PETER KING'S TERRORISM PROBLEM - TOP
The fiery GOPer says WikiLeaks supports terrorism. Legal experts say congressmen who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones -- or raise money for the IRA.
By Tim Murphy, Mother Jones, 1/19/11

When it comes to matters of national security, Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) has never been accused of holding back. So when the political world suffered a collective freak-out over leaked diplomatic cables late last year, King, the top Republican on the House homeland security committee, naturally led the charge. In a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder, King warned that WikiLeaks' release of the classified documents amounted to supporting terrorism.

But according to experts in counterterrorism law, if the tough-on-terror policies King trumpets today had taken effect a few decades earlier, King himself might have been subject to prosecution. Over parts of three decades, from his days as an aspiring politician in Long Island through his early years in Congress, King was one of the nation's most outspoken supporters of the Irish Republican Army and a prolific fundraiser for the Irish Northern Aid Committee (NorAid), allegedly the IRA's American fundraising arm. The IRA waged a paramilitary campaign against the British presence in Northern Ireland for decades before peace accords were signed in 1998. Part of that effort included bombings and shootings that resulted in civilian deaths in England and Northern Ireland. During the period of King's involvement, the US government accused both NorAid and the IRA of links to terrorism.

Federal laws signed by President Bill Clinton and bolstered by the USA PATRIOT Act make it a felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, to provide resources, training, or expert advice--so-called "material support"-- to any group that's been designated a terrorist organization by the State Department. (More)

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FRANK GAFFNEY AND CPAC'S ALLEGED MUSLIM 'INFILTRATOR' FACE OFF (VIDEO) -TOP
Rachel Slajda, Talking Points Memo, 1/21/11

Anderson Cooper, the master of the TV match-up, had on both terrorism "expert" and sharia alarmist Frank Gaffney and Suhail Khan, a board member of the Amercian Conservative Union whom Gaffney has accused of being an operative of Muslim jihadists.

Earlier this month, Gaffney took to World Net Daily to accuse Khan, a Republican who served in the second Bush administration, of being a jihadist infiltrator to the Conservative Political Action Conference. Gaffney said Khan was an operative of the Muslim Brotherhood, a catch-all group that no longer operates in the United States, but which Gaffney and others connect to prominent Muslim groups like the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Muslims For America.

He repeated those accusations (and others) last night and Khan, as he did in an interview with TPM, denied them.

It's good TV. Watch:

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CAIR: VA. TEEN DETAINED IN KUWAIT RETURNS TO U.S., REUNITES WITH FAMILY -TOP
By Kafia A. Hosh and Peter Finn, Washington Post, 1/21/11

See photos of Gulet's arrival here.

A Virginia teenager who was placed on the no-fly list and barred from returning home to the United States from Kuwait arrived at Dulles International Airport on Friday morning for an emotional reunion with his family.

Gulet Mohamed, a 19-year-old U.S. citizen from Alexandria, entered the arrivals terminal nearly two hours after his United Airlines flight landed. His attorneys said he had been kept after the flight by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.

As he emerged from the gate around 8:40 a.m., his brother Abdi Mohamed, 28, sprinted over and hugged him, shouting "Gulet!" repeatedly.

A sea of media then engulfed the teenager, even before he had a chance to embrace his mother. Mohamed - dressed in a worn hooded sweat shirt and sweat pants, his baby face framed by a fuzzy beard - smiled and pulled his hood over his face. ...

Gadeir Abbas, a staff attorney with the Council on American-Islamic Relations who is representing Mohamed along with Nadhira al-Khalili, said FBI agents in Kuwait also tried to question the teenager despite the fact that he told them he wanted his American attorneys present for any interrogation.

Civil liberties groups allege that Mohamed's case is part of a pattern in which American citizens are barred from flying to the United States so they can be questioned by U.S. agents while overseas and without counsel.

Mohamed's attorneys sued Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr., FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III, Terrorist Screening Center Director Timothy Healy and their respective agencies in federal court in Alexandria. They alleged that Mohamed's 14th Amendment right to reside in the United States and to reenter the country from abroad was being violated. And they asked U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga to order the government to allow Mohamed to return home. (More)

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PHOTOS FROM CAIR'S NEWS CONFERENCE AT DULLES AIRPORT - TOP

View the photos

Video from CAIR's news conference at Dulles Airport

View the video

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VIDEO: DETAINED VA. TEEN, GULET MOHAMED, ON WAY BACK TO US (CAIR) - TOP

Watch the video.

An Alexandria, Va., teenager who has been detained in Kuwait for weeks is expected to be home as early as Friday morning.

Gulet Mohamed is scheduled to arrive at Dulles International Airport. The Somali-born and Virginia-raised 19-year old traveled to Yemen to study Arabic last month, and then went on to Somalia and Kuwait to visit family members.

Nadhira Al-Khalili, a lawyer for the Council on American-Islamic Relations or CAIR, said that apparently that set off red flags and Mohamed was detained after his name appeared on the no fly list.

"Two men came out, detained him, and arrested him. Handcuffed him, blindfolded him and took him to a detention facility," said Al-Khalili. (More)

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WYOMING LEGISLATION TARGETS ISLAMIC, INTERNATIONAL LAW - TOP
The Billings Gazette, 1/20/11

CASPER, Wyo. -- Wyoming judges wouldn't be allowed to consider Islamic law or international law when making rulings, under a proposed state constitutional amendment introduced this week.

To date, no Wyoming court rulings have been based on Islamic law, or Shariah. But state Rep. Gerald Gay, R-Casper, said his proposed constitutional amendment, House Joint Resolution 8, is meant as a "pre-emptive strike" to ensure judges don't rely on Shariah in cases involving, for example, arranged marriages, "honor killings" or usury cases.

Gay said while he didn't expect the proposed amendment to pass this year, he predicted support for the proposal would increase in future years.

Last year, Oklahoma passed a constitutional amendment banning state courts from considering or using international law or Shariah law. But a federal judge subsequently blocked that amendment on the grounds that it "fosters an excessive government entanglement with religion." (More)

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CAIR-SFBA IS HIRING: TWO IMMEDIATE FULL-TIME JOB OPENINGS - TOP

(Jan 21, 2011 - Santa Clara, CA)

Operations Coordinator: CAIR-SFBA has an immediate full-time job opening for its office in Santa Clara

JOB DESCRIPTION: CAIR - San Francisco Bay Area seeks an enthusiastic professional to manage the membership and office operations departments.

Membership responsibilities include, but are not limited to: developing, coordinating and supporting membership and fundraising campaigns, analyzing membership performance and activity, planning fundraising events, maintaining membership data base, proper and timely intake and record-keeping of donations, issuing receipts, and following up on pledges.

Office Operations responsibilities include proper bookkeeping and upkeep of QuickBooks, working with Executive Director to draft annual budget, working with accountants to coordinate audit and tax filings, proper and timely record-keeping and office organization. Responsibilities also entail every day human resources tasks such as administration of the human resources policies, managing insurance policies, maintaining employee records, overseeing staff's benefit time, recruiting and managing interns and volunteers, and supporting employee relations.

In addition, the responsibilities also include event management, property management relations, communicating with IT support for office needs, coordinating with both local and state boards to plan monthly meetings and annual retreats, and assisting other departments or other CAIR offices when needed.

Some weekends and late evenings are required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelors degree and work experience with a nonprofit organization or in a related field
  
• Basic computer proficiency including MS Office, Constant Contacts (preferred), QuickBooks (preferred or similar accounting software)
  
• Substantive organizational and supervisory skills
  
• Must have capability to work on multiple projects or tasks at a time
  
• Must be able to drive throughout the Bay Area for events and outreach
  
• A strong orientation toward attention to detail
  
• Willingness and flexibility to change job requirements as the team grows
  
• Comfort working productively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment in a rapidly growing organization
  
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to interface with staff, community leaders, volunteers, and donors in a professional and effective manner
  
• A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR’s mission to promote Justice, empower American Muslims and enhance the understanding of Islam in America

BENEFITS:

• Salary range based on education, skills and experience
  
• Benefits included (medical, dental, and retirement)
  
• Paid vacations and holidays

Civil Rights Coordinator: CAIR's Northern California offices have an immediate job opening

JOB DESCRIPTION: CAIR's Northern California offices seek an enthusiastic professional to manage the civil rights department.

Civil rights responsibilities include, but are not limited to: intake and documentation of complaints of religious discrimination and other civil rights violations, coordination with other civil rights organizations, legal research - especially as related to civil rights issues, working with employers, schools and other organizations on religious accommodations and community outreach, and coordinate and conduct public speaking events/educational workshops. The Civil Rights Coordinator will fulfill these responsibilities for both the CAIR San Francisco Bay Area and CAIR Sacramento regions.

Some weekends and late evenings are required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelors degree (Political Science or related field preferred) and work experience with a nonprofit organization or in a related field
  
• Basic computer proficiency including MS Office, Constant Contacts (preferred)
  
• Must have capability to work on multiple projects or tasks at a time
  
• Must be able to drive throughout Northern California for events and outreach
  
• A strong orientation toward attention to detail
  
• Comfort working productively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment in a rapidly growing organization
  
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to interface with clients, staff, community leaders, volunteers, and donors in a professional and effective manner
  
• Comfortable with public speaking
  
• A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR’s mission to promote Justice, empower American Muslims and enhance the understanding of Islam in America

BENEFITS:

• Salary range based on education, skills and experience
  
• Benefits included (medical, dental, and retirement)
  
• Paid vacations and holidays

Applications for both positions will be accepted until the positions are filled.

All those interested are encouraged to apply with a cover letter, comprehensive resume stating education, work history, references, along with copies of relevant academic certificates to:

Human Resources
CAIR San Francisco Bay Area
3000 Scott Blvd., Ste. 101
Santa Clara, CA 95054
FAX: 408.986.9875
E-Mail: info@sfba.cair.com (When applying via email, please be sure to note the position title in the subject of the email.)
NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE

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