Posted on 07/01/2016 5:40:24 PM PDT by Kaslin
Sparks flew between U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Thursday, as Cruz continued his efforts to expose the Obama administration’s "willful blindness" to radical Islamic terrorism.
Cruz began his line of questioning by noting that DHS didn't attend the hearing he held on Tuesday, "Willful Blindness: Consequences of Agency Efforts To Deemphasize Radical Islam in Combating Terrorism."
He proceeded to fill Johnson in on what he missed, describing evidence and testimony that he said revealed a "systematic effort" to scrub all references of Islam in government documents.
"For example, in the 9/11 Commission report the word 'jihad' appears 126 times, the word Muslim appears in that report 145 times, the word Islam appears in that report 322 times," Cruz said. "And yet since that 9/11 report, new policies have been put into effect and as a matter of systematic policy those terms are no longer allowed to be used in this administration. The FBI counter-terror lexicon uses the word jihad zero times. The national Intelligence Strategy of 2009 uses jihad zero times, the Strategic Implementation Plan to Prevent Violent Extremism of 2011 uses the word zero times. The National Intelligence Strategy of 2014 uses the word zero times."
"We heard testimony from a former employee of the Department of Homeland Security, Phil Haney, that in October of 2009 more than 800 Customs and Border Patrol documents were ordered modified, scrubbed, or deleted to remove references to jihad or the Muslim Brotherhood, or other similar references," Cruz said.
Cruz asked Johnson if Haney's testimony was accurate.
"I have no idea," the DHS chief answered dismissively. "I don't know who Mr. Haney is. I wouldn't know him if he walked in the room."
Haney, of course, is the "DHS whistleblower" who made a huge splash in the news last December when he spilled the beans on what the Obama administration was doing to restrict law enforcement and intelligence efforts to combat Islamic extremism.
Having quit the department a few months earlier, the San Bernardino massacre prompted him to blow the whistle on the administration because he was convinced that his investigation (which was shut down by the Obama State Department) could have prevented the attack. In February of this year, Haney went public with his claim that DHS ordered him to scrub records of Muslims with terror ties.
He made several appearances on Fox News as well as several radio talk shows, and wrote at least one op-ed to bring attention to his concerns.
"The Obama administration is more concerned with the rights of non-citizens in known Islamist groups than with the safety and security of the American people," Haney wrote in The Hill last December.
One wonders what kind of bubble the Homeland Security chief lives in to have missed all of that.
Next Page: "It makes no difference to me..."
Cruz continued to press the increasingly irritated Johnson, who kept saying, "Same answer, I have no idea, sir."
Asked if he would be concerned if it were true, Johnson was again dismissive: “Senator, I find this whole debate to be very interesting,” -- but -- "it makes no difference to me in terms of who we need to go after..." He touted the administration's PC line that the U.S. government shouldn’t be giving ISIS the credence that they want -- which is to be referred to as part of Islam.
"We will get nowhere in our efforts to build bridges with Muslim communities -- which we need to do -- in this current environment right now that includes homegrown violent extremists," Johnson said. "They all tell me that 'ISIL has hijacked my religion,' and it's critical that we bring these people into our side to do this..."
Cruz stopped him right there. "You're entitled to give speeches at other times," he said. "My question was are you aware that the information has been scrubbed. I would note that the title of the hearing on Tuesday was 'Willful Blindness' and your testimony to this full committee now is that you have no idea and apparently have no intention of finding out whether DHS materials have been scrubbed."
Johnson objected to that, but Cruz was on a roll. "When you erase references to radical jihad it impacts the behavior of law enforcement and national security to respond to red flags and to prevent terrorist attacks before they occur," he argued.
“What concerns me, and I believe should concern the Department of Homeland Security, is that because of this effort – scrubbing your law enforcement materials of any acknowledgment of radical Islamic terrorism – when you see the red flags of radical Islamic terrorism, you do not follow up on them effectively. And we have terrorist attack, after terrorist attack, after terrorist attack that could have been prevented but for this Administration’s willful blindness.”
Watch the whole thing:
Sen. Cruz Questions DHS Sec. Johnson on Admin’s Willful Blindness to Radical Islamic Terrorism
I’ll get over my CDS when Cruz gets over his TDS.
In the meantime, as I said, I’m willing to be fair and give him a chance to impress me.
Honestly, I wouldn’t even call this deranged behavior on my part. I’m very unhappy with his behavior re: the presidential primary season but I can still acknowledge when he does things right.
Of course... I’m used to certain Cruz supporters just throwing shit at me no matter how fair or unfair I am.
Why shouldn’t he be arrogant?The half breed has issued the orders; the robots in the regime carry them out without questioning AND all these hearings are a total waste of time and money. NOTHING IS GOING TO BE DONE ABOUT IT.
We have a dictator in the making, a renegade regime and lawlessness unprecedented in our history. A Democrat could eat a live baby on world wide TV and the rest of the Democrats would line up in lock step to defend the criminal act and the criminal.
At the other end of the table, a bunch of spineless cretins purport to “stand on Conservative principles”, all the while lying to us and selling out for 10 pieces of copper.
I did on Fox News and yes he was.
He should have never ran for President. He is a brilliant mind and is valuable in the Senate.
I’m sure if Trump acknowledged he went over the line attacking Cruz and his family in ways never really seen before, Cruz would make nice...
I least I hope so...
Please spare me the nonsense the Trump didn’t go over the line in implying his father had something to do with JFK assinantion his five mistress, the horrible picture of his wife...
It’s tyranny, no doubt about it.
It’s been decades in the making, and it may be too late to roll back, but if Hillary wins, it’s really over.
Personally, I’m very tired of Cruz and wish he’d just endorse and then go away for a few years.
But I’m willing to give him another chance to impress me.
And how did Cruz displease you in the way he handled Johnson?
I saw the exchange yesterday on Fox news and yes that Johnson person was a complete jerk actually reminded me of our current leader. Ted Cruz shut him down which was good.
Here is Johnson with his DC Muslim pals.https://www.adamscenter.org/?p=2904
I suspect that I must have not made my position clear.
I am very displeased with how Cruz handled his primary bid, and I’m still annoyed with his current behavior.
But I can acknowledge when he does something good, and this is one of the good things he’s done.
Excellent job by Cruz showing this pro-Islamist Obummer flak to be part of the enemy within.
Cruz is great in these situations. This is his perfect role. Where he’s sort of the prosecuting attorney grilling the defendant on the stand. It works because his job isn’t to make people like him, but to show that the guy he’s grilling is a lying jackass whose arguments don’t make sense. Cruz does that very well. I’m reminded of the time he totally shut down Medea Benjamin of Code Pink. I have never seen such a masterful takedown. Cruz has some serious skills that need to be employed against the left, even if he’s not everyone’s favorite guy in the world.
That's not right....here, I'll fix it:
ISIS Is to Islam What The KKK Is to Liberals.
You're not confusing it with the Liz Phair ad using a naked picture of Trump's wife in Utah? The one passed to her from Jeff Roe (aka Cruz campaign manager)?
Did he ask for $5, $10, $25, whatever it takes?
Trump wins, asks Ted Cruz to become Attorney General. The Senate confirms him(just to get him out of the Senate).
I wonder how arrogant Johnson will sound then when he is asked questions. Tell all these people to rent apartments or homes in the D.C. area because they will be answering subpoenas for the next 4 years. And they will be needing $600 an hour lawyers to keep the jail time down to less than 10 years. Break them financially, I don’t want any of them to profit from this BS. It sickens me to think that Josh Earnest will probably get a 6-7 figure salary with some network. What a BS artist.
Not confused at all...
I thought that was hitting below the belt too....
The difference is Cruz campaign didn’t put it out, a PAC did, in fairness, he didn’t stop it either....if he know about it...which I assume he did...
Trump twitted it out...
Also giving the Hillary campaign lots of ammno to use against him...
You prepared to defend Trump on implying Cruz father was involved in JFK murder and Cruz Five Mistress Story ...
I get the feeling that what’s really got Cruz pissed...
I forgot to add, Cruz knew he would be targeted in the primaries, not his family, you think Trump attacking his father was fair or even decent?
I actually thought Trump was better than that...
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