Muslim Group Often Denounced By Republicans Praises Osama's Death
Praise for the U.S. operation that killed terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden spans the American political spectrum, and straddles international borders.
Amid the outpouring is a statement from an American Muslim organization which has found itself often denounced by Republicans as itself supportive of Islamic terrorism.
Within hours of President Obama's historic late Sunday announcement that the man who plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks had been killed in Pakistan, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called a Monday morning press conference to discuss bin Laden's death and issued a statement in which it says that it "welcomes elimination of Osama bin Laden."
U.S. forces have been hunting to kill or capture bin Laden in the nearly 10 years since his allies carried out his plan, which used commercial airliners as weapons to bring down the World Trade Center in New York and damage the Pentagon in what was the deadliest attack ever on U.S. soil. Terrorists had hijacked a third airliner, potentially to strike the U.S. Capitol or White House, before passengers fought to retake control. That plane ultimately crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, killing all aboard.
CAIR, which describes itself as an prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has found itself in the crosshairs by top Republicans as a supporter of international terrorism.
Most recently, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) denounced CAIR in his statement which opened his controversial March hearing targeting American Muslims for allegedly supporting terror acts.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, King called on "responsible Muslim-American leaders must reject discredited groups such as CAIR - The Council on American-Islamic Relations which was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the terrorist financing case involving the Holyland Foundation.
"In the leadup to this hearing I found it shocking and sad that the mainstream media accepted CAIR's accusations as if it were a legitimate organization," King says.
However, CAIR was unequivocal on Sunday in support for bin Laden's death.
"We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel," the CAIR statement says. "As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. We also reiterate President Obama's clear statement tonight that the United States is not at war with Islam."
The CAIR statement also notes that it coordinated one of the first joint American Muslim statements condemning the Sept. 11 terror attacks, issued just hours after they occurred.
Bookmark The Washington Current and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.
Amid the outpouring is a statement from an American Muslim organization which has found itself often denounced by Republicans as itself supportive of Islamic terrorism.
Within hours of President Obama's historic late Sunday announcement that the man who plotted the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks had been killed in Pakistan, the Washington-based Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) called a Monday morning press conference to discuss bin Laden's death and issued a statement in which it says that it "welcomes elimination of Osama bin Laden."
U.S. forces have been hunting to kill or capture bin Laden in the nearly 10 years since his allies carried out his plan, which used commercial airliners as weapons to bring down the World Trade Center in New York and damage the Pentagon in what was the deadliest attack ever on U.S. soil. Terrorists had hijacked a third airliner, potentially to strike the U.S. Capitol or White House, before passengers fought to retake control. That plane ultimately crashed in a field in Pennsylvania, killing all aboard.
CAIR, which describes itself as an prominent national Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, has found itself in the crosshairs by top Republicans as a supporter of international terrorism.
Most recently, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) denounced CAIR in his statement which opened his controversial March hearing targeting American Muslims for allegedly supporting terror acts.
The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, King called on "responsible Muslim-American leaders must reject discredited groups such as CAIR - The Council on American-Islamic Relations which was named as an unindicted co-conspirator in the terrorist financing case involving the Holyland Foundation.
"In the leadup to this hearing I found it shocking and sad that the mainstream media accepted CAIR's accusations as if it were a legitimate organization," King says.
However, CAIR was unequivocal on Sunday in support for bin Laden's death.
"We join our fellow citizens in welcoming the announcement that Osama bin Laden has been eliminated as a threat to our nation and the world through the actions of American military personnel," the CAIR statement says. "As we have stated repeatedly since the 9/11 terror attacks, bin Laden never represented Muslims or Islam. In fact, in addition to the killing of thousands of Americans, he and Al Qaeda caused the deaths of countless Muslims worldwide. We also reiterate President Obama's clear statement tonight that the United States is not at war with Islam."
The CAIR statement also notes that it coordinated one of the first joint American Muslim statements condemning the Sept. 11 terror attacks, issued just hours after they occurred.
Bookmark The Washington Current and drop back in for more news from the nation's capital.
posted by Scott Nance at
5:38 AM
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