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
While I can certainly appreciate Cruz, Gowdy, and others, making these rat bast---- look small, by verbally assaulting them, I am wondering what good does it do?
A hearing here, a hearing there, a hearing everywhere, and then it's business as usual. Outside of a well deserved verbal assault, no one is ever held accountable for anything, so I just wonder what good does it do?
Well at least it’s good that Cruz has found a cause that he can agree with Trump about, even if they never explicitly refer to one another.
This Muslim jihad-America thing is a travesty (Cruz) and it’s sad (Trump) but in both cases, we need to address it.
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...”
Trump on Megyn’s show kind of apologized for the wife picture. He said he could have done without the picture of Ted’s wife when Megyn pressed him.
I haven’t heard him address the dad in on JFK’s assassination.
Both of them were acting ugly at one another.
Wasn’t this an association with Lee Harvey Oswald? Whether this carried on to the JFK assassination is anyone’s guess, did Trump ever say anything about it?
One might want an explanation though, and the dominionist theology is troubling enough. God never arranged for Christians to get the world on a silver platter, until Jesus puts everything under His feet. That’s presumptuous just as it was presumptuous for the devil to have asked Jesus to bow down to him to get the kingdoms of the world.
Oh BS.
Where were you found fawning over Trey Howdy grilling the Benghazi witnesses?..
At least Gowdy prefaced his committee investigation on Benghazi by saying, “nothing will be resolved under this administration”.
Now Gowdy is toast with most CReepers. All lights, camera, and no action, they say.
It’s the same with Cruz. Only in his case, it’s like he’s reading the news and the blogs to the witness.
At least Gowdy broke news, rounded up his own evidence and came up with witnesses by his own gum shoe doggedness.
You mean the spineless cretins can't even bargain with those slime sucking scum bag rats, and get 30 pieces of silver for us? What a bunch of spineless cretins.
So Cruz should have given Johnson a kiss on the cheek and let him pass off a bunch of BS...?
Get over your CDS...
Thank you for the clarification.
Thanks, but I’m hanging on to my CDS.
I am saying that reading news clippings to Johnson and slinging around his talent for cocky barbs isn’t all that heroic.
With Cruz you never know what is a pony show and what is productive. That means, actually producing. R E S U L T S.
Gowdy read chapter and verse also, but it was from his own hard work. I think there is a laudable difference in performance. And, it doesn’t go to Cruz.
Get it?
It’s something.
Nobody ever said Cruz did not have an important or helpful role to play with respect to America. It sure looks like that role isn’t to be President, but it’s not necessary for it to be.
The godly thing is to pray for all in authority just like the man said. It shouldn’t BE about adulation of people for people. It should be about what God hath wrought.
Self-effort ain’t the name of the game, lady.
God uses retreads. Moses was a retread. The first time he tried to be a savior, he bombed. The second time, er I’ll let you read the story.
“Meh” Johnson
So basically you are holding Cruz to a higher standard than any other congressman...
You want RESULTS when almost every other congressman gets zilch and doesn’t even try...
Got it...
You just sound like sour grapes. Cruz is doing good work here.
Yes. Definitely “sour grapes”.
Cruz has made it fashionable, right? :)
Old Jeh is a real piece of work. Funny how some black people in positions of power think they are gods.
C’mon, RitaOK, fess up and admit that Cruz is doing yeoman work here — taking this arrogant Jeh a-hole to task.
I say this as a Trump supporter. Cruz lost me in the primaries as a presidential candidate but there’s no doubt that he’s got his place.
I don’t want to play. LOL! Not if I have to play with that Cruz kid.
Of course, if Cruz must practice his oh-so-cool, then of course Duh Johnson should be the target for enduring it.
I don’t think I would give Cruz credit if he saved my dog. LOL!!
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