Terrorism expert or a 'Doogie Howser'?

Arizona Daily Star - South Florida Sun-Sentinel ^ | Vanessa Blum

[SandRat]

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Defense lawyers in a major South Florida terror case want to make sure jurors never hear from witness Evan Kohlmann.

The proposed government expert on al-Qaida is simply no expert, lawyers say.

He has no Ph.D., no faculty position and no real-life experience in the Middle East. Plus there's the age thing.

Kohlmann, who has testified five times for the government already, is just 27. He's been called the "Doogie Howser" of terrorism.

One critic cracked that prosecutors have been using Kohlmann "since he was a zygote."

Kohlmann has fought off such attacks before. The Fort Lauderdale high school graduate doesn't take it personally. "It's a fairly common tactic to try to disqualify me," he said. "I would do the same thing if I were in their position."

Prosecutors want Kohlmann — who started his own terror-related Web site and wrote a book about al-Qaida by age 25 — to explain the complex world of Islamic terrorism to jurors at a Miami trial of an alleged terror cell.

[kcvl]

Evan Kohlmann, founder of globalterroralert.com

[SandRat]

I don't know much about him other than the Irish Leprechaun on Fox couldn't brow beat him and got the worst end of the debate with him. As for the times he's had to verbally fence with Alan Colmes; all Colmes could do was stutter and come away looking as thought his clothes had been cut up by an edged weapon expert using butterfly knives.

[kcvl]

Evan Kohlmann:

There are already such groups in existence on the Internet. Besides the well-known "Internet Haganah" Web site (Internet Haganah), there is a variety of hackers and other Internet volunteers who monitor these sites and report their location. Unfortunately, the results are typically short-lived. At least for now, the terrorist Web sites can jump around faster than they can be shut down.

[kcvl]

Evan Kohlmann is an international terrorism consultant and author of the upcoming book, Al Qaida's Jihad in Europe: the Afghan-Bosnian Network.

[ndt]

He does sound a bit thin on credentials. That does not mean he doesn't know his stuff, but without current or former security clearances of some sort, there must be a mountain of data he has never seen.

[SandRat]

Let's just say he's verrry close on his assessments.

[Cindy]

He posts here also:

http://www.counterterrorismblog.org/

[IDontLikeToPayTaxes]

I don't guess he's more or less qualified than the endless parade of infobabes Foxnews has on constantly to comment on politics, the economy, terrorism, culture, etc etc.

[Triggerhippie]

I have met dumbasses with and without degrees.

I prefer my doctors, lawyers, and other "experts" to have one.

I remember what my Platoon Sergeant in Basic said: "Just kause you got some fancy Kolleege Degree sure don't mean you got any schmartz!"

LOL! That is so messed up, I'm not sure where to begin.

[Txsleuth]

I have seen him a lot on Fox and he impresses the heck out of me...

Of course I am ignorant enough not to know if he is "right" or not.

Sounds like the pre-loss sour grapes by the defense attorneys to me.

[Silicon Cowboy]

Ok.. If the guy was twelve, I could see an argument but 27?!?

[FairOpinion]

Thanks, Oorang.

[darkwing104]

The guy has skills and should use them, but for where he is needed they requires a college degree to do the same job that enlisted folks do (Analyze).

My experience with the degree analysts have been mixed, most of them couldn't tell their butt from a hole in the ground.

As for the defense lawyers, they are just like career politicians and journalists; Clueless.

[SandRat]

We later found out (after graduation and sworn to secrecy; free to talk about him now as he's had his final eternal Permanent Change of Duty Station) it was all a play act and that he actually had an advanced degree in Physics.

[Panzerlied]

"I guess if the defense lawyers cant refute his testimony, they resort to name calling."

If the facts are on your side, pound the facts.
If the facts are against you, pound the table!

[garjog]

Actually, his bio on his web sites sounds like he is qualified. He has a degree in international politics and a JD.

"Kohlmann is an International Terrorism Consultant with years of experience tracking Al-Qaida and other contemporary terrorist movements. In the course of his research, Mr. Kohlmann has traveled overseas to interview prominent Al-Qaida leaders and has amassed one of the largest digital databases in the world of terrorist communiqués and multimedia. During that time, he has also lectured and given briefings to a diverse collection of law enforcement and intelligence bodies--including the U.S. Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Department of Justice, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Mr. Kohlmann holds a degree in International Politics from the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service (Georgetown University), and a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is also the recipient of a certificate in Islamic studies from the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding (CMCU) at Georgetown University."

[whtabtbill]

Sounds like they're scared of him -- I would be too if I were supposedly educated with a degree and some average joe could out think me. Most liberals feel the same way.

[adam_smith_76]

I've seen him many times, and he is absolutely one of the most knowledgeable experts I've ever seen. You see a lot of experts on TV, but he is one of the few who really stands out above the rest.

Unfortunately, after reading your post, I see he has a J.D., so he was a lawyer in training. I hope I can still trust what he says. ;)

[tsmith130]

He has no Ph.D., no faculty position

I'd say those are two points in his favor.

[Triggerhippie]

Why didn't he trade in the stripes? Love of that particular job?

I was merely a cadet and got a damn sight better treatment than the enlistees.