House Intel Cmte Members Don't Know Difference Between Sunni and Shiite

[Rose Siding]

....Take Representative Terry Everett, a seven-term Alabama Republican who is vice chairman of the House intelligence subcommittee on technical and tactical intelligence.

“Do you know the difference between a Sunni and a Shiite?” I asked him a few weeks ago.

Mr. Everett responded with a low chuckle. He thought for a moment: “One’s in one location, another’s in another location. No, to be honest with you, I don’t know. I thought it was differences in their religion, different families or something.”

To his credit, he asked me to explain the differences. I told him briefly about the schism that developed after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, and how Iraq and Iran are majority Shiite nations while the rest of the Muslim world is mostly Sunni. “Now that you’ve explained it to me,” he replied, “what occurs to me is that it makes what we’re doing over there extremely difficult, not only in Iraq but that whole area.”

Representative Jo Ann Davis, a Virginia Republican who heads a House intelligence subcommittee charged with overseeing the C.I.A.’s performance in recruiting Islamic spies and analyzing information, was similarly dumbfounded when I asked her if she knew the difference between Sunnis and Shiites.

“Do I?” she asked me. A look of concentration came over her face. “You know, I should.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/opinion/17stein.html?pagewanted=print

Speechless.

[CottonBear]

1. Unbelievable.

:banghead:

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Alabama Republican, Virginia Republican

What more needs to said?

[Skidmore]

4. What needs to be asked is if their opponents know how stupid they

are if they are up for re-election.

[Rose Siding]

5. That the ignorance extends to the FBI's national security chief?

O.K., I asked, trying to help, what about today? Which one is Iran — Sunni or Shiite? He thought for a second. “Iran and Hezbollah,” I prompted. “Which are they?”

He took a stab: “Sunni.”

Wrong.

[Zenlitened]

3. Speechless is right. It's mind-boggling that they haven't studied up...

... on these issues. :wow:

The average Joe and Jane Voter wouldn't be able to give a detailed answer. I know I couldn't go beyond a vague outline, either.

But none of us is on a frikkin' intelligence committee responsible for our nation's well-being.

..."Now that you’ve explained it to me," he replied, "what occurs to me is that it makes what we’re doing over there extremely difficult, not only in Iraq but that whole area."

This is just now occurring to him? What a stupid, clueless idiot. Let me repeat for the name-calling record: Stupid, clueless idiot.

Unbelievable.

Different religious sects at each other's throats in the Middle East? Golly, who knew?

:grr: Republicans: They just can't be trusted to get it right.

[lazyriver]

6. Just when you think you've heard it all

Incompetent is too much word to describe this administration.

[grizmaster]

7. that is very disheatening

when they sunk us into bush's qWagmire without knowing the difference that was shameful. But here we are 3 years later and the asshats that are supposed to our MOST knowledgable Congressmen on the subject still can't even tell you which side is which. Words fail me

[Rose Siding]

8. kick

[Jacobin]

9. They should both be hung for treasonous incompetence

It's not funny.

It is sick.

[RedEarth]

10. That is absolutely unbelievable.........

[PA Democrat]

11. Bush didn't even know that there WERE different sects, let alone the

difference between the two.

Bush Didn't Know There Were Sunni And Shiite Muslims Two Months Before Invading Iraq...

Former Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith is claiming President George W. Bush was unaware that there were two major sects of Islam just two months before the President ordered troops to invade Iraq, RAW STORY has learned.

In his new book, The End of Iraq: How American Incompetence Created A War Without End, Galbraith, the son of the late economist John Kenneth Galbraith, claims that American leadership knew very little about the nature of Iraqi society and the problems it would face after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/08/04/bush-didnt-know-there-we_n_26528.html

[Supersedeas]

12. Why is this not surprising??

[Scriptor Ignotus]

13. this explains quite a bit

and not very surprising, in the least.

[klook]

14. They don't know Shiite from Shinola! (n/t)

[w4rma]

15. Republicans are appointed for their loyalty, not for their knowledge. (nt)

[AntiFascist]

16. Who is al Qaeda allied with?

extremist Sunnis. Who is Iran allied with? the Shia. Repubs want to simplify things and have war against all of Islam.