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Representative Peter King Stands Firm on Congressional Hearings to Investigate Al Qaeda Recruiting in the United States

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Rep. Peter King, the newly minted chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, remains resolute in his commitment to holding congressional hearings to investigate Al Qaeda recruiting in the United States. Despite intense backlash from Muslim groups and some Democrats, King believes that his hearings are necessary to raise awareness about a real and dangerous threat to national security. He argues that Al Qaeda is actively recruiting within the Muslim community, citing Attorney General Eric Holder's statement about the increasing number of young Muslim men being radicalized to take up arms against their country.

Key Takeaways:

  • Rep. Peter King's hearings aim to investigate Al Qaeda recruiting in the United States, particularly within the Muslim community.
  • 51 Muslim and interfaith groups have written a letter criticizing King's hearings, comparing them to the McCarthyism era.
  • King believes that his hearings are necessary to address the Al Qaeda threat, citing Attorney General Eric Holder's statement about radicalized Muslim men.
  • King argues that Muslim leaders must be more critical in denouncing extremist ideologies and that the focus of the hearings should be on Al Qaeda, not other forms of extremism.
  • The Congressman has been criticized for not having law enforcement officials testify in his hearings, but he insists that he will have them appear.
  • Rep. King references the British Prime Minister David Cameron's statement on the failure of multiculturalism, stating that the United States has not addressed similar issues involving the Muslim community due to political correctness.
  • King acknowledges that the majority of Muslims in the United States are outstanding Americans, but argues that the threat from Al Qaeda originates from within the Muslim community, albeit a small percentage.

Statistics:

  • 51 Muslim and interfaith groups have written a letter criticizing Rep. King's hearings.
  • The Attorney General Eric Holder mentioned that he can't sleep at night due to the number of radicalized young Muslim men.
  • According to Rep. King, the Homelands Security Department was established as a result of the 9/11 attacks by Al Qaeda Islamic terrorists.
  • The Congressman states that approximately 19 people on September 11th killed almost 3,000 people.

Sources:

  • Republican Representative Peter King (R-NY) interview on "America's Newsroom" with Martha MacCallum, February 9, 2011
  • Letter from 51 Muslim and interfaith groups to Rep. King criticizing his hearings.

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