Washington Post Doesn’t CAIR About Terrorism History

By Published On: December 16, 2015

The following letter to the editor was sent, but went unpublished:

“Dear Editor:

Washington Post coverage (for example, “Trump wants ‘total’ ban on Muslims entering U.S.,” December 8) continues to omit the history of a questionable source repeatedly cited: the Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

CAIR—founded as a Muslim Brotherhood spin-off—was an un-indicted co-conspirator in the largest terrorism funding case in U.S. history, the 2009 Holy Land Foundation trial. As a result of evidence presented at that trial, FBI Assistant Director Richard Powers said the bureau was ceasing official cooperation with CAIR or its executives until it could resolve “whether there continues to be a connection between CAIR or its executives and Hamas”—a U.S. listed terror group.

CAIR has criticized undercover operations by the FBI and others that seek to prevent terror attacks, but failed to specifically condemn terror groups Hamas or Hezbollah. At least five former staff or lay leaders from CAIR have been indicted, arrested or deported on weapons or terrorism-related charges.

The Post’s failure to identify CAIR is conspicuous given that it “identified” Frank Gaffney—a former U.S. assistant secretary of defense whose current organization, Center for Security Policy, includes former U.S. intelligence and defense professionals—as a “anti-Muslim extremist.” Why would The Post parrot the Southern Poverty Law Center’s reiteration of CAIR’s allegations against Gaffney, but fail to note CAIR’s own history?

The Washington Post made its reputation, in part, by exposing cover-ups like Watergate. Why cover up for CAIR?

Durns is Media Assistant for the Washington D.C. office of CAMERA—the 65,000 member Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America

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