For the newest, hottest wingnut conspiracies, one need look no further than Fox News' discredited "security expert" Steve Emerson, whose Islamophobia and paranoia about Muslims dovetails nicely with that of Roger Ailes. As part of its Islamophobic "fair & balanced" news coverage, Fox is always willing to provide face time for whatever bogus and bigoted crap peddled by Emerson who is described as a "misinformation expert" in the report on American Islamophobia, "Fear Inc.," from the Center for American Progress. After the Boston bombing, it didn't take long for the usual suspects in the right wing crazy conspiracy network to find out that the Saudi student who was investigated and cleared is now being deported because - wait for it - Pres. Obama is trying to cover up "Saudi link to Boston bombings." And that was enough to roust Emerson from his bat cave (true story) to discuss this with Hannity whose secret sources confirm it. Problem is - it's all bullshit.
On Wednesday night, Emerson told Sean "if you're white, you all right" Hannity that Abdulrahman Ali Alharbi, the Saudi student who was cleared after being a "person of interest" in the Boston bombing (Fox was so hoping that he was the perp) was scheduled for deportation based on national security concerns. Hannity was as gleeful as a kid at Christmas as Emerson proclaimed that "You don't arrest their citizens, you deport them because they don't want them to be embarrassed and that's the way we appease them." He claimed that he was able to get this information from a source at ICE who allegedly told Emerson that “The question is why is he not being prosecuted as opposed to being deported." (Get it? Obama is in on it!) The usual suspects in the batshit crazy world of anti-Obama conspiracies wasted no time in getting the word out that not only did the Saudi do it; but he was being protected by the president. Fox News Insider had the big, blaring headline "Saudi Man Cleared in Boston Bombing Now Being Deported?"
Yesterday, a senior law enforcement officer with ICE told "The Blaze," Glenn Beck's website, which advanced the rumor about the deportation, that the rumor was "categorically false" and that Abdul Rahman Ali Alharbi "was never in custody and never considered for deportation" but there a different Saudi being held "on grounds unrelated to the Boston bombing." The Obama administration told "The Hill" (3PM yesterday) that the rumor was false and that the other Saudi is being deported for an "administrative immigration violation."
But that little factoid didn't deter Emerson from returning to Hannity's show last night to double down on the bogus conspiracy which has been expanded to include Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano. During yesterday's budget hearing she was harangued by Texas GOP Rep. Jeff Duncan (He thinks that background checks will cause a Rwanda style genocide) who asked her why the student who witnessed the bombing is being deported. (While he's a Drudge fan,he obviously doesn't read "The Blaze.") Napolitano told him the reports weren't true and that Duncan's statement was "full of misstatements and misapprehensions that it’s just not worthy of an answer."
Hannity claimed that "his sources in Washington" confirmed that the Saudi "was scheduled for deportation" and that the young man has been involved in terrorism. (WTF?) He reported that there has been "a lot of contradiction" about the story and asked Emerson if he had an update. He asked why the administration was "so quick to deport." He asserted that although the student isn't a suspect, "it's connected" because "why the deportation if, in fact, it's true." (One more time - The former "person of interest" ISN'T BEING DEPORTED!!!!!)
Emerson referenced Napolitano's denial of what he had originally reported. He claimed that he had "access to an internal ICE document" that proves that Alharbi's visa had been revoked because of "national security violations" and that he's still being deported. He accused the administration of trying "to cover their tracks" because they're embarrassed about deporting a person who violated security. Hannity claimed "multiple sources, high level, within our government that told me the exact same thing" and that the student is being deported. He reiterated that "it was confirmed by multiple sources." Emerson claimed that there are documents, in possession of members of congress, that confirm the deportation which, he asserted, is a "strange coincidence" even if the student isn't connected to the bombing.
And that, as said in the immortal Ed Wood movie, "Plan 9 From Outer Space" - "That Proves It!"
I’ve heard Hannity and O’Reilly both state several times that Muslims aren’t the problem it’s radical Muslims! Guess that doesn’t matter though your objective is to mud sling. When I listen to the news I want the truth! If a terrorist attack is at the hands of an Islamic terrorist, then that’s how I want it to be described to me, I don’t wanna hear someone tippy toeing around the facts. People like yourself are exactly what is wrong with this country! When describing a dangerous person who is wanted by law enforcement, in your world its politically incorrect to describe him by saying “he has dark skin” or “he is a Islamic terrorist” even if he is a dark skinned Muslim. If a white terrorist is being hunted by police I want him to be described as a white terrorist, and no it’s not different because I’m white it’s just common fooking sense!!!!!!!! Oh and I say we waterboard this 19yr old POS!
Oh, so First Ladies can’t be representatives? Nobody tell that to Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton, Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter… they all had events, causes and leaders where they, not their husbands, represented White House, and in some cases… the country. Suddenly thinking it’s wrong for Michelle Obama to do it is not only wrong on several levels, but we have to make sexism it’s own problem here because of the sudden mentality of “Woman doing a man’s job!”.
But IOKIYAR, I guess… though I will give Kathy points for balls before moving on to example #2 if she’s a woman who endorses that mentality.
NHP
And BTW, a bazaar is what your church lady pals put on around the Christmas holidays. I think you’re looking for bizarre which sums up your comment quite nicely, ya think!
It does not matter that the theory is disproven, previously or later. The listener has heard and believed the erroneous story long enough for some of it to stick, somewhere in that great universe of the brain.
I guess I must be paranoid – I wonder what that great coordinating something is capable of achieving.
I guess it is just a coincidence that the mediaexamples I listed above are all associated with Rupert Murdoch.
And what are we to make of your website? Are you saying that we should rely exclusively on one person’s opinion – a person who you say is a “former Muslim Brotherhood member”?
We have confirmation that the Fox News story was erroneous. And now we have Glenn Beck going down the road you’re advocating – except that he thinks he can threaten someone (the Congress? the President?) or else he’ll do “something” on Monday. So are you agreeing with Glenn Beck? If so, you may find yourself in a lonely place.
Just don’t think about it, and you’ll be fine.
The facts of the matter – who these guys are/were, and how the older brother may have corrupted his younger brother, don’t seem to be in play other than to fuel the rants that are coming.
I also find it interesting that the right wingers made such a big deal about how they “didn’t care why” the bombers committed their crime, and now they’re parsing everything they can about what might have been driving the bombers. Flip flop much?
That’s a disturbing image in more ways than one.
Slightly off-topic, here’s an older but still incredibly relevant article about why the Muslim community has found solidarity with Japanese Citizens against the Republicans:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/03/08/AR2011030802876.html
How much are you willing to bet that, if I showed that article to Hannity… his first reaction would be to defend internment camps, while asking why we can’t bring them back to throw Muslims into?