Counter-terrorism expert Jarret Brachman weighs in on the issue of poor quality FBI training--and notes that Jihadist forums are citing it as evidence of US hostility to Islam:

There’s been a lot of attention in recent months on the cadre of counterterrorism trainers who are peddling paranoia and fear about what they believe is the “real” problem: Islam itself. As one who provides training for law enforcement and government audiences, I’m particularly concerned about this issue.

Not only is their brand of anti-Islamic training factually incorrect but it actually becomes self-fulfilling as it serves to confirm that what many Western Muslims already suspect is being the case. Today, Ackerman over at Wired’s Danger Room has a great new piece looking at some training being provided to FBI from some of these “Islam is the Problem” trainers.

Although I’m not shocked to hear that agencies of the USG are paying for this kind of garbage before, I am resolute in my commitment to work toward some kind of solution. But before I do, I figure I’d profile what’s being said within the English-language Islamic forums upon hearing this story. Here are some quotes about news that “CT experts” are conducting anti-Islamic training for USG with my reactions interspersed:

Forum User: “Looks like years of sucking up to the authorities, throwing innocent Muslims under the bus and cooperating with the feds has done “American Muslims” no good at all. In fact, the Maghrib crowd are probably all under surveillance as the FBI views them as potential terrorists”

JB reaction: This kind of exasperation is being echoed throughout the forums. Despite ten years of rhetoric about the need to engage the American Islamic community with respect , the USG continues supporting individuals who advocate suspicion of the religion.
In the meantime, questions get raised in Congress (and it is about time too):

The FBI swears it has stopped teaching agents that “mainstream” Muslims are proto-terrorists and that Mohammed is a “cult leader.” But top Senators aren’t prepared to let the FBI turn the page on its anti-Islam counterterrorism training, revealed by Danger Room on Wednesday.

“There is no room in America for the lies, propagated by al-Qaida, that the U.S. is at war with Islam, or the lie propagated by others that all Muslims support terrorism,” Sen. Joe Lieberman, the chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, told Danger Room.

Lieberman is one of the most consistently hawkish members of Congress. Not coincidentally, he’s been disturbed at recent reports that “inaccurate or even bigoted” anti-Islamic sentiment — his words — is substituting for diligent, responsible counterterrorism. In a letter this week to John Brennan, the president’s assistant on homeland security, Lieberman called for “meaningful standards” on law enforcement counterterrorism training, a point he reiterated to Danger Room.