“The president, however, had clashed with Tillerson over and over again in the past year, seeing him as a relic of the Republican establishment at a time when the nation needed more unconventional thinking.”
This is very good news, for just that reason. We can only hope that with the departure of Tillerson, the failed policies of the State Department establishment will be swept out as well.
Chief among these is the almost universally held idea that poverty causes terrorism. The United States has wasted uncounted (literally, because a great deal of it was in untraceable bags full of cash) billions of dollars in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Egypt, and other countries in the wrongheaded assumption that Muslims turn to jihad because they lack economic opportunities and education. American officials built schools and hospitals, thinking that they were winning over the hearts and minds of the locals.
Sixteen years, thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars later, no significant number of hearts and minds have been won. This is partly because the premise is wrong. The New York Times reported in March that “not long after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001…Alan B. Krueger, the Princeton economist, tested the widespread assumption that poverty was a key factor in the making of a terrorist. Mr. Krueger’s analysis of economic figures, polls, and data on suicide bombers and hate groups found no link between economic distress and terrorism.”
CNS News noted in September 2013 that “according to a Rand Corporation report on counterterrorism, prepared for the Office of the Secretary of Defense in 2009, ‘Terrorists are not particularly impoverished, uneducated, or afflicted by mental disease. Demographically, their most important characteristic is normalcy (within their environment). Terrorist leaders actually tend to come from relatively privileged backgrounds.’ One of the authors of the RAND report, Darcy Noricks, also found that according to a number of academic studies, ‘Terrorists turn out to be more rather than less educated than the general population.’”
Yet the analysis that poverty causes terrorism has been applied and reapplied and reapplied again. The swamp is in dire need of draining, and in other ways as well. From 2011 on, it was official Obama administration policy to deny any connection between Islam and terrorism. This came as a result of an October 19, 2011 letter from Farhana Khera of Muslim Advocates to John Brennan, who was then the Assistant to the President on National Security for Homeland Security and Counter Terrorism, and later served in the Obama administration as head of the CIA. The letter was signed not just by Khera, but by the leaders of virtually all the significant Islamic groups in the United States: 57 Muslim, Arab, and South Asian organizations, many with ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, including the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA), the Muslim American Society (MAS), the Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA), Islamic Relief USA; and the Muslim Public Affairs Council (MPAC).
The letter denounced what it characterized as U.S. government agencies’ “use of biased, false and highly offensive training materials about Muslims and Islam.” Despite the factual accuracy of the material about which they were complaining, the Muslim groups demanded that the task force “purge all federal government training materials of biased materials”; “implement a mandatory re-training program for FBI agents, U.S. Army officers, and all federal, state and local law enforcement who have been subjected to biased training”; and more—to ensure that all that law enforcement officials would learn about Islam and jihad would be what the signatories wanted them to learn.
Numerous books and presentations that gave a perfectly accurate view of Islam and jihad were removed from coounterterror training. Today, even with Trump as President, this entrenched policy of the U.S. government remains, and ensures that all too many jihadists simply cannot be identified as risks, since the officials are bound as a matter of policy to ignore what in saner times would be taken as warning signs. Trump must reverse this. He has spoken often about the threat from “radical Islamic terrorism”; he must follow through and remove the prohibitions on allowing agents to study and understand the motivating ideology behind the jihad threat.
The swamp needs draining indeed. Maybe Pompeo will start this all-important work.
“Trump dramatically FIRES Rex Tillerson on Twitter without telling him personally – leaving secretary of state baffled at sudden replacement by CIA boss Mike Pompeo,” by David Martosko, Dailymail.com, March 13, 2018:
President Donald Trump fired his secretary of state on Tuesday without telling him personally, announcing on Twitter that he would dismiss Rex Tillerson and elevate the nation’s spymaster to the role of global diplomat-in-chief.
And he said he will appoint a woman to lead the CIA for the first time in history.
Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Steven Goldstein said in a statement that Tillerson ‘had every intention of staying.’
‘The Secretary did not speak to the President and is unaware of the reason, but he is grateful for the opportunity to serve,’ Goldstein added.
Despite the awkwardness of the moment for Tillerson, the president took the public spotlight for himself.
As he left the White House for a trip to California, Trump told reporters that he and Tillerson had been ‘talking about this for a long time’ but that he ‘made the decision by myself.’
‘We disagreed on things,’ Trump said, citing the Obama-era nuclear agreement with Iran.
‘I think Rex will be much happier now,’ he declared.
‘We were not really thinking the same. With Mike, Mike Pompeo, we have a very similar thought process. I think it’s going to go very well.’
He gushed that the future secretary as Mike Pompeo has ‘tremendous energy, tremendous intellect, we’re always on the same wavelength. The relationship has been very good.’
The president had tweeted earlier that Pompeo ‘will do a fantastic job!’
‘Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service! Gina Haspel will become the new Director of the CIA, and the first woman so chosen. Congratulations to all!’
Haspel was the CIA’s deputy director, a career officer who was a longtime clandestine officer.
In a statement, Trump said Pompeo ‘graduated first in his class at West Point, served with distinction in the U.S. Army, and graduated with Honors from Harvard Law School. He went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives with a proven record of working across the aisle.’
He called Haspel’s move to the CIA’s reins ‘a historic milestone.’
Trump also had words of praise for Tillerson: ‘A great deal has been accomplished over the last fourteen months, and I wish him and his family well,’ he said.
The president, however, had clashed with Tillerson over and over again in the past year, seeing him as a relic of the Republican establishment at a time when the nation needed more unconventional thinking….
Johnny Cuyana says
The devil you know vs. the devil you don’t: At the risk of piling on to what I suspect is already an overloaded plate, I am very interested in additional details regarding Robert’s take on the DOS Secretary nominee-to-be and his planned replacement at the CIA [one Gina Haspel].
I see that, in general, Robert has provided a positive comment regarding his opinion of Pompeo’s swamp-draining inclinations — and, of course, both these individuals provide handsome CV’s — however, I am wondering how these two may PRIORITIZE our battle against the anti-West mohammedans. Hmmm …
PaulM says
Awesome. Good news. The termination could have been handled less publicly. Why embarrass Tillerson that badly? But the fact remains, the job requires “new thinking”. Too much pussy footing around and molly coddling of islam and muslim terrorists has been allowed. Time to take the trash to the landfill, or better yet, to the incinerator. Let’s hope Pompei has the spinal column and the intestinal fortitude to do what has to be done. Excellent article by the way. Very well done.
Frank Scarn says
TRUMP
Well you just do what I tell you to do! Goddamn it! If I had a wartime consiglieri — a Sicilian — I wouldn’t be in this shape! Pop had Genco — look what I got.
(then, after exhaling)
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. Ma made a little dinner — it’s Sunday…
REX (walking away)
It’s alright
TRUMP
You’re not a wartime Consiglieri, Rex. Things may get rough with the move we’re trying.
VITO CORLEONE (sitting next to Rex on the couch)
Rex — I advise Donald. I never thought you were a bad Consiglieri. I thought — Santino was a bad Don, rest in peace. Donald has all my confidence, as – as you do. But uh — there are reasons why you must have no part in what is going to happen.
REX (to Donald)
Maybe I could help…
TRUMP (curtly)
You’re out, Rex.
WPM says
I think Trump want to embarrass Tillerson and send the message I am the leader of the team in the Whitehouse to others who do not want to tote Whitehouse,s official line .
RichardL says
Pompeo is a tough guy, former infantry officer, who said all the right things about islam. That is a huge step for the fight against islam.
gravenimage says
It may be so:
“Mike Pompeo, Trump’s pick to replace Tillerson, has long worried Muslim advocates”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/03/13/sweeping-comments-by-trumps-state-dept-pick-about-islam-have-long-worried-muslim-advocates/
Simone says
I’m so happy about this. I keep thinking back to when us jihad watchers were all dreaming about Trump winning the election. That excitement is still there – I just hope he stays both terms, even that won’t be long enough.
Phil Copson says
McMaster next ?
CRUSADER says
Can Pompeo do all three jobs?
CIA, State, NSA ???
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
The New ss Will pave the way for apartheid evil united states to commit more blunders that Will lead to its collapse
balam says
If the wishes were donkeys then the beggar Muslims would ride!!!
Georg says
If Ibrahim hates it I love it.
gravenimage says
🙂
PaulM says
Oh Look, the muslim, baby rapist, child molesting degenerate is back. You decaying, necrotic, sexually deviant son of a pig f@#$@er. You are a waste of air and space.
Ray Jarman says
Paulm, The proper term is “oxygen thief.”
LeftisruiningCanada says
The only nazi comparisons that have any truth to them, are the ones applied to the rising muslim influence within western democracies.
Incidentally, Democracy was something that the real nazi party was very much against. I don’t see much scope for democracy in the sharia, nor in many islamic nations. The way the muslims abuse the democratic process in the West is well known. “Paki politics” didn’t get it’s name without reason.
The real nazis we quite happy to make peace treaties, (with Poland, for example) and then break them just so soon as they were strong enough to win the battle.
The real nazis were the ones staging violent protests and meetings, wishing death to Jews, Democracy, and anyone who opposed them.
They were the ones attacking people in the streets, defacing Jewish stores, beating and murdering their political enemies, and making it dangerous to express differing opinions.
The real nazis were the anti capitalists whining about how badly treated they were by richer nations, how they had lost land in unjust wars, how they were humiliated and kept down by outside forces, and that if they could just make the nation they dreamed of, they could achieve their glorious destinies.
What they really created of course, was a nightmare state of terror and death and what would have been endless war and conquest.
All these points, and more, apply far more correctly and obviously to islam, than to those who oppose it and simply want to get on with our nice western lives, with our nice relatively safe streets and homes, without having to worry about fascist islam and it’s desire to insert itself into every part of our lives.
And i do mean insert. You are all so good at that.
Ray Jarman says
Excellent rebuttal Leftisruiningcanada.
StellaSaidSo says
Well said, LIRC.
gravenimage says
Spot on.
Carolyne says
Separating the Muslims from civilized people might be a good idea. Thanks Ibby.
balam says
Islam and Terrorism are the two sides of the same coin-The coin minted by the Prophet of Islam who claimed: HAVE BEEN MADE VICTORIOUS WITH TERROR .Ref : holy terror by Amir Taheri page 187.It is impossible to separate TERRORISM from ISLAM .The Ideology has got to be exposed fully and mainly to the Muslims.
Ibrahim itace muhammed says
filthy christianity and Idol worships are the two sides of the same coin- all invented by the Satan christians Call holy spirit and idols worshipers give different name to their idols. All of them Will be casted into hottest lake of hellfire together with the Satan Who inspired them.
LeftisruiningCanada says
In your current state, you have nothing interesting or sensible to say.
gravenimage says
Interesting–Ibrahim itace muhammed responds to a factual asserion that Islam is violent and terroristic by saying that Christians are “Idol worships”.
Clearly he agree with balam about the violence of Islam, but just hopes to distract with some lies about Christianity.
LeftisruiningCanada says
hmmm..maybe he did have something interesting to say after all. Or something interesting that he didn’t say.
don vito says
itace, how notsy of you. You poor devil. You know I almost feel sorry for you. Almost but not quite.
CRUSADER says
According to Walid Pharis, the US State Dept has been affected by a “Third War of Ideas”, tweaked to fit the times after 9/11 from what was propagated in the 1990s, since there had been an awakening from slumber after the Twin Towers attack (UbL deciding to hit the Far Enemy on its own soil)….
Still there persists a misunderstanding within US government which continually dismisses/declines the global jihadi movement’s confrontation with the global kuffar; Washington circles even now preferring to marginalize this fact as a far fetched notion.
This is a reason not to treat 9/11 as just one day of terror, but as a significant shift — in jihadi strategy and hopefully in the West’s counter-strategy in proactive response….but there is drag and resistance, all orchestrated from earlier attempts. (Just as with the die-hard Marxists, also the Stealthy Jihad fused with liberal academia and media has never stopped trying to foist influence.)
CRUSADER says
Walid Phares on US-Iran relations under President Trump:
http://video.foxnews.com/v/5311459846001/?#sp=show-clips
mortimer says
Tex Tillerson spoke as if he had no direct knowledge of Islam, but learned everything he knew from wealthy Arab oilmen who gave him a very sugar-coated version of Islam that he gullibly swallowed.
It is remarkable that serious, hard-headed, analytical businessmen like Tillerson can fall totally for the smooth, seductive, soporific TAQIYYA of the VERBAL JIHADISTS.
Baucent says
Great business man but without much political insight. I was surprised he was Trump’s pick, Bolton would have done a better job.
Ray Jarman says
Baucent, I agree that Bolton is the best person to fill the seat on the 7th floor at Main State but the chances of his being confirmed would be very low. He was not able to receive a confirmation by Bush for the post of Ambassador to the UN and had to be a recess appointment. As long as someone like Flake and McCain are still in the Senate, he would have no chance but as a replacement for McMasters, he would need no confirmation but I don’t know if he would wish to give up a lucrative position like the one he enjoys at Fox News.
Ray Jarman says
I have stated many times that Rex Tillerson was not the right person for the job. The Foreign Service political officer corps require a thorough cleansing to rid the Department of the anti-Semitism that inhabits much of the 3rd and 6th floors of Main State. I have witnessed this first hand where even liberal Jewish people there are totally against the Jewish State of Israel. SECSTATE Tillerson made an excellent start when he forced Pat Kennedy and Michelle Bond to leave but they would have been only the beginning and the whole vetting process for the Foreign Service really needs to have new written tests but the oral interview with a panel really needs to be re-established with fair minded panelists who are not to the left of Robert Owen and Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov and care about the nation they represent. Mr. Tillerson would have a great Secretary of State in the day of Henry Stimson.
I hope that Mike Pompeo is up to the task and has thick skin. He is on board with tough vetting of anyone trying to enter the U.S. through the visa process as well as the refugee programs. As stated in the article, Secretary Tillerson was not totally in favour of locating the US Embassy in Israel to its rightful place in Jerusalem and abrogating the United States from the ill thought out Iran travesty which basically gives the mullahs carte blanche since the inspectors have no ability to inspect any of the military installations where much of the converting its nuclear fuel into bombs and even to inspect the places agreed upon the inspectors have to provide weeks before obtaining permission to visit (can’t use the word inspect since there would be nothing to investigate) the nuclear sites.
CRUSADER says
Hoping that Pompeo will resume dialog with Walid Phares, who seems to be rightly placed, if one sees through the criticism about him!!! (Particularly if he pisses off Slantford University!)
______________________________
According to the New York Times, Phares “regularly warns that Muslims aim to take over American institutions and impose Shariah, a legal code based mainly on the Koran that can involve punishments like cutting off the hands of a thief.” Phares has also asserted that jihadists are posing as civil rights advocates.
Phares has been described as being part of “the Islamophobia industry, a network of researchers who have warned for many years of the dangers of Islam and were thrilled by Mr. Trump’s election.” According to Lawrence Pintak of the Atlantic Council, Phares is a “card-carrying Islamophobe”. Although Phares is often described as a scholar on terrorism, Stanford University terrorism expert Martha Crenshaw stated that Phares was “not in the mainstream as an academic”. Duke sociologist Christopher A. Bail describes Phares as an influential figure in the anti-Islam movement.
According to the New York Times, Phares “is regularly accused by Muslim civil rights groups of being Islamophobic and of fear-mongering about the spread of Sharia law.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walid_Phares
Ray Jarman says
Crusader, I too admire Walid Phares as he is both courageous and brilliant.
CRUSADER says
BRAVO !
melek-ric says
“Yet the analysis that poverty causes terrorism has been applied and reapplied and reapplied again.”
This ideology is rampant here in Canada, too. Captain Trevor Green,a Canadian army “civil-military co-operation officer”, had his skull split open by an axe-wielding 16 year old jihadi in Afghanistan back in 2006, as a prelude to a general Taliban attack during an “outreach” meeting with tribal leaders. He survived, but is of course permanently crippled. He said during an interview a couple of years ago that illiteracy is what caused his attacker to commit his terrible act, and “if only he had been able to read, he would have understood the message of peace and love in the Koran and would not have been seduced by evil people like the Taliban:” I kid you not.
CRUSADER says
If you feel that way about CANADA, then….
ACT for Canada .ca
PaulM says
Well, the axe did more damage than was apparent? He should never have been there with a tree hugging, leftist, progressive attitude. I have no sympathy for idiots. Every single dictator in history was able to read. And if the ass wipe had been able to read, he would have discovered that he should be raping babies and little girls and committing bestiality with goats, sheep, cattle, ponies……oh wait…..damn…he would have been taught that from birth….by example…….forgot for a second there.
LeftisruiningCanada says
Sympathy for the injury of course, but i’d not be surprised if he blamed himself, and Canada in general, for not giving the poor axe swinging jihadi the education he deserved and which is, of course, a human right.
ElderlyZionist says
Granny Hil was just sniveling to the press the other day that this administration is treating her old friends, the professionals in the State Department, so very badly. I hope she has something to cry about now. Buh-bye, Rex. And I hope Trump is clearing his decks for action.
gravenimage says
I also heard her saying that she only lost the white women’s vote because they all voted with their Trump lovin’ husbands.
Is she actually saying that women cannot think for themselves? So it appears…
ElderlyZionist says
She’s visibly disintegrating before our eyes. Thank Gawd she lost the election. The same obsessive rant, over and over. She shoulda won, she really did win, it’s all the white wimmin’s fault, who wouldn’t support a sista.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!! You cursed brat! Look what you’ve done!! I’m melting, melting. Ohhhhh, what a world, what a world. Who would have thought that. some little girl like you could destroy my beautiful…”
gravenimage says
Brilliant!
LeftisruiningCanada says
😀
David M says
Pompeo hates her too, & knows she is a liar. She may get indicted now over Benghazi or her e-mail server. Sounds good to me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c95o6GPg60
Georg says
Asserting poverty causes terror betrays a wicked mind and agenda; it’s that simple.
gravenimage says
True, Georg–I grew up on welfare, and then lived on the street for some time as a runaway–as poor as it is possible to be in the first world.
Did I ever, even in my most despairing moments, want to wage violent Jihad against innocent people? Of course not.
Georg says
Exactly, there has been immense poverty since the beginning of time and there is no archetypal link to terror as it doesn’t exist. The data show very straightforwardly there is not a causal link. It’s just the left’s convoluted way of blaming the victims of terror.
gravenimage says
Exactly. It is also calumny against the poor.
Eric jones says
The new secretary of state has a lot on his plate.I hope Pompeo does the following: I favor good relations with Russia and China. I hope for a peaceful solution to Korea. Tell the truth about Islam. Adjust tariffs with fine tuning not a sledge hammer. Continue to adjust trade deals in our favor. Tell Trump the truth even if Trump does not want to hear it.
As far as the new CIA director; after 30 years in CIA she is part of the swamp. Drain her.
Eric
Baucent says
Not necessarily. She would have joined at the tail end of the Cold War and trained under Russia skeptic Cold War warriors. Pompeo probably recommended her so that must say something.
gravenimage says
I’m no expert on her, but from what I have heard she sounds pretty solid.
JawsV says
1600 Pennsylvania Ave is pretty much “The Apprentice WH.”
McMaster’s a know-nothing about Islam but he’s still hanging on.
gravenimage says
Trump State Department: Tillerson out, Pompeo in
…………………
I hope this is an improvement.
Indiana Tom says
Chief among these is the almost universally held idea that poverty causes terrorism.
Hillary will provide them with a jobs program.
I can imagine what sort of job the Jihadis would love.
Georg says
For anyone wondering about Pompeo, this link provides good info relating to his opposition to Islamification of the West: https://barenakedislam.com/2018/03/13/trump-nominee-mike-pompeo-must-be-a-good-choice-for-cia-director-if-designated-terrorist-group-cair-is-whining-about-him/
Has to be a more than slight improvement from this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6M3czPYD9Mk
PRCS says
Seen it before.
Simply can’t do that again!
LeftisruiningCanada says
Oh the horror.
gravenimage says
Thanks, Georg.
sidney penny says
great comments Robert Spencer.
about time there was a redirection
You do not need to be an economist to say that poverty does not cause terrorism.Just look around the world for the evidence.
Georg says
Definitely a stellar piece.
PRCS says
That reminds me of a joke:
There are only three kinds of economists.
Those who can add, and those who can’t.
Flavius Claudius Iulianus says
Tillerson was the administration’s biggest impediment to having the Ikwan put on the list of terrorist organizations. So NOW can we get the the Ikwan added to the list?
gravenimage says
I hope so, Flavius.
Mike says
Roger Stone , on Infowars , in December 2017 , told everyone Tillerson would be outed by the end of March 2018. So , why some peoples do get surprised ? Last week-end , Tillerson didn’t fill his duties not because he was sick but because he knew he was fired . So….
Pompano will not last long too..He will play in Trump’s back too and he will be fired . Trump give those globalists a chance not two .
Moreover , there is a game going on . Trump and Sessions are playing it like virtuosos. They deliver a ” bad ” news .While CNN gets on the bad news to do Trump’s bashing ,Sesssions do a soft coup under radar . MSM journalists get caught every time and Trumpmove ahead .