Government plays on Islamophopia

Dear Editor:

Three cheers for Melanie Sturm’s analysis of the Benghazi story (“The media: What difference does it make?” Commentary, The Aspen Times, May 9).

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The Benghazi hearing did not clarify why the U.S. administration so strenuously avoids admitting the Salafi jihadi militias attacked. The architects of strategic communications in the administration refused to expose the real enemy behind the attack, the Salafi jihadists, and instead tried to mobilize the public against a mythical accusation of Islamophobia that plays into the hands of jihadists and the Islamists worldwide in their propaganda efforts.

Why, in the wide, wide world of sports would they do that? Removing the actual jihadi factor from the talking points and replacing it with the false charge of Islamophobia is the essence of this debacle of deception. The hearing failed to define and expose why and how U.S. national security doctrine has declined into chaos. Why?

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Sen. Tom Coburn’s revelation of a “glaring State omission” Thursday morning might signal the answer to the mother of all whys.

Gary Harrington

St. Petersburg, Fla.