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Terrorism “Experts”: What’s Their Record?

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WASHINGTON—While “terrorism experts” are theorizing about the culprits in the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania, it may be helpful to consider the track records of such commentators. Here is a selection of statements by widely cited terrorism experts:

VINCENT CANNISTRARO: According to Cannistraro, a former head of CIA counter-intelligence, the Oklahoma City bombing had “the marks of a Middle Eastern group.” (Washington Times, 4/20/95) Cannistraro has claimed that environmentalists are seeking to eradicate humanity with killer viruses: “There are small organized clandestine cells working on the development of technologies to diminish or even eliminate the race of man from the Earth.” (San Francisco Examiner, 4/21/91)

STEVEN EMERSON: “Oklahoma City, I can tell you, is probably considered one of the largest centers of Islamic radical activity outside the Middle East.” “This was done with the intent to inflict as many casualties as possible. That is a Middle Eastern trait.” (CBS News, 4/19/95) Islam, “which has more than 1.4 billion adherents—somehow sanctions genocide, planned genocide, as part of its religious doctrine.” (The Jewish Monthly, 3/95)

LARRY JOHNSON: A former counter-terrorism official with the State Department, Johnson said about the TWA 800 crash: “This was a bomb on board, without a doubt.” (CNN 7/17/96; Dallas Morning News, 7/18/96) On the Oklahoma City bombing: “I think as we sort through the evidence, in my judgment, this has the hallmarks of Islamic ties.” (CNN, 4/20/95)

ROBERT KUPPERMAN: Senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Kupperman ascribed guilt for the recent bombings in East Africa to an entire ethnicity. “The Arabs did it,” he said. (AP, 8/14/98)

NEIL LIVINGSTONE: A security consultant, Livingstone said: “Since the end of the Cold War, the biggest threat to the U.S. has come from the Middle East. I’m afraid what happened in Oklahoma has proved that.” (London Daily Mail, 4/21/95)

More credible analysts are available for interviews. They include:

EDWARD HERMAN
Professor Emeritus at the Wharton School and co-author of The “Terrorism” Industry.

YVONNE HADDAD
Professor at the Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.

HALA MAKSOUD
The president of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.
More Information

ABDEEN JABARA
Civil rights attorney.

For more information, contact Sam Husseini at the Institute for Public Accuracy, (202) 347-0020.