Former Bush senior intelligence officer: Why Bush and Obama never said ‘radical Islam’

Posted by | June 28, 2016 14:49 | Filed under: Politics

Republish
Reprint


Emile Nakhleh worked in the Bush CIA and explains why both he and President Obama never used the phrase “radical Islam.”

Settling upon accurate and strategically nuanced terms to describe the post-9/11 enemy is not the product of “political correctness” (contra Trump) or a failure to understand the enemy (contra a much-discussed Atlantic cover story). Nor are objections to using overly broad terms like “Islamic radicalism” limited to Democrats. The Bush administration understood the power of words, too. It concluded that distinctions that may seem small to Christian-American ears make a big difference to the mainstream Muslims we need on our side.

When I directed the Political Islam Strategic Analysis Program at the CIA in the early 2000s, I frequently interacted with senior Bush administration policymakers about how to engage Muslim communities and, when doing so, which words and phrases to use to best describe the radical ideology preached by al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Always, the aim was to distinguish between radicals and extremists and the vast majority of mainstream Muslims, and to make sure the latter understood that we were not lumping them in with the former.

Like the Obama administration, the Bush administration correctly judged that the term “radical Islam” was divisive and adversarial, and would alienate the very people we wanted to communicate with.

Click here for reuse options!
Copyright 2016 Liberaland
By: Alan

Alan Colmes is the publisher of Liberaland.

17 responses to Former Bush senior intelligence officer: Why Bush and Obama never said ‘radical Islam’

  1. jybarz June 28th, 2016 at 15:01

    I was going to say great minds think alike, but then I thought, I don’t want to lump in President Obama with w…it will be a great injustice and misjudgment.

  2. anothertoothpick June 28th, 2016 at 15:47

    I very much doubt that dubya came to that conclusion all by himself.

    His needless”axis of evil” comments were pointless and not very smart.

    • Mensa Member June 28th, 2016 at 20:35

      Bush had very close ties to the House of Saud. Oil wealth was the connection.

      Maybe that gave him a nuanced understanding of Muslims.

      Or, am I giving him too much credit? Was it just speechwriters?

    • Gina Bousquet June 29th, 2016 at 00:13

      He mentioned Brazil as part of the axis of evil. We were astounded!

  3. JimmiJames June 28th, 2016 at 16:07

    WTF is a main stream Muslim? Those not offended by a ham sandwich? Or, those that suppress women, kill gays, condone stoneings, as well beheadings and honor killings…. huh? Not to mention the pedophile Muhammad…. just What the fuck is a “main stream” Muslim Alan?

  4. Mike June 28th, 2016 at 16:55

    Hell, I’m angry with Obama for not calling republicans a$$holes…

    • mistlesuede June 29th, 2016 at 00:45

      I’d love to be a fly on the wall in meetings with PO and Biden. I’m sure that description must be used at some point. :)

  5. robert June 28th, 2016 at 17:42

    Saddam Husein never got the chance to prove to the world he was a radical Iraqi and where DID he leave those WMDs ?

  6. Maxx44 June 28th, 2016 at 17:42

    What is a main stream redneck? One like you who knows absolutely nothing about Islam?

    • JimmiJames June 28th, 2016 at 18:01

      I know enough about Islam to see it’s still mired in the 12th century… fuckface Maxx44! Either you’re one of them, or just a stupid fucking idiot.

      • Hirightnow June 28th, 2016 at 21:30

        Bye.

        • bpollen June 29th, 2016 at 06:29

          I guess I shoulda scrolled down the thread a little bit before replying then… Oh, well, gotta keep my troll-stomping chops up.

  7. robert June 28th, 2016 at 17:48

    george found the beheading evidence but nobody wants to confess to stoning women

  8. amersham1046 June 28th, 2016 at 19:06

    Obama knows better, and well Bush can not handle foreign words

  9. Mensa Member June 28th, 2016 at 20:41

    >> WTF is a main stream Muslim?

    Oh, c’mon, you know what this guys means by “mainstream”. He means just regular Muslims.

    The kind of Muslims who are no better or worse than mainstream anybody else.

  10. bpollen June 29th, 2016 at 06:28

    What the f*ck is a main stream religious bigot? WTF is an ignorant blowhard? Ever heard of Christianity? You know, the one based on a pro-genocide “holy book?” They all should be judged by pogroms, slaughter of the unbelievers, violent suppression of minor doctrinal differences, beheadings, burning alive, torture, corruption, “Thank Gawd for dead soldiers” and “Gawd hates fags” and “drinking the kool-aid.”

    And I just bet you self-identify as a Christian.

  11. Chris June 29th, 2016 at 07:28

    I guess the article used too many big words.

    Here’s a simpler version: If we wish to win hearts and minds in the rational Mideast Muslims to our cause of ridding the world of terrorism, a sure way to lose it is by screaming “radical Islam!”

    If, however, you want to greet the Apocalypse with open arms, keep screaming “radical Islam!” because then nobody will aid us there.

    Hope this helps. Dunderhead.

Leave a Reply