Back in December, the incoming Democratic chairman of the House of Representatives Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas displayed a stunning lack of information regarding our enemy in the War Against Jihadists
When asked by a reporter if al Qaeda was a Sunni or Shi'a organization, he responded
"Predominantly -- probably Shi'ite," he said in a recent interview with Congressional Quarterly, a periodical that covers political and legislative issues in Congress.
Unfortunately for Reyes, the al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden is comprehensively Sunni and subscribes to a form of Sunni Islam known for not tolerating theological deviation.
In fact, U.S. officials blame al Qaeda's former leader in Iraq, the late Abu Musab al Zarqawi, for the surge in sectarian violence between Sunnis and Shi'ites.
But Reyes' problems in the interview didn't end with al Qaeda.
Asked to describe the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Congressional Quarterly said Reyes responded: "Hezbollah. Uh, Hezbollah," and then said, "Why do you ask me these questions at five o'clock?"
The problem is, singling him out as uninformed will not solve the problem. But a group of Congressmen and women have banded together to be more constructive
The bipartisan Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus officially launched Tuesday under the banner that terrorism is not a Democratic or Republican problem but rather an issue on which all lawmakers must work together.
The group is designed to provide a place for members from both parties to share ideas and educate other lawmakers and the public about the threats of terrorism....The group has 67 members, most of them Republicans and centrist Democrats. Cramer said being part of the caucus will help members better learn about the issues facing them. He cited the situation in Iraq as an example and how understanding the history of the Middle East can help lawmakers better assist the Pentagon to "pick up the pieces there" and find solutions.
"What we're doing in this caucus is saying we've got to understand everything we possibly can about this war - the big war, the war on terror - and the enemy," co-chairman Rep. Kay Granger (R-Texas) said.
"We serve on important committees - International Relations, Intelligence, Armed Services, Defense - and we read white papers, and we go to classified briefings, and we exchange books. But the more we know, I think, the more we know we don't know."
Now this is a development long overdue. It has been over five years since the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, and Congress is finally deciding to get up to speed on who the enemy actually is.
The Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus’s mission statement states that terrorism is not a Democrat or Republican problem; it is a critical issue for all Americans.
We'll know they really are informed when the rename the Anti-Terrorism Caucus to the Anti-Islamist Caucus. Or the Anti-Caliphate Caucus.
But hey, it's a start...
