WASHINGTON — "He is expected to have an acute understanding of terrorist groups and their threats to American interests. But the incoming chairman of a congressional intelligence committee was yesterday struggling to explain his ignorance of Al Qaeda and Hezbollah.
Silvestre Reyes, the Democrat chosen to head the House of Representatives committee, was asked whether members of Al Qaeda came from the Sunni or the Shia branch of Islam.
"Al Qaeda, they have both,” he answered, adding: “Predominantly probably Shi’ite.”
In fact, Al Qaeda was founded by Usama bin Laden as a Sunni organisation and views Shia Muslims as heretics. The centuries-old now fuels the militias and death squads in Iraq.
Jeff Stein, a reporter for Congressional Quarterly, then put a similar question about Hezbollah, the Lebanese Shia group. “Hezbollah. Uh, Hezbollah . . .” replied Mr Reyes. “Why do you ask me these questions at five o’clock? Can I answer in Spanish? Do you speak Spanish?” Go ahead, said Stein. “Well, I, uh . . .” said the congressman.
His apparent ignorance of basic facts have raised fresh questions over his suitability for the key intelligence post — as well as the judgment of Nancy Pelosi, the new Speaker of the House, who picked him for the job. She has already been criticised for trying to oust her deputy Steny Hoyer, in a poll among Democrat congressmen after the mid-term elections.
There was further controversy over her choice of Mr Reyes over the head of Jane Harman, who had been the committee’s most senior Democrat but was said to have upset Ms Pelosi. At the time Mr Reyes said he had “very strong credentials” for the job — “credentials which could stand up to anybody”.
Except of course anyone who reads the English-speaking newspapers. I'm really beginning to enjoy watching the loons trip all over themselves, and it bodes well for 2008 if this is all they've got.
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