Shots Across the Bow

OK, Here it is I haven't read all of Emerson's testimony yet, but I have read enough to comment on Sugg's article linked below.

Charges by Suggs/Extra/FAIR

1. ‘Emerson's most notorious gaffe was his claim that the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing showed "a Middle Eastern trait" because it "was done with the intent to inflict as many casualties as possible."’

Since Timothy McVeigh himself indicated that there was a larger group behind him, one that he would not comment further on, this claim may have some substance. We don’t know. The tactic of bombing highly populated gathering places is one favored by Islamic fundamentalists, as the WTC bombing and 9/11/01 shows.

2. “Among the Tribune's and Emerson's charges are that Muslims, while at the University of South Florida, were active Islamic Jihad commanders. Emerson told Congress: "One of the world's most lethal terrorist factions was based out of Tampa." If that's so, federal agents must have missed something. Although the FBI and INS have been searching for clues for more than three years, no charges have been filed.”

No comment required on this one, in the wake of the discoveries post 9/11/01.

3. “ Emerson popped an opinion piece into the Wall Street Journal (8/8/98), that attacked Clinton for ‘legitimizing self-declared 'civil rights' and 'mainstream' Islamic organizations that in fact operate as propaganda and political arms of Islamic fundamentalist movements.’ ”

Hmmm. I seem to recall we froze the assets of many of those organizations after 9/11/01.

4. While Emerson makes incredible claims about Muslim conspiracies that purportedly intend to commit terrorism inside U.S. borders, he ignores the fact that far more of these American atrocities, such as the anti-abortion bombings and murders, are committed by apple-pie militant Christian fundamentalists.

From his testimony before congress on Feb 24, 1998:
“One. Foreign terrorists and extremists are no different than home grown terrorists and extremists. Terrorism is terrorism-no matter who carries it out. The threat from domestic terrorists who see the United States government from a paranoid lens is no less problematic than foreign terrorists view us in the same manner. As evidenced by the Oklahoma City bombing, bombings of abortion clinics, and other acts of terrorism, the ultra right wing militia, the Christian Identity Movement, Arian Nations, and neo-Nazis are intent on inflicting murder and mayhem against innocent civilians.”

So much for that claim