed as a foreign influence operation. Their opposition to counterjihad today is not unlike that of subversive activity from the German-American Bund in the 1930s.

Hamas Is Here: New Center Monograph Documents The Jihadist Network Inside The United States

HAMAS_CAIR_MB

HAMAS has long been known as a Middle East terror organization that declares in its foundational Covenant that the obliteration of Israel is its raison d’etre and regularly fires missiles and digs tunnels across the border from Gaza to make that happen. But until now, its extensive networked presence here in the United States has been less well-understood, largely because of HAMAS’ success in disguising its operations through an array of front groups.

To cut through the web of HAMAS deceit, veteran Middle East analyst and author Ilana Freedman brings another volume in the Center for Security Policy Press’ Civilization Jihad Reader series, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood. As she explains in her highly readable yet fact-rich style, the Muslim Brotherhood (of which HAMAS is the Palestinian franchise) sought to expand into this country soon after World War II. But it really established a solid foothold with the founding in 1993 of the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) by the top HAMAS operatives in the United States at the time.

As Freedman explains in her in-depth treatment of the 2008 Holy Land Foundation/HAMAS terror funding trial, while CAIR may be the most directly tied of the HAMAS branches inside the U.S., hundreds of other Brotherhood front groups all share the same objective, as spelled out in the Brotherhood’s 1991 Explanatory Memorandum. That objective is “destroying…Western Civilization from within and sabotaging its miserable house by their hands [meaning those of the infidels]….” Unlike in the Middle East, where HAMAS’ Gaza operation confronts Israel kinetically and constantly, inside the U.S., the preferred method thus far has been “civilization jihad” – the stealthy, subversive use of infiltration, subversion and deception to pursue the destruction of the pillars of American society “from within.” By posing as “moderate” Islamic alternatives to the vicious violence of the likes of al Qaeda, the Islamic State or Taliban, the U.S. Brotherhood front groups have enjoyed remarkable success in advancing this agenda.

That is largely because Americans are all-too-often are unprepared to recognize deceit when it is employed in a sustained, disciplined fashion by skilled professionals. Consequently, as documented in a number of CSP Press’ other Civilization Jihad Reader Series offerings, key U.S. constituencies – notably, in academia, the courts and legal system, faith communities, government at all levels, local law enforcement and society in general – have failed to recognize that they are under assault by Brotherhood-associated individuals and groups. This is all the more shocking given that the latter’s loyalty to the triumph of Islam’s supremacist Sharia doctrine and to jihad to establish its dominance worldwide is of a piece with the ambitions of other jihadist groups.

Ilana Freedman cuts through such confusion, cognitive dissonance and willful blindness to exposes one group after another that represent themselves as not-for-profit organizations, Muslim advocacy representatives, or legitimate businesses for the jihadist front group they really are. For example, in addition to CAIR, she highlights the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Muslim Public Affairs Committee (MPAC), the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and many more tied to the Muslim Brotherhood by the Department of Justice in the Holy Land Foundation trial.

Of particular importance is Freedman’s examination of how the U.S. Muslim Brotherhood has evolved with its formation in 2014 of the U.S. Council of Muslim Organizations (USCMO). Her analysis of the USCMO’s known links not only to jihadist fronts but to groups like Black Lives Matter and the Saul Alinsky-type anarchists that cluster under the name “Antifa” is especially timely as we see these apparently disparate groups form connections in a common drive to destroy America’s constitutional Republic. In addition, Freedman connects all these dots to national level donors and funders who enable such subversive operations to function.

In the following video, Center for Security Policy Vice President for Research and Analysis, Clare Lopez, who serves as the editor-in-chief of the “Terror Jihad” collection and its companion, the “Civilization Jihad Readers Series,” introduces the Center’s new monograph, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood.

Upon the publication of Ilana Freedman’s new monograph, Center’s President, Frank J. Gaffney, observed:

The damage to U.S. national security wrought by the subversive operations of HAMAS and other Muslim Brotherhood groups is less immediately visible than acts of violent terrorism. But in the long-term, it is these civilization jihadists’ relentless corrosion of the pillars of America’s society that poses the most grave threat to our Republic.

The Center is pleased to present the latest addition to our Civilization Jihad Reader series, HAMAS, CAIR & the Muslim Brotherhood as an important contribution to exposing and countering this insidious peril inside our country.

Israel Closes Border Crossings Into Gaza

On December 14th, the Israeli military carried out strikes in Gaza targeting Hamas facilities and announced it will close border crossings into Gaza until further notice in response to rockets fired from Gaza towards Israel.

This decision comes just over a week after President Trump announced, on December 6th, that the U.S. will officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the U.S. embassy will be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. After Trump’s announcement, protests were organized in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the decision drew criticism from during an Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in Turkey on December 13th, and several U.S. allies have come out against the decision.

The two crossings, Kerem Shalom and Erez are the only two crossings left on the Israeli border with Gaza. Kerem Shalom is the main crossing point used to move supplies and goods in and out of Gaza and Erez is a pedestrian crossing. Closing these border crossings will tighten the Israeli blockade of Gaza.

The only other crossing into Gaza is on the Egyptian border. The border crossing was most recently scheduled to be reopened by Egypt on November 25th, but has remained closed following an attack on a mosque in Sinai that killed at least 300 civilians. Egypt has previously canceled planned openings of the border crossing, citing an unstable security situation in the country. Egypt blames Hamas for providing fighters and training to jihadist groups targeting Egyptian security forces and civilians. Egypt has rarely opened the crossing since the 2013 removal of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi, a prominent member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and close ally of Hamas.

About 15 rockets have been fired towards Israel since Trump’s announcement. While Israeli defense forces believe that Islamic Jihad fighters are responsible for the rocket fire, they hold Hamas solely responsible for the strikes because Hamas’ forces control the territory.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh has called for a new intifada against Israel in the wake of the Embassy decision. The terrorist organization urged Palestinians to protest at the border fence. Clashes between Palestinians and Israeli riot police resulted in at least 2 Palestinians dead and dozens injured. Additionally an Israeli border guard was injured in a stabbing attack by a Palestinian wearing what appeared to be a suicide bomb vest, which did not detonate.

During these tensions, Hamas is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the group’s founding. The organization was created by the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in order to participate in attacks on Israel, and to provide an Islamist alternative to the Palestinian nationalist PLO. Efforts by the Muslim Brotherhood to establish an armed group culminated with Hamas’ participation in the 1st Intifada in 1987. The group continues to deny the existence of a state of Israel, oppose the peace process, and to promote attacks against Israelis. Hamas swears to force the U.S. to reverse its decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. Haniyeh also called on all Arab and Muslim nations to set aside every Friday for days of rage until the U.S. reverses its decision.

Despite Hamas’ rhetoric, it is uncertain if another intifada is likely, since Hamas suffered severe setbacks following the 2014 Israeli-Gaza conflict, after Israeli forces retaliated for a Hamas operation which kidnapped and killed 3 Israeli teenagers. Hamas is facing strained relations with other Arab states, due to wider regional tensions between an Arab coalition of states led by Saudi Arabia, and Hamas’ patrons, which include Iran, Turkey and Qatar.

Is the Hasm Movement the Future of Terror in Egypt?

On October 20th, as many as 50 Egyptian police officers were killed in an attack while conducting operations on a suspected hideout of the armed group Hasm, in a desert town about 85 miles southwest of Cairo.

This was one of the deadliest attacks this year suffered by Egypt’s security forces. The Hasm movement claimed responsibility for the attack. Eight police vehicles were hit when they were following a lead which indicated that an apartment was housing eight suspected members of Hasm.

The group hit the convoy with gunfire and rockets said police officials. Additionally, after the ambush, the insurgents went through the disabled vehicles, seizing weapons and executing survivors.

An official statement issued by the Egyptian Interior Ministry put the number of casualties lower at 16 officers killed and 13 wounded, but did not explain the discrepancy with news reports. The statement also claimed that the police had killed or wounded about 15 of the insurgents. The statement said that the incident would be investigated.

Hasm emerged publicly  when it claimed credit for an attack on a police officer on July 18, 2016. Since then, the group has claimed credit for a number of deadly attacks on security forces and assassinations of public figures, including a failed attempt in August 2016 to assassinate the former Grand Mufti of Egypt, Ali Gomaa.

The Egyptian government accuses Hasm of being the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood which was outlawed in 2013.

Following the fall of President Morsi Muslim Brotherhood Shura council member Mohamed Kamal, began to structure terror cells, such as the Popular Resistance Movement. These cells under Kamal’s command were focused on targeting security forces and personnel, as well as attacking churches.

Hasm was created under Kamal’s influence, and the attacks which have been conducted recently by Hasm serve the Brotherhood’s interests. Kamal was killed when security forces raided an apartment which was being used as a Brotherhood safe house in October of 2016.  While Muslim Brotherhood has claimed that it wants to move toward a non-violent stance and denies any connection itself and Hasm, Brotherhood leaders expressed outrage at Kamal’s death.

The attack on the 20th came just a few days after Hasm attacked al-Arish  in the Sinai Peninsula. The group robbed a local bank and fired grenades, while shooting at security forces guarding a vacant church on the 16th. The services at the church were suspended several months ago following a wave of attacks on Christians in Sinai. 3 civilians, 3 guards and 1 soldier were killed and 15 other civilians were injured during this attack.  Al-Arish has been in a state of emergency with a curfew since 2014 when the Islamic State began deadly attacks and kidnappings within the area.

U.S. Embassy in Cairo  is aware of the threat from the terror group. In May of 2017 Hasm posted on their website a message threatening Americans living in Cairo. The threat was not acted on, however, the Embassy urged Americans to follow security guidelines issued by the State Department.

Insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula has grown since the overthrow of President Mohamed Mursi. Mursi was a member of the Muslim Brotherhood who was elected president of Egypt after the 2011 Arab spring, that ended Hosni Mubarak’s 30-year rule. Then on July 3rd, 2013 following the mass protests against his rule, Mursi was removed by the military. The current president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has been carrying out an extensive campaign to crackdown on the Muslim Brotherhood’s   base of support by jailing many of the group’s members on charges of terrorism, rioting, and incitement to violence.

On the 24th Egyptian security forces arrested 12 suspected members of Hasm, and confiscated weapons and explosive devices. The members arrested were located in the province of Fayoum about 40 miles south of Cairo. The Egyptian Interior Ministry did not state whether the members arrested were involved in the attack on the 16th or the 20th.

With Hasm’s attacks on government officials, servicemen and increasingly civilians, specifically in the Sinai region, the Egyptian government should continue to target the terror group through investigations and military action if the Egyptian government wants to counter the group’s growing insurgency. The government also needs to address the direct links between Hasm and the Muslim Brotherhood, and more effectively present this case to it’s allies in order to receive international assistance in halting their violent acts of terror.