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White House Hosts Syrian Activist Who Sees AQ-Tied Rebels as
Moderate
by Ravi Kumar • Sep 19, 2014 at
6:21 pm
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Fresh from congressional approval to arm and train Syrian rebel
groups fighting the vicious Islamic State terrorist group, the White House
met this week with Syrian American advocates to discuss how to proceed.
But one of the people consulted is on record defending and sympathizing
with Syrian rebels tied to al-Qaida.
Mohamad Alla Ghanem, government relations director for the Syrian
American Council, touted his White House visit on his Facebook page
Thursday.
Last November, Ghanem wrote about a trip to Doha, where he got to meet
Sheik Yusuf al-Qaradawi, a spiritual guide to the Muslim Brotherhood who
has endorsed attacks against American troops in Iraq and suicide bombings against Israelis.
"I love this appreciated scholar very much," Ghanem wrote,
"even I adore his jurisprudence. I consider this a great honor. Now, I
am over the moon." Qaradawi has been banned from entering the United States and United
Kingdom due to his support for terrorism.
But that's not the only time Ghanem has praised jihadists.
In December2012, Ghanem wrote a column in Washington Post in which he criticized
the United States for classifying Jabhat Al Nusra as a terrorist
organization. Sure, many Jabhat leaders are ideological on par with
al-Qaida, he wrote, but not all of its members share that view. And the
group "has achieved military successes and has delivered critical
civilian aid."
In a column published a week ago by The Hill,
Ghanem noted a recent Islamic State attack that wiped out the leadership in
the Syrian rebel group Ahrar al-Sham. It is perhaps "the most hardline
Syrian rebel group," and founded by al-Qaida leader Ayman
al-Zawahiri's personal representative in Syria, but it is an Islamic State
rival nonetheless.
Ghanem said he didn't mention the group to endorse it, but argued it was
"a great shame that" American support to Syrian rebels was held
back "for fear of rebel groups like Ahrar al-Sham as Syrians were
slaughtered by the thousands."
Advocates for increased U.S. support for Syrian rebels acknowledge the
steep challenge of ensuring weapons and training don't go to other radical
jihadists. Having Ghanem advise the White House on the issue, when it
either didn't know about his past statements or didn't care, isn't going to
instill confidence.
And Ghanem's organization, the Syrian American Council, sponsored last
year's U.S. fundraising visit of Rateb Al Nabulsi. Nabulsi is a Syrian Islamic scholar
who labeled all Jews as legitimate targets for suicide bombers. Now Al
Nabulsi, along with an imam named Osama Al Rifai, who also came to the U.S with the help
of SAC to raise money, are on the Syrian Islamic Council, which issued a statement opposing the American airstrikes
against the Islamic State.
Turkey's Erdogan Compares Israel to Hitler, Openly Supports
Hamas
by IPT News • Sep 19, 2014 at
3:06 pm
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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan compared Israel to Hitler and
predicted that the Jewish state "will drown in the blood that they
shed" at a rally prior to his presidential election last month, a
Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) translation of his address posted on the Internet on
Aug. 3 shows.
"Just like Hitler tried to create a pure Aryan race in Germany, the
State of Israel is pursuing the same goals right now," Erdogan told a
cheering crowd.
He continued his anti-Semitic rant, accusing Israel of genocide.
"They kill the women so that they will not be able to give birth to
Palestinian babies. They kill the babies so that they will not be able to
grow up to be men. They kill the men so that they will not be able to
defend their homeland."
Given attitudes like that from the political leadership, it's easy to
see why Turkey, though a NATO ally, has become a base of Hamas operations.
Turkey is considered a top Hamas funder. More than a dozen Hamas
officials now live there, the Washington Free Beacon's Adam Kredo reported last month. That includes Saleh al-Aruri, who acknowledged Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping
and murder of three Israeli yeshiva students in June.
In addition, Aruri reportedly was involved in a coup plot against Palestinian Authority
President Mahmoud Abbas that was broken up by Israeli officials during the
summer.
Erdogan is notorious for his anti-Semitic statements and worldview. In the past, he
has referred to Zionism as a "crime against humanity" and senior Turkish
officials have blamed their country's internal problems on the Jews.
Meanwhile, Turkey has balked at joining emerging coalition of countries
trying to beat back the terrorist Islamic State which has been terrorizing
neighboring Syria and Iraq. As many as 1,000 Turkish citizens have joined
the Islamic State, and critics say the country has not done enough to seal
its borders to stem that tide.
Turkey's open support for a designated terrorist organization, according
to the U.S. and key Western allies, should be scrutinized in light of the
fact that Turkey remains a NATO member.
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