A Troubling Influence - An Islamic Fifth Column penetrates the White House

FrontPageMagazine ^ | 12/09/03 | Frank J Gaffney Jr.

[kattracks]

Why We Are Publishing This Article by David Horowitz

The article you are about to read is the most disturbing that we at frontpagemag.com have ever published. As an Internet magazine, with a wide circulation, we have been in the forefront of the effort to expose the radical Fifth Column in this country, whose agendas are at odds with the nation’s security, and whose purposes are hostile to its own. In his first address to Congress after 9/11, the President noted that we are facing the same totalitarian enemies we faced in the preceding century. It is not surprising that their domestic supporters in the American Left should have continued their efforts to weaken this nation and tarnish its image. Just as there was a prominent internal Fifth Column during the Cold War, so there has been a prominent Fifth Column during the war on terror.

By no means do all the opponents of America’s war policies (or even a majority) fit this category. Disagreement among citizens is a core feature of any democracy and respect for that disagreement is a foundational value of our political system. The self-declared enemies of the nation are distinguished by the intemperate nature of their attacks on America and its President – referring to the one as Adolf Hitler, for example, or the other as the world’s “greatest terrorist state.” They are known as well by their political choices and associations. Many leaders of the movement opposing the war in Iraq have worked for half a century with the agents of America’s communist enemies and with totalitarian states like Cuba and the former USSR.

We have had no compunction about identifying these individuals and groups. America is no longer protected by geographical barriers or by its unsurpassed military technologies. Today terrorists who can penetrate our borders with the help of Fifth Column networks will have access to weapons of mass destruction that can cause hundreds of thousands of American deaths.  One slip in our security defenses can result in a catastrophe undreamed of before.

What is particularly disturbing, about the information in this article by former Reagan Defense official, Frank Gaffney, is that it concerns an individual who loves this country and would be the last person to wish it harm, and the first one would expect to defend it. I have known Grover Norquist for almost twenty years as a political ally. Long before I myself was cognizant of the Communist threat – indeed when I was part of one of those Fifth Column networks – Grover Norquist was mobilizing his countrymen to combat it. In the early 1980s, Grover was in the forefront of conservative efforts to get the Reagan Administration to support the liberation struggles of anti-Communists in Central America, Africa and Afghanistan.

It is with a heavy heart therefore, that I am posting this article, which is the most complete documentation extant of Grover Norquist’s activities in behalf of the Islamist Fifth Column. I have confronted Grover about these issues and have talked to others who have done likewise. But it has been left to Frank Gaffney and a few others, including Daniel Pipes and Steven Emerson, to make the case and to suffer the inevitable recriminations that have followed earlier disclosures of some aspects of this story.

Up to now, the controversy over these charges has been dismissed or swept under the rug, as a clash of personalities or the product of one of those intra-bureaucratic feuds so familiar to the Washington scene. Unfortunately, this is wishful thinking. The reality is much more serious. No one reading this document to its bitter end will confuse its claims and confirming evidence with those of a political cat fight. On the basis of the evidence assembled here, it seems beyond dispute that Grover Norquist has formed alliances with prominent Islamic radicals who have ties to the Saudis and to Libya and to Palestine Islamic Jihad, and who are now under indictment by U.S. authorities. Equally troubling is that the arrests of these individuals and their exposure as agents of terrorism have not resulted in noticeable second thoughts on Grover’s part or any meaningful effort to dissociate himself from his unsavory friends.

As Frank Gaffney’s article recounts, Grover’s own Islamic Institute was initially financed by one of the most notorious of these operatives, Abdurahman Alamoudi, a supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah who told the Annual Convention of the Islamic Association of Palestine in 1996, “If we are outside this country we can say ‘Oh, Allah destroy America.’ But once we are here, our mission in this country is to change it.” Grover appointed Alamoudi’s deputy, Khaled Saffuri to head his own organization. Together they gained access to the White House for Alamoudi and Sami al-Arian and others with similar agendas who used their cachet to spread Islamist influence to the American military and the prison system and the universities and the political arena with untold consequences for the nation.

Parts of this story have been published before, but never in such detail and never with the full picture of Islamist influence in view. No doubt, that is partly because of Grover Norquist’s large (and therefore intimidating) presence in the Washington community. Many have been quite simply afraid to raise these issues and thus have allowed Grover to make them seem a matter of individual personality differences. This suits his agendas well, as it does those of his Islamist allies. If matters in dispute reflect personal animosity or “racial” prejudice, as Grover insists, then the true gravity of these charges is obscured. The fact remains that while Grover has denied the charges or sought to dismiss them with such arguments on many occasions, he has never answered them. If he wishes to do so now, the pages of frontpagemag.com are open to him.

Many have been reluctant to support these charges or to make them public because they involve a prominent conservative. I am familiar with these attitudes from my years on the Left. Loyalty is an important political value, but there comes a point where loyalty to friends or to parties comes into conflict with loyalty to fundamental principles and ultimately to one’s country. Grover’s activities have reached that point. E.M. Forster, a weak-spirited liberal, once said that if he had to choose between betraying his country and his friends, he “hoped [he] would have the guts” to betray his country.

No such sentiment motivates this journal. In our war with the Islamo-fascists we are all engaged in a battle with evil on a scale that affects the lives and freedoms of hundreds of millions people outside this nation as well as within it. America is on the front line of this battle and there is no replacement waiting in the wings if it fails, or if its will to fight is sapped from within. This makes our individual battles to keep our country vigilant and strong the most important responsibilities we have. That is why we could not in good conscience do otherwise, than to bring this story to light.

 

[Howlin]

Thank you for an excellent post with some COMMON SENSE in it.

[hchutch]

Obtuse? You are the one saying that Norquist should have known they were bad guys. So I am merely asking that you prove he had such knowledge of their activties in that regard. You seem to be ducking this question - I think I probably know why. You can't. You cannot prove that Norquist had any idea that these folks were anything other than what they say they were, nor that his association with them and his outreach caused any harm to the war effort.

I read the columns in footnote 71. The only one who ever took shots at him was Michelle Malkin, and even then.

Mona Charen was the only other one who mentioned him, and she did not make call one way or the other about Norquist's actions.

Again, the only accusations I see about Norquist's actions are those coming from Gaffney. I am unaware of Pipes of Emerson making similar accusations, but compared to Gaffney, they are bit players in this drama.

[Sabertooth]

You are the one saying that Norquist should have known they were bad guys.

Yes. I'm also saying that he actually does hang out with bad guys.

In fact, that's all we need to know: Grover Norquist rubs shoulders, frequently, with Islamists.

By all indications and common sense, he is being used by them for the access he can provide. You don't care; you don't want to look at the evidence or address it honestly. I understand. I get it.

[Kozak]

Not even close to true. Nortquist lets fly with ad hominems any time anyone questions his friendliness with Islamists affilliated with ANSWER, and other America haters. Khaled Saffuri and Suhail Khan have not been disavowed. Nor have the Islamic Institute, Muzzamil Siddiqi, CAIR, Shakh Mamza, or a host of other pro-terror entities.

Exactly. One would think someone so misled would be at least introspective about his associations. Instead Nordquist waves the bloody shirt of "racism" and "prejudice" without making any attempt to refute the allegations factually or logically.

[FreeReign]

You cannot prove that Norquist had any idea that these folks were anything other than what they say they were, nor that his association with them and his outreach caused any harm to the war effort.

True statement, as it was 10 months ago the last time Gaffney's stuff made the rounds at FR.

[Howlin]

The Constitution is a legal document. It is not the foundation of the country.

I can honestly say that is the very first time I have EVER read those words on FR.

Stunning.

[FreeReign]

By all indications and common sense, he is being used by them for the access he can provide.

Access to what, an FBI sting?

[Eva]

I am very concerned about this article. I have been thinking about this all day and and am wondering if this connection is what Dean was referring to when he mentioned that the Saudis may have told Bush about the attacks, before 9/11. We know it's not true, but what if Dean(and Gore) is planning a late October Surprise of some claim by these anti-American Islamics.

[Sabertooth]

This is the White House we're talking about here. Secret Service? CIA? NSA? Do these names ring a bell? You think they didn't know who these people were? That's nuts.

Whether they did or didn't, this is nuts...

This is nuts...

This is nuts...

More nutty stuff...

ATTENDEES AT THE PRESIDENT'S White House IFTAAR DINNER

AMBASSADORS OF THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ISLAMIC CONFERENCE

< -snip- >

AMERICAN MUSLIM LEADERS
Mr. Khaled Saffuri, Islamic Institute
Dr. Ziad Asali, American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee
Dr. Yahya Basha, American Muslim Council
Shaykh Hicham Muhammad Kabbani, Islamic Supreme Council of America
Dr. Sayyid Syeed, Secretary General, Islamic Society of North America
Dr. Akbar Ahmed, American University
Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl, UCLA School of Law
Imam Hassan Qazwini, Islamic Center of America
Mr. Hanif Akhtar, Pakistani Business Association
Dr. Raana Akbar, Association Pakistani Physicians of North America
Dr. Nisar Chaudry, Pakistani American Congress
Imam W. Deen Mohammed, The Mosque Cares
Mr. Qaseem Uqdah, American Muslim Armed Forces Council
Imam Mohamed Magid Ali, All Dulles Area Muslim Society
Mrs. Seeme Hasan, Hasan Family Foundation
Mrs. Guler Koknar, Assembly of Turkish American Assoc
Dr. Shamim Ibrahim, NISWA
Dr. Azizah Al-Hibri, President, Karamah
Ms. Shareefa Alkhateeb, North American Council for Muslim Women
Mr. Ali Jawad, Armada Oil and Gas
Mr. Farooq Kathwari, Ethan Allen
Dr. Amanullah Khan, Cancer Center Associates
Dr. Laith Kubba, National Endowment for Democracy
Mr. Mohammad Fadel, National Association of Muslim Lawyers

DanielPipes.org

AMC Attends White House Briefing on Controversial INS Policy

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 17, 2003:
Yesterday AMC Executive Director Eric Erfan Vickers and Board Secretary Dr. Nedzib Sacirbey attended, along with other Muslim and Arab American leaders, a White House briefing on the controversial INS policy that has caused to many tremendous personal hardships, and which has created mounting consternation in the Muslim and Arab American community.

The briefing was arranged by Ali H. Tulbah, the Associate Director of Cabinet Affairs, and AMC commends him for initiating this substantive dialogue with key officials in the White House Administration.
LINK (Appears to be a broken link)
Several contemoraneous FR links

[Sabertooth]

One would think someone so misled would be at least introspective about his associations. Instead Nordquist waves the bloody shirt of "racism" and "prejudice" without making any attempt to refute the allegations factually or logically.

He appears to know his audience.

[Sabertooth]

Access to what, an FBI sting?

Can you recall any past occasions where a sitting President was the bait in a sting, anywhere, anytime, let alone on national TV or in the White House?

[Nick Danger]

You've convinced me. The President of the United States is an agent of Wahabbi Islam! We are so screwed.

John, can we have killfiles in the next rev, please?

[Sabertooth]

You've convinced me. The President of the United States is an agent of Wahabbi Islam! We are so screwed.

Yeah, that's the point.

The point is that all branches of the government are targets of 5th Columnists, including the Executive.

No one seriously expects President Bush to personally vet all of the people with whom he's brought into contact. However, he's been poorly served by those who've allowed him to come into contact with Islamists, or those who've recklessly encouraged those contacts.

[JasonC]

I read it. I see no "there" there. It reads like Horowitz employing old left tactics, smearing, and guilt by association. It also reads like an academic politics fight over who dissed whom at the water cooler, and did you hog the copy paper or didn't you? If this is all he has, Horowitz should count to ten and take a long walk, while Norquist hasn't personally done anything wrong.

[Pelham]

There are a few loudmouth Christians (Gary North and other "theonomists" and "Christian Dominionists" come to mind) who demand that we stone people to death for blasphemy and such. Do you judge all of Christianity by the conduct of people like Gary North? Or do they get some sort of pass?

I know I've seen you post a similar accusation in the past. North is widely published, so a quote of his should be easy to provide- where's your evidence that he says this?

[FreeReign]

By all indications and common sense, he is being used by them for the access he can provide.

Access to what, an FBI sting?

--------------------------

Can you recall any past occasions where a sitting President was the bait in a sting, anywhere, anytime, let alone on national TV or in the White House?

OK then, so it wasn't a sting. But, the final results of Grover "being used" was the arrests, the prosecutions, the convictions and the sentencing of terrorists.

It sounds to me like they tried to use Grover and they tried to use the Presidents outreach -- and they failed!

[Sabertooth]

But, the final results of Grover "being used" was the arrests, the prosecutions, the convictions and the sentencing of terrorists.

Is it your contention that Norquist was a knowing participant in the FBI's investigation?

[FreeReign]

Is it your contention that Norquist was a knowing participant in the FBI's investigation?

It's only my contention that I haven't seen evidence that Norquist knowingly was trying to help terrorists gain access to the WH.

[nutmeg]

bump

[Pelham]

"The Bill of Rights is not a suicide pact". That pithy phrase is credited to chief Nuremburg prosecutor Robert Jackson, a poor fellow who suffered from common sense. Fortunately that ailment doesn't afflict a lot of folks here. And should you think that a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, well... you're probably advocating genocide. At least I think that's what I've learned here tonight.