Steven Emerson on Obama's Middle East Policy

Money quote from Emerson:

Listen I hate to bring up a historical episode that people think is too often talked about but in 1939 British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed an appeasement deal with Adolph Hitler basically ceding him the right to take over Poland [correction: 1938, Czechoslovakia Sudetenland] and Hitler realized that that appeasement gave him the right to start World War II. The reality is that we are now emboldening a regime that is going to start taking over the entire Middle East.

Sean Hannity And Glenn Beck And The Anti-Jihad

With a hat tip to Mark Alexander of A New Dark Age Is Dawning:

Video: Jihad! In America (with addendum)

In an earlier thread, reminded me of Steven Emerson's documentary Jihad! In America, which aired on PBS in 1994.

You can watch the documentary HERE.

The 2001 DVD release, Terrorists Among Us - Jihad in America, can be purchased at Amazon.

Important viewing in light of the Khilafa Conference being held this weekend.

A customer review from Amazon:

Steven Emerson's "Terrorists Among Us - Jihad In America" is a great documentary, filmed in the last decade of the 20th century. Emerson dedicated all of his time to investigation of terrorist Islamic groups that operated freely in the U.S. Facts that Emereson uncovered are chilling and disturbing, and should have been an immediate and urgent warning bell for everyone in our country.

Emerson supports all his claims with video evidence - evidence that is hard to dispute. He had such excellent foresight, that it is criminal that he wasn't taken seriously, but was instead discredited by Dan Rather due to a misunderstanding over the Oklahoma City bombing. Emerson's documentary is clear and to the point. There were no instances in which I was confused or wondered if something was cut so it could be presented in a light that would suit Emerson's agenda. Throughout the documentary it is clear that the only agenda Emerson had was the safety of the United States.

The only reason that I didn't give this documentary five stars is because there was no update in the end. The film stands as it is, almost as a "I told you so!" statement. I believe that the movie would have a much bigger impact if Emerson emerged in the end (and above it all) with an updated information on the organizations and people he researched in the 1990s. Even without that, I highly recommend this documentary to everyone who has America's safety on their minds.

I saw the documentary last year and recommend it. But I warn you: You'll be pissed off! America is ignoring similar warning signs to an even greater degree today.

Addendum: Here's the video (with thanks to Michael):

Steven Emerson's Recent Congressional Testimony

From The Investigative Project on Terrorism:

Rep. Sherman, Emerson, Ponder State Department Reforms
IPT News
July 31, 2008

The State Department has collaborated with many radical Islamist organizations and individuals in its attempts to engage in outreach to the American Muslim community at large, Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Executive Director Steven Emerson told a congressional panel Thursday. Many of the individuals in charge of these organizations, and the organizations themselves, have been convicted, indicted, or designated as unindicted co-conspirators in terrorism cases throughout the United States.

(For detailed examples, see Emerson's complete written testimony here.)

Emerson's appeared before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade came despite the protests of some of the same Islamist organizations. Emerson urged Congress to review the State Department's interaction with these organizations in its attempts to reach out to the Muslim community.

Emerson outlined some of the more troubling aspects of participation with these groups: namely their ties to terrorist entities and promotion of radical Islamic ideology. A number of groups that the State Department has cooperated with have links to entities such as Al Qaeda, Hamas and Hizballah - which are designated as terrorist organizations by the United States government. The groups partnering with the State Department help to support an ideology that focuses on eliminating secular Western powers and promoting their stringent ideas of Sharia law, or law as governed by Islamic text.

[...]

In response to the protests [from various Moslem groups], Congressman Sherman issued a press release in which he stated, "This hearing will go on. We need to make sure that the State Department is not giving U.S. tax dollars to those on the other side in the war on terrorism." He added "The Muslim Public Affairs Council should apologize for the statements of its executive director on September 11, 2001."

MPAC, ISNA and a constellation of other radical groups and individuals have been supported by the State Department. Perhaps Thursday's testimony will signal a turning point, seeing the State Department implement stricter guidelines to avoid past mistakes and embarrassments, which have damaged America's national security.

[...]

"I think one of the greatest fears of people in the United States is somebody may call you a racist...they may call you an Islamophobe," he said in the hearing. "And what we've seen with some of these organizations is their message is clear: ‘Give us money or we'll call you an Islamophobe'...that's what they say to the State Department. What they say to us in Congress is ‘Don't question the fact that we're getting money or we'll call you an Islamophobe.'"

Regular IBA readers might not find much new in the report, but it does serve as a good review. Whether or not Congress and the State Department will take appropriate action remains to be seen. I'm not holding my breath.