From Under the Radar, Josh Gerstein’s blog on Politico.com:

President Obama’s counterterrorism advisor, John Brennan, argued that 9/11 and other attacks are not, in fact, jihad.

“They are not jihadists, for jihad is a holy struggle an effort to purify for a legitimate purpose and there is nothing—absolutely nothing—holy or pure or legitimate or Islamic about murdering innocent men, women and children. We are not waging a war against terrorism because terrorism is but a tactic that will never be defeated any more than a tactics of war will. Rather such thinking is a recipe for endless conflict….We are at war with al Qaeda and its extremist allies and any comment to the contrary is just inaccurate. We will destroy that organization.”

– John Brennan, speaking at NYU 13 February 2010

From Gerstein’s post, Brennan, unruffled, talks terror at NYU

President Barack Obama’s embattled counterterrorism adviser, John Brennan, delivered an emphatic defense Saturday of the Obama administration’s rhetorical approach to terrorism–and also slipped in a few criticisms of Bush administration policies he suggested alienated Muslims at home and abroad.

In a speech at New York University’s law school, Brennan gave no nod to the calls for his resignation last week from the top Republicans on the House and Senate intelligence committees. (Sen. Lindsey Graham R-S.C. also joined that bandwagon Sunday.)

Brennan seemed at ease speaking to the largely Muslim audience, which included Islamic law students. In fact, he broke out his Arabic at some length, drawing a warm reaction from the crowd. (Scroll to 5:43 in the first video below for that chunk. I think I hear the words youth and student in there.)

Is Brennan the highest-ranking American official who speaks Arabic? If so, is he the highest-ranking American official ever ro speak Arabic? By refusing to cede to al-Qaeda and its ilk the question of their moral legitimacy in their so-called “jihad,” and by being frank about Amerucab misconduct, the Administration has taken a firm step towards increasing U.S. credibility – and started to cut off Al Gaeda’s air supply: implicit or material support for al-Qaeda, and the logical corollary, opposition to the United States.

More from Brennan, unruffled, talks terror at NYU

Brennan also charged that some actions by the U.S. government, presumably the Bush Administration, underscored perceptions that the U.S. was in conflict with Islam. He cited as examples of overreach: “Violations of the Patriot Act. Surveillance that has been excessive. Policies perceived as profiling. Overinclusive no-fly lists subjecting law abiding individuals to unnecessary searches and inconvenience. Creating an unhelpful atmosphere around many Muslim charities that made many Muslims hesitant to fulfill their sacred obligation of Zakat.”

Brennan’s statement that some individuals, presumably Muslims, were subjected to “excessive” surveillance is one I have not heard before from government officials and one which will hearten civil liberties advocates who have claimed that mosques were subjected to unwarranted scrutiny. – Josh Gerstein

Brennan, who mentioned that he is Catholic, blamed religious leaders for spreading myths about Islam being a religion of violence. “Those who purport to be religious are frequently the most egregious purveyors of ignorance, prejudice and discrimination and it must stop,” he said. He did not single out any particular denominations or faith leaders.

Brennan disappointed some in the audience by saying that Obama has no plans to back away from support for the Israel. “It’s tough, but we’re not going to separate ourselves from Israel,” Brennan said, according to Fox News.

At times, Brennan suggested that the entirety of the American Muslim community has always stood 100% behind U.S. anti-terrorism efforts. “America has rarely noticed that American Muslims, such as yourself, have always denounced violent extremism,” Brennan said, citing the head of the NYU center.

That blanket statement may overstate the case somewhat, since some prominent Muslims have been unwilling to endorse U.S. designations of groups like Hamas and Hezbollah as terrorists.

Another moment that was less than crystal clear was Brennan’s insistence that “we do not believe we need to make a choice between” national security and civil liberties, which came moments after he declared: “At times, we are unfortunately forced to make some painful decisions that we would not make under ordinary circumstances.”

Brennan, unruffled, talks terror at NYU

from

Josh Gerstein’s blog, Under the Radar – at Politico.com