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Islamism and Challenges to Resources for U.S. Strategic Planning Against Jihad

By Jeffrey Imm

As previously discussed, in addressing the strategic planning to fight Jihad, any blueprint strategy for national security must define Jihad, must address it within the national security threat, and must also define a national policy on the ideology of political Islamism. The 9/11 Commission report defines Islamism as follows: "an Islamic militant, anti-democratic movement, bearing a holistic vision of Islam whose final aim is the restoration of the caliphate." Yet the United States still has no foreign policy or strategic position on this ideology, even though the 9/11 Commission report has stated "Islamist terrorism is an immediate derivative of Islamism."

Recent news reports state that resources to conduct such strategic planning are being threatened for not being sensitive to Islamist-linked organizations being sought in Defense Department "outreach" efforts. The following provides context for these recent news reports regarding Major Stephen Coughlin.

In his July 7, 2007 report, "To Our Great Detriment" -- Ignoring What Extremists Say About Jihad, Stephen Coughlin points out that "we need to reconsider how we determine what motivates and animates the enemy in order to clarify the jihadi threat". On September 14, the Washington Times reported that Stephen Coughlin "stated in a Sept. 7 memorandum that many U.S. Muslim groups viewed as moderate by the Justice Department and other government agencies secretly are linked to the pro-terrorist Muslim Brotherhood. The groups also are engaged in influence and deception operations designed to mask their true aims, he said."

The September 14 Washington Times article went on to quote Stephen Coughlin as stating the documents entered as exhibits in the Holy Land Foundation trial "are beginning to define the structure and outline of domestic jihad threat entities, associated nongovernmental organizations and potential terrorist or insurgent support systems" and that a 1991 Muslim Brotherhood memorandum "describes aspects of the global jihad's strategic information warfare campaign and indications of its structure, reach and activities". The article continued to quote Stephen Coughlin that "consequently, outreach strategies must be adjusted in the face of credible information that seeming Islamic humanitarian or professional nongovernmental organizations may be part of the global jihad with potential for being part of the terrorist or insurgent support system."

Since then, the Washington Times reported on December 28, 2007 that Stephen Coughlin was being pressured, after a meeting with Hasham Islam, Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon R. England's close aide, "to take a softer line on Islam and Islamic law elements that promote extremism". The Washington Times reported that this was because "Mr. Coughlin came under fire from pro-Muslim officials after a memorandum he wrote identified several groups that are being courted by Mr. Islam's community outreach program as front organizations for the pro-extremist Muslim Brotherhood."

On January 4, the Washington Times reported that Major Coughlin was being fired for his work and was "accused directly by Mr. Islam of being a Christian zealot or extremist 'with a pen,' according to defense officials."

On January 11, the Washington Times reported that some "Pentagon and military leaders, along with lots of working-level officials, are quietly rallying to support" Stephen Coughlin. On January 11, Diana West of the Washington Times defended Stephen Coughlin, and Douglas Farah provided a commentary on Islamist views of the Qu'ran published by Tariq Ramadan, and why non-Islamist views of Qur'an and Islamic law needed to be studied by individuals like Stephen Coughlin. On January 12, JihadWatch published an analytical "summary piece on Coughlin's firing, its implications, and what must be done next."

In addition, Steven Emerson of The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) provided the following comments on this subject on the January 11 FOX News television program "Hannity and Colmes". The following provides Mr. Emerson's televised comments on this subject on the FOX News television program (despite numerous efforts by Alan Colmes to interrupt him).

Sean Hannity:
"An Islamic expert at the Pentagon known for his hard stance against radical Islam was recently fired, and now his colleagues want to know why. Stephen Coughlin was fired after a confrontation with one of the Deputy Defense Secretary's aides, which ended with Coughlin being called 'a Christian zealot with a pen'. The word from the Pentagon is that Coughlin was fired for fiscal reasons, but supporters of his think there are ulterior motives behind his dismissal."

[Sean Hannity asks Steve Emerson who Stephen Coughlin was and "what really went on here".]

Steven Emerson:
"Stephen Coughlin has a background in law and international business and specialty in academic study of Islamic militant doctrine of Jihad. And what he did is to analyze documents, hundred of thousands of documents, which were released during the Hamas, the Holy Land case trial, in Texas. He did an analysis of some of those documents -- that were not disputed -- which showed that there was a Muslim Brotherhood plan, a secret plan, designed to acquire influence in the U.S., undermine U.S. democracy, and to establish a caliphate. The Muslim Brotherhood plan was spelled out in a document that was introduced at trial. Mr. Coughlin wrote a memo spelling out the implications of these documents, and the profound nature of what would happen if the United States government decided to start doing dialogue and embracing the very organizations that were intent on undermining national security."

Sean Hannity:
"Was there a point, and this is a point of contention - I know Bill Gertz brought it up in the piece that he put together on this, that he was asked soften his views on Islamic extremism. In other words, they are saying it is about fiscal reasons..."

Steven Emerson:
"That's a cover. The J2, which is intelligence, said he was an... I can tell you this openly right now - the J2, which is the intelligence wing of the Joint Chiefs, said that he was a political embarrassment. And the reason was because he had offended a top aide to Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, whose aide Hasham Islam, I believe is an Islamist with a pro-Muslim Brotherhood bent, who has brought in groups to the Pentagon who have been unindicted co-conspirators."

Sean Hannity:
"Let me get the broader picture here. So you believe that this guy is a foremost expert on the issue on the Islamic extremism, in the United States, and because he wouldn't soften his views, change his opinions or his rhetoric, he is being fired because they are people that are sympathetic -- you are making the case -- to radical Islam within our own government? Am I understanding that right?"

Steven Emerson:
"Radical Islam... Global civilizational Jihad -- that's a quote from a document released during the trial -- has emerged under the guise of different organizations that have penetrated the U.S. government. People don't want to believe it, but it's true. And even when these groups claim they are anti-terrorism, they're not. They have an agenda, they're subversive... let me just finish... And the fact is that he didn't have a hard line... all he did was spell out what the agenda was of these groups, and this particular quote... (cut off)

Alan Colmes:
(Interrupting Steven Emerson) "I gotta do... we only have a moment left.. We have a FOX News producer at the Pentagon who is reporting that... uh, we have spoken with people in the Pentagon who are claiming that the Defense Intelligence Agency... they employed Coughlin through a contract and there was Rear Admiral David Dorset, director of intelligence for the Joint Staff, who decided not to renew his contract for fiscal purposes, and it had nothing to do whatsoever with Islam - the person you are fingering as being responsible for his dismissal."

Steven Emerson:
"You know, they want to have a cover story - that's the cover story. The reality is a lot different. He was called a Christian extremist, a zealot. He had offended Hasham Islam. He may have offended Gordon England, who has appeared before radical Islamic groups, such as the Islamic Society of North America - we have videotape of this..."

Alan Colmes:
(Interrupting Steven Emerson) "That may be true, but that is not why he was fired... So you are saying that we are being lied to by the Pentagon?"

Steven Emerson:
"This is a cover story. The reality is that his contract was not renewed because of the Islamic penetration of the Pentagon. And that's a sad reality that has affected also the DHS, the FBI, the Department of... (interrupted)".

Alan Colmes:
(Interrupting Steven Emerson) "When you say Islamic penetration, are you just talking about one person or are you saying there is widespread penetration of people who want Jihad against the United States working, literally working in the Pentagon?"

Steven Emerson:
"I'd say yes. I am telling you... we know that from the trials of former military members who were brought up on charges of carrying out Jihad. So we know that they trained in the military, number one. Number two, the chaplains who served, the Islamic chaplains who served, were trained by a known terrorist."

Alan Colmes:
(Interrupting Steven Emerson) "And they want to destroy the United States? These people working internally... like a 5th column in there?"

Steven Emerson:
"You got it. In fact, there was an operation in the late 1980s, called Trojan Horse, by the FBI..."

Alan Colmes:
(Interrupting Steven Emerson) "And the Government is lying to FOX News about it?"

Steven Emerson:
"The government lying to FOX News...? I am shocked, Alan, suddenly you are a believer in the government."

Alan Colmes:
"I didn't say that, I don't always believe the government, absolutely not."

[Unintelligible cross-talk as interview ends.]

Sources:

January 11, 2008 - The Implications of the Dismissal of Stephen Coughlin, Joint Staff, Pentagon -- JihadWatch.org
January 11, 2008 - The Islamist Argument on the Koran -- The Counterterrorism Blog -- by Douglas Farah
January 11, 2008 - The Washington Times: "Foul Play" - Commentary by Diana West
January 11, 2008 - The Washington Times: "Coughlin Backed" - by Bill Gertz
January 4, 2008 - The Washington Times: "Coughlin Sacked" - by Bill Gertz
December 28, 2007 - The Washington Times: "Muslim pressure" - by Bill Gertz
October 26, 2007 - Jihad, Islamism, and the Challenge of Anti-Freedom Ideologies -- The Counterterrorism Blog - by Jeffrey Imm
September 14, 2007 - The Washington Times: "Jihadist Threat" - by Bill Gertz
September 14, 2007 - Report: Muslim Brotherhood U.S. Front Groups a Threat -- The Counterterrorism Blog - by Jeffrey Imm
September 10, 2007 - U.S. Muslim Brotherhood Groups Called "Threat Organization" in DOD Memo -- The Counterterrorism Blog -- by Douglas Farah
Evidence submitted in the Dallas federal courtroom shows that ISNA was established in 1980 by American members of the Muslim Brotherhood
July 7, 2007 - Stategy Center Summary: "To Our Great Detriment" -- Ignoring What Extremists Say About Jihad, Stephen C. Coughlin, Esq.
July 7, 2007 - Full Report (Acrobat PDF Format): "To Our Great Detriment" -- Ignoring What Extremists Say About Jihad, Stephen C. Coughlin, Esq.
9/11 Commission Report Footnote on "Islamism"
Wikipedia Topic: Islamism