posted on December 11, 2006 04:29:23 PM new
Pelosi has picked a real winner here...
A real promising indicator of things to come from the demos.
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Incoming House intelligence chief botches easy intel quiz
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped to head the Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take over in January, failed a quiz of basic questions about al Qaeda and Hezbollah, two of the key terrorist organizations the intelligence community has focused on since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or the other of the two major branches of Islam -- Sunni or Shiite -- Reyes answered "they are probably both," then ventured "Predominantly -- probably Shiite."
That is wrong. Al Qaeda was founded by Osama bin Laden as a Sunni organization and views Shiites as heretics.
Reyes could also not answer questions put by Stein about Hezbollah, a Shiite group on the U.S. list of terrorist organizations that is based in Southern Lebanon.
Stein's column about Reyes' answers was published on CQ's Web site Friday evening.
In an interview with CNN, Stein said he was "amazed" by Reyes' lack of what he considers basic information about two of the major terrorists organizations.
"If you're the baseball commissioner and you don't know the difference between the Yankees and the Red Sox, you don't know baseball," Stein said. "You're not going to have the respect of the people you work with."
While Stein said Reyes is "not a stupid guy," his lack of knowledge said it could hamper Reyes' ability to provide effective oversight of the intelligence community, Stein believes.
"If you don't have the basics, how do you effectively question the administration?" he asked. "You don't know who is on first."
Stein said Reyes is not the only member of the House Intelligence Committee that he has interviewed that lacked what he considered basic knowledge about terrorist organizations.
"It kind of disgusts you, because these guys are supposed to be tending your knitting," Stein said. "Most people are rightfully appalled."
Pelosi picked Reyes over fellow Californian Rep. Jane Harman, who had been the Intelligence Committee's ranking member, and Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida, who had been impeached as a federal judge after being accused of taking a bribe.
Calls from CNN to Reyes' office asking for reaction to Stein's column have not been returned.
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Democrats’ New Intelligence Chairman Needs a Crash Course on al Qaeda
By Jeff Stein, CQ National Security Editor
Forty years ago, Sgt. Silvestre Reyes was a helicopter crew chief flying dangerous combat missions in South Vietnam from the top of a soaring rocky outcrop near the sea called Marble Mountain.
After the war, it turned out that the communist Viet Cong had tunneled into the hill and built a combat hospital right beneath the skids of Reyes’ UH-1 Huey gunship.
Now the five-term Texas Democrat, 62, is facing similar unpleasant surprises about the enemy, this time as the incoming chairman of the House Intelligence Committee.
That’s because, like a number of his colleagues and top counterterrorism officials that I’ve interviewed over the past several months, Reyes can’t answer some fundamental questions about the powerful forces arrayed against us in the Middle East.
It begs the question, of course: How can the Intelligence Committee do effective oversight of U.S. spy agencies when its leaders don’t know basics about the battlefield?
To his credit, Reyes, a kindly, thoughtful man who also sits on the Armed Service Committee, does see the undertows drawing the region into chaos.
For example, he knows that the 1,400- year-old split in Islam between Sunnis and Shiites not only fuels the militias and death squads in Iraq, it drives the competition for supremacy across the Middle East between Shiite Iran and Sunni Saudi Arabia.
That’s more than two key Republicans on the Intelligence Committee knew when I interviewed them last summer. Rep. Jo Ann Davis, R-Va., and Terry Everett, R-Ala., both back for another term, were flummoxed by such basic questions, as were several top counterterrorism officials at the FBI.
I thought it only right now to pose the same questions to a Democrat, especially one who will take charge of the Intelligence panel come January. The former border patrol agent also sits on the Armed Services Committee.
Reyes stumbled when I asked him a simple question about al Qaeda at the end of a 40-minute interview in his office last week. Members of the Intelligence Committee, mind you, are paid $165,200 a year to know more than basic facts about our foes in the Middle East.
We warmed up with a long discussion about intelligence issues and Iraq. And then we veered into terrorism’s major players.
To me, it’s like asking about Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland: Who’s on what side?
The dialogue went like this:
Al Qaeda is what, I asked, Sunni or Shia?
“Al Qaeda, they have both,” Reyes said. “You’re talking about predominately?”
“Sure,” I said, not knowing what else to say.
“Predominantly — probably Shiite,” he ventured.
He couldn’t have been more wrong.
Al Qaeda is profoundly Sunni. If a Shiite showed up at an al Qaeda club house, they’d slice off his head and use it for a soccer ball.
That’s because the extremist Sunnis who make up a l Qaeda consider all Shiites to be heretics.
Al Qaeda’s Sunni roots account for its very existence. Osama bin Laden and his followers believe the Saudi Royal family besmirched the true faith through their corruption and alliance with the United States, particularly allowing U.S. troops on Saudi soil.
It’s been five years since these Muslim extremists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center.
Is it too much to ask that our intelligence overseers know who they are?
"“More Iraqis think things are going well in Iraq than Americans do. I guess they don’t get the New York Times over there.”—Jay Leno".
[ edited by Bear1949 on Dec 11, 2006 04:33 PM ]
posted on December 11, 2006 04:46:42 PM new
I know that the dem party is extremely LIMITED in who they can chose from that is qualified to do anything more than COMPLAIN....lol...
but this sure takes the cake.
S C A R Y
And even though Harman WAS qualified...and KNEW who is who....pelosi had a personal problem with her...being TOO supportive of the war is what I read.
Yep...their goal: get out all those that wish to see America enjoy victory...and put in stupid JERKS who don't know their own azz from a hole in the ground.
they're showing just how incompetent they really are at anything other than BASHING BUSH.
"While the democratic party complains about everything THIS President does to protect our Nation": "What would a Democrat president have done at that point?"
"Apparently, the answer is: Sit back and wait for the next terrorist attack."
"A tribute to the 75-minute period where tom delay actually received feedback from America. The experiment has now ended, but, this blog has taken a snap-shot, just for you"...
posted on December 11, 2006 11:59:43 PM new
I sure hope nobody has trouble scrolling all the way to the bottom....LOLOL!!!
111 Comments
High Tom I was just wondering what you thought of certain a Congressman who tried to get a bill passed claiming the war is "unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the President of the United States"
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter doctorsmith
Such unmitigated gall.
Your 3 First Principles "Order, Justice, and Freedom" obviously don't include Honesty, Integrity, or Ethics. I particularly like the way the House Ethics Committee chairman, Joel Hefley, was removed after rebuking you 3 times. Yes, he was replaced by Delay groupie Doc Hastings, with a couple other groupies connected with your PAC. Sorta make sure no more untoward rebukes occur.
It's good that you're no longer a Representative; the stench of the 109th Congress will take a long time to fix.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Wilbur
YOUR ARE A #*!@ DISGRACE TO THE IDEAS OF GOLDWATER. CRAWL BACK INTO A HOLE YOU TURD!
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Clayton Hutchinson
Zalmay Khalilzad is now resigning as ambassador to Iraq. In my opinion, a staunch supporter of the war such as yourself should volunteer to fill this important post. It would do you some good to get first hand knowledge regarding Iraq, a country in which the situation is said to be "grave" and "deteriorating."
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Larry Talbot
What a magnificently, terrifically boring and irrelevant blog. Honestly, who on earth cares what you have to say?
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Miles Coverdale
You left Congress disgracefully and you want people to take you seriously? You should be in prison you assclown, piss off Tom.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Tom you suck
Tom DeLay is a pussy-ass #*!@ moneygrubber.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Jar Jar
Didn't we already stick a fork in your ass and decide you're done?
To paraphrase you: You WERE the Federal Government...now you're a nothing.
The fact that you are trying to keep your name alive by starting a stupid blog is actually kind of pathetic and sad. Please just go away.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Meadows
You wouldn't know "honesty" if came up and BIT YOU IN THE ASS.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Bill Davis
How pathetic you are, Mr. Delay. You are a criminal, and you should be serving time in jail alomg with your buddies Abramhoff and Cunningham.
The damage you have done to this country is reprehinsible.
Do us all a favor and just disappear, you sorry excuse for a person.
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter cosmo
Tom,
When you're locked up, will you smuggle blog posts out in your visitors' rectums?
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Rick Derris
SLeaze bag!
December 10, 2006 | Unregistered Commenter Joe
Aesthetically speaking, this is the most visually bland yet offensive piece of crap to ever find it's way onto a server.
posted on December 12, 2006 12:11:10 AM new
"""It’s been five years since these Muslim extremists flew hijacked airliners into the World Trade Center.
Is it too much to ask that our intelligence overseers know who they are?"""
Yup, it's been five years and bush has forgotten all about Bin Laden....
oh, he knows who he is but just doesn't want to spend much time going after him...
even disbanded the department in charge of finding him!
Is it too much to ask that he goes after the person RESPONSIBLE for 9/11 and leave IRAQ alone??????
LOLOL!!!