The Obama administration’s olive branch approach to overseas issues has crippled America’s effort in the war on Islamist terrorism and undercut the nation’s prestige, according to an expert on international terrorism and terror funding.
“From traveling and being in touch with many Europeans and people from around the world, I know that the status of the U.S. has really diminished,” said Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld, founder of the American Center for Democracy. “It’s still a very powerful country, but the current policies are not serving it well.
“We are a target for the Chinese, and they see us as more vulnerable since Obama took over. I think the Russians think so, too,” said Ehrenfeld.
“I don’t speak for Israel, but it’s my impression that many Israelis don’t think the U.S. is an ally like it has been. They are very wary,” Ehrenfeld added.
“The Palestinians have declared again and again in their Arabic language propaganda that Israel doesn’t have the right to exist. Even their children’s television shows are filled with programs calling for jihad and killing Jews. Yet Obama persists in believing that you can reason with people who are prepared to kill you,” said Ehrenfeld.
“But the Palestinians, as always, come to Washington saying it’s Israel that doesn’t want peace, and the administration goes along with the charade, blaming the Israelis.”
Far from winning friends in Arab countries, the Obama approach toward Israel is winning only contempt, according to Ehrenfeld.
“They view us as fools. They think the West is corrupt and greedy, and therefore they can take advantage of it.”
Asked what America ought to be doing in the war against Islamist terror, Ehrenfeld responded: “What war? We’re not at war with radical Islam. If we were, we’d designate Saudi Arabia as a terrorism-supporting country and be serious about Iran. ￢ﾀﾦWe’d limit contributions from Saudi Arabia to organizations here, and go after the Conference of Islamic States OIC, whose mandate is to liberate Jerusalem through jihad.”
Ehrenfeld said the Saudis are the world’s greatest financial backers of global Islamist terror groups. According to the expert, the Saudis are bankrolling efforts to spread Islam, by means both peaceful and violent, throughout the world and particularly in the U.S.
“In America, they’re funding NGOs, mosques, lobbies in Washington, universities, and fund students and faculty to go there. They advance political correctness, to stop people from saying anything critical about Islam or Saudi Arabia,” said Ehrenfeld.
“Most of the mosques in the U.S. preach Wahhabism [the fundamentalist Islamic doctrine that calls Muslims to spread the dominion of Shariah law by word or by sword],” and most are funded by Saudi Arabia,” said Ehrenfeld. Support for jihad is not a fringe position, “it is a mainstream position” among American Muslims.
“There are plenty of radical Muslim organizations in the United States,” according to Ehrenfeld. “They’re creating a basis for converting more Americans to Islam, and their ability to incite people to commit terrorist acts for jihad has not been diminished.”
Ehrenfeld said the West’s whole approach toward fighting Islamic terror, with its focus on fighting the Taliban in Afghanistan, has to change.
“The bigger problem is Islam itself. ￢ﾀﾦ Sixty percent of the Quran and the primary texts of Islam deal with the Kafir (infidels).”
Ehrenfeld called for Western countries to reject Islamist pressure to allow Shariah to supersede Western democratic laws.
“There were periods when Muslims lived peacefully with others, when they couldn’t take advantage and force themselves on others. That’s no longer the case.”