“Due to connectivity that we have with countries such as Israel, France — countries that are seen by groups, by al Qaeda, as infidels or anti-Islamic — by the true nature of our alliance with them means that we subject to be attacked as well.”
I have news for you, Mr. Southers: the jihadists see many more countries than just Israel and France as “infidels” and “un-Islamic.” Including, most importantly, the Great Satan itself, the United States. But it is noteworthy that Southers, unlike Obama, has at least once publicly acknowledged that there is some religious dimension to the conflict between the Islamic world and the West, and he here implies — intentionally or not — that that religious conflict will not be smoothed over by overtures to the Islamic world which ignore the fact that we are still Infidels when we make those overtures.
Finally, if he believes that if we end our alliances with these Infidel, un-Islamic states, that peace will ensue, he is terminally naive.
“TSA nominee in 2008: Alliances with Israel, France make us subject to terror attack,” by David Freddoso for the Washington Examiner, January 11:
Erroll Southers, President Obama’s nominee to head the Transportation Safety Administration, said in a 2008 web interview on terrorism that America is subject to terror attacks because of its alliances with countries like Israel and France. Asked how high the “War on Terror” ranks in America’s priorities, Southers opined:
“Due to connectivity that we have with countries such as Israel, France — countries that are seen by groups, by al Qaeda, as infidels or anti-Islamic — by the true nature of our alliance with them means that we subject to be attacked as well.”
In the interview with VideoJug, which was posted online in April 2008, Southers also said that national security, while it has “some parity” with such issues as Global Warming and education, supersedes them in importance because other government initiatives cannot flourish as long as terrorism remains a serious threat….