Israel Matzav

Obama's senior terrorism adviser: Kumbaya

John Brennan, a former CIA Mideast station chief who now serves as President Barack Obama's senior adviser for homeland security and counterterrorism, spoke at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, where he claimed that "President Obama is under no illusions about the imminence and severity of [the terrorism] threat," but insisted that President Obama's dropping the rhetoric of the 'war on terror' didn't mean that Obama was soft on terror. He also said that poverty and lack of education didn't cause terror, but lack of hope to escape poverty and get an education do cause terror.

"Poverty does not cause violence and terrorism. Lack of education does not cause terrorism," maintained Brennan, who once studied at the American University in Cairo and served as a US diplomat in Saudi Arabia.

He continued, however, by saying that people without hope of education, jobs and a stable provision of their needs are more susceptible to dangerous ideologies. "Extremist violence and terrorist attacks are therefore often the final murderous manifestation of a long process rooted in hopelessness, humiliation and hatred."

Therefore, he said, the US was dedicated to addressing these forces not only through military operations but "a political, economic and social campaign to meet the basic needs and legitimate grievances of ordinary people."

He pointed to the strategies of groups like Hamas and Hizbullah in providing social services as a means of garnering support.

As part of that counter-effort, Brennan said the US needs to "demonstrate that seemingly intractable problems and legitimate grievances can be resolved through diplomacy, dialogue and the democratic process."

He pointed to several problem areas, including the Arab-Israeli conflict.

"That is why the administration is aggressively pursuing negotiations to achieve the goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," he said.

The 9/11 terrorists definitely weren't impoverished but that didn't stop them.

As to the 'goal of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security,' don't hold your breaths waiting for it to happen.

If anyone can explain to me how a former CIA Mideast station chief could become so totally delusional, I'd love to hear it.

In the meantime, I think this sums up Brennan's interview quite well. Let's go to the videotape.



Sorry I decided I like Mark Levin's version better than Joan Baez's. Heh.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 2:00 PM