Queries Vex New Chair of Intelligence

Queries Vex New Chair of Intelligence

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The incoming Democratic chairman of the House intelligence committee could not describe Hezbollah and incorrectly described al-Qaeda's Islamic roots in a recent interview.

Rep. Silvestre Reyes (D-Tex.), whom incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) named earlier this month to chair the panel, formally known as the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, was asked by a reporter from Congressional Quarterly whether al-Qaeda was Sunni or Shiite. "Predominantly -- probably Shiite," Reyes replied.

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Asked to describe the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, according to a story published online Friday, Reyes responded "Hezbollah. Uh, Hezbollah" and then said, "Why do you ask me these questions at 5 o'clock?"

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Democrats’ New Intelligence Chairman Needs a Crash Course on al Qaeda by Jeff Stein, Congressional Quarterly, 8 December 2006.

From the link above:

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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.

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Amazing.

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Originally Posted by jonSlack

From the link above:



Amazing.

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I have another word for it.

hmmm

criminal negilgence comes to mind

This doesn't surprise me in the least, I'm sad to say.

A few weeks ago.

Hugh Hewitt

We need to stop educating people to be incurious dolts. And more importantly, we need to stop electing said dolts to offices of high responsibility.

I think that it is probably more upsetting that I am not suprised. At least this guy is honest and quiet about his ignorance. Murtha apparently feels the need to bask in it.

SFC W

What it is amazing to me being from Alabama, is this is not the first time Mr. Everett has been caught with shall we say low situation awareness.