Posted on 12/12/2006 1:32:07 PM PST by governsleastgovernsbest
Sorry, didn't know that.
Hearing Reyes blow an easy question about al-Qaeda that most posters to this forum could answer is not reassuring. Maybe I'm just naive, but after this and Ted Stevens babbling about the Internet, I'm a bit surprised at the realization that many of the people we elect to Congress are fools.
I heard reports that Reyes wanted Stein to speak to him in Spanish so he could better understand. I can see where this is going.
I was a little disappointed when I finally found the details of the CQ article. Sure, an incoming chairman of the Intel committee should have a lot on the ball and be well acquainted with world events, especially Islam lately.
But to confuse Sunni and Shiite muslims is all too easy a mistake to make, as the reporter seems to have found out himself. Furthermore, most people (even well educated) couldn't explain what originally caused the rift between the sects, much less keep straight which was which.
That said, I don't doubt that Reyes is ill-equipped for the job, but I was hoping for better evidence than this.
"But knowing the enemy is important....." Agreed. However, I doubt that it's important to know the difference when your primary job is to obtain budget from congress, and making sure you live up to the traditional political ideals of "Me first", and "I just want to be loved".
To a politician - any politician, including Reyes - a war is just a better way to get your face on TV. I have yet to meet a politician I didn't despise.
I wonder if Reyes knows that Saddam is also Sunni?
It is not strange that Silvestre cannot identify the Sunnis from Shiites. Most of the Democrats think America is the enemy.
Ouch!
Given his answers to the other questions, I doubt that he knows. Or that Ahmadinejad is Shi'ite.
What exactly would be "better evidence" that could show the incoming Democrat Intelligence Committee chairman doesn't understand the very nature of the enemy?
Particularly in contrast to outgoing Intelligence Committee Chairman Pete Hoekstra, who not only understood the difference, but was practically persecuted by the MSM for rightfully uncovering leakers/sympathizers/usefulidiots within the US intel community.
Oh, lets stay tuned. I'm sure he'll deliver up some even tastier morsels of ignorance. :-)
Entirely in agreement. I don't think Reyes will fail in being a catastrophically bad Intel chair.
An absolute must-read book about Islam is Brigette Gabriel's WHY THEY HATE. Now an American citizen who started ACT, she lived in Lebanon, has worked in Israel, and knows first hand what Muslims believe do and are doing right now under our noses.
This goes to show much better it is to REALLY READ the article before one comments...
I saw this earlier on MSNBC (Joe Scarborough) .More than a little shocking, since they usually bury this sort of thing.
I think you may be picking nits this time.
BUMP anyway.
Regards,
LH
You're right - I am picking a nit to some extent. But it does seem ironic that of all things, a guy whose entire story is the way Reyes got Al Qaeda's religious affiliation wrong got it wrong himself.
ON CNN this morning, they had this bit listed as "Political Gatcha" comparing it and showing clips of President Bush during his campaign not having a name, Ford during his debate with Carter and a George Allen/ Webb debate. I moved before I could see what the last one was about since it was probably an error by Allen. There were three info people involved in this story and they were chuckling through the entire story. They thought it was funny that the incoming Chair of the House Intelligence Committee was ignorant of an important fact in his area of "expertise."
I don't know how anyone can watch CNN. I was in a doctor's waiting room seeing it on mute and I couldn't take it for more than a few minutes.
Nor do I.
I personally prefer the Ann Coulter solution...
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