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Quick Takes: News You May Have Missed

By: Aaron Klein

Published: August 10th, 2011

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How Loyal Are The Army’s

Muslim Chaplains?

The U.S. military’s Muslim chaplain program was founded by a terror-supporting convict while the Army’s first Islamic chaplain, who is still serving, has been associated with a charity widely accused of serving as an al Qaeda front.

Following a plot uncovered last week to target Fort Hood’s Army base – one year after the same base was the subject of a shooting massacre by a Muslim army psychiatrist – closer scrutiny of the military’s Islamic chaplain program may be warranted, some people are saying.

Pfc. Naser Abdo was arrested two weeks ago with a backpack full of explosives. He reportedly admitted to planning a terror attack on Fort Hood soldiers. In previous media profiles, Abdo, a convert to Islam, described becoming more religious after he signed up for the Army.

The military’s Muslim chaplain program was founded in 1993. It was guided by Abdul Rahman al-Amoudi, an Islamic cleric who served as an Islamic adviser to President Bill Clinton.

Al-Amoudi currently is serving a 23-year sentence for illegal terrorism-related financial transactions with the Libyan government and for his alleged role in a Libyan conspiracy to assassinate then-Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah.

Al-Amoudi co-founded the American Muslim Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Council, which worked with the U.S. government to establish the Army’s Muslim chaplain program.

Al-Amoudi reportedly handpicked the army’s first Islamic chaplain, Imam Abdul-Rasheed Muhammad, who serves until today.

Al-Amoudi was instrumental in selecting several other of the military’s six Islamic chaplains.

Muhammad was recommended for appointment by Al-Amoudi’s American Islamic Council.

Each Muslim chaplain must first be endorsed by an official Islamic agency. Muhammad’s endorsing agency reportedly was the Islamic Society of North America, or ISNA.

The ISNA subsequently became an unindicted co-conspirator in a scheme to raise money for Hamas.

In a 1993 interview with Muslehuddin Ahmed of Islam4all.com, Muhammad detailed his association with the Muslim World League, or MWL, a Saudi-funded Muslim charity accused of terrorism financing and ties to al Qaeda. Multiple MWL-founded charities have been declared terror-supporting groups by the U.S. and United Nations.

During the period of Muhammad’s association with the MWL, the group spawned multiple Muslim charities that were alleged fronts for al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

Muhammad recounted to Islam4all how he was an “honored guest” of the MWL for his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.

The Islamic website reported Muhammad offered to work closely with the MWL and that he began an “ongoing interaction with the MWL in shaping and developing a vital Islamic presence within the U.S. Armed Forces.”

Communists Endorse Obama

It may be early in the campaign season, but the Communist Party USA already has seen fit to endorse Barack Obama for the 2012 election.

While noting he is disappointed with “some aspects” of the Obama administration’s domestic and foreign policy, Sam Webb, chairman of the Communist Party USA, threw his support behind Obama’s re-election bid.

In an article last week at People’s Weekly World, the official newspaper of the Communist Party USA, Webb said that there are major differences between Democrats and Republicans for communists. He urged his supporters to continue to back the Democrats.

Wrote Webb: “Neither party is anti-capitalist, but they aren’t identical either. Differences exist at the levels of policy and social composition. And despite the many frustrations of the past two years, the election of Barack Obama was historic and gave space to struggle for a people’s agenda.”

Webb concluded: “Furthermore, we are also aware of the undeniable fact that no other party besides the Democratic Party stands a chance of beating the GOP next year.”

Did Israel Try To Assassinate

Hizbullah Chief?

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah was the target of a bomb blast in southern Beirut last Friday, an Egyptian security official told this column.

The Egyptian official did not point to any specific information that indicated who carried out the alleged assassination attempt.

He did, however, say the assumption is that Israel was behind the bombing.

Hizbullah claimed the blast was caused by technical problems with a gas tank and that there were no casualties. Fueling suspicions, Hizbullah forces closed off the scene of the blast and did not allow Lebanese police or army forces to enter.

Al Qaeda Takes Credit For Downed Chopper

Al Qaeda is getting in on the action in Afghanistan this past weekend, claiming responsibility for the downing of a troop-carrying helicopter and promising more “revenge” for the U.S. assassination raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Already the Taliban claimed credit for Saturday’s chopper attack that killed 38 in the largest loss of life suffered by foreign forces in a single incident in 10 years of war.

“The shooting of the U.S. aircraft is one of the first Jihadiya Salafiya reactions to the murder of Sheikh Osama bin Laden,” stated Abu Saqer, leader of Jihadiya Salafiya in the Gaza Strip, in a brief telephone interview with this column.

Aaron Klein is Jerusalem bureau chief and senior reporter for WorldNetDaily.com. He is also host of an investigative radio program on New York’s 770-WABC Radio, the largest talk radio station in the U.S., every Sunday between 2-4 p.m.