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The White House invited an ACLU attorney, who has built a career over the past six years of litigating against the United States in support of terrorists, to an official White House dinner last night to celebrate Ramadan with President Obama.

Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” has filed lawsuits challenging the FBI’s “national security letter” authority, the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps, and has been a leader in pushing for the shut down of Guantánamo Bay, and providing legal rights to terrorists held by the United States overseas in such countries as Iraq and Afghanistan. His efforts enabled the leaking of “torture photos” out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and some sources inside the Central Intelligence Agency believe he was one of the lawyers who provided legal advice to the Department of Justice to pursue an investigation into enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA.

Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, was vetted for the dinner by White House staff. His invitation was approved by the White House Counsel’s Office, as well as the Office of Political Affairs.

Jaffer also was a lead attorney attempting to have the 2004 visa ban lifted for Tariq Ramadan, who is often identified as a “Swiss Islamic academic.” At the time of the controversy, Daniel Pipes wrote about Ramadan:

• [Ramadan] has praised the brutal Islamist policies of the Sudanese politician Hassan Al-Turabi. Mr. Turabi in turn called Mr. Ramadan the “future of Islam.

• Mr. Ramadan was banned from entering France in 1996 on suspicion of having links with an Algerian Islamist who had recently initiated a terrorist campaign in Paris.

• Ahmed Brahim, an Algerian indicted for Al-Qaeda activities, had “routine contacts” with Mr. Ramadan, according to a Spanish judge (Baltasar Garzón) in 1999.

 • Djamel Beghal, leader of a group accused of planning to attack the American embassy in Paris, stated in his 2001 trial that he had studied with Mr. Ramadan.

 • Along with nearly all Islamists, Mr. Ramadan has denied that there is “any certain proof” that Bin Laden was behind 9/11.

• He publicly refers to the Islamist atrocities of 9/11, Bali, and Madrid as “interventions,” minimizing them to the point of near-endorsement.

And here are other reasons, dug up by Jean-Charles Brisard, a former French intelligence officer doing work for some of the 9/11 families, as reported in Le Parisien:

• Intelligence agencies suspect that Mr. Ramadan (along with his brother Hani) coordinated a meeting at the Hôtel Penta in Geneva for Ayman al-Zawahiri, deputy head of Al-Qaeda, and Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind sheikh, now in a Minnesota prison.

• Mr. Ramadan’s address appears in a register of Al Taqwa Bank, an organization the State Department accuses of supporting Islamist terrorism.

“Great. Work hard to defend America and get a Department of Justice investigation that could ruin our careers. Work against America and get invited to the White House for dinner with the president,” says a current CIA employee. “I can’t tell you what kind of a signal this sends to us, not that we needed another one from this administration.”

View all comments (25) |

Pingback| 9.2.09 @ 12:57PM

Vodkapundit » Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Edgelings Ed Driscoll Brendan Loy Richard Miniter In Memoriam: Ron Silver Archive Store Press Advertising News Tips for PJM Search September 2nd, 2009 10:57 am Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Message sent, message received: The White House invited an ACLU attorney, who has built a career over the past six years of litigating against the United States in support of terrorists, to an official White House…

Dara| 9.2.09 @ 1:03PM

you people on this site are sick! The vitriol, anger and hatred just oozes out of you! Get over it, the angry white right wing religious nutjobs are losing the demographic and political battle. These are just your last racist gasps. And good riddance I say! A better, more open American will emerge and you morons will be on the sidelines. Time is on our side, not yours...

madeleine7| 9.2.09 @ 1:17PM

I cannot wait to see this usurper ( obama) in the White House put on trial for treason..... The American Military swear to defend the Constitution, NOT the President..!!!! When will they intervene ????? The best solution would be a "Honduras" one. If you wait too long , the result will be violence and possibly civil war - difficult as it is to believe.....

Josie| 9.2.09 @ 1:53PM

Dara, the only hate and vitriol on this thread is YOURS. Typical fascist liberal.

With Obama's and democrats' approvals tanking in the polls, I'm not sure I'd be as sanguine as you about your party's future.

Good WILL triumph over evil.

Nobama| 9.2.09 @ 1:54PM

The CIA is not alone, Obama is screwing all of us.

Tim| 9.2.09 @ 2:03PM

Dara, you sound angry...

Daisy| 9.2.09 @ 2:57PM

What makes you think that, Tim; Dara's spittle soaked post? Ha ha.

Freethinker| 9.2.09 @ 3:38PM

This blog is for uneducated fear based idealogues who think Sarah Palin is a brainiac BWAHAHAHA!! Keep it real Dara :-)

Tim| 9.2.09 @ 3:53PM

Daisy it was just a vague sense, hard to put my finger on.

Jessie| 9.2.09 @ 4:10PM

Unlike you liberals who worship at "Brainiac" Biden's altar. Moron.

L. Ross| 9.2.09 @ 4:49PM

I don't think Sarah Palin is a brainiac.
I think Sarah Palin is a MILF who has got my vote!

Jilly| 9.2.09 @ 5:06PM

So Dara, are you sure you want to defend the terrorists?

Patriot| 9.2.09 @ 5:51PM

Ross, why don't you F yourself? Scumbag.

I'd love to see Sarah holding a shotgun chasing your sorry @ss down the street. lol

Pingback| 9.2.09 @ 7:53PM

Ramadan dinner guest… « Time for Thorns links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…and  is  a leader in pushing for the closure of Gitmo and providing legal rights to detainees.  You can find an long laundry list of his pro-terrorist, anti-American activities at the American Spectator. It’s widely believed  he was among the lawyers providing legal advice to the Justice Department for creating an invesitgation of the CIA’s enhanced interrogation techniques,  which have…

Mon| 9.2.09 @ 9:21PM

I was hoping to find something in error with this post, not being familiar with the American Spectator. Unfortunately, everything was dead on correct...and it makes me sick that our president has such an apologistic way of conducting himself. He may declare himself to be inclusionary. If so, why not invite some conservative to this dinner?
I'm no right wind extremist. I just want to be proud of the way my country executive branch conducts itself. I've pretty well given up on the legislative branch, but so have a lot of other people. I didn't vote for Obama, but naively believed he would truly reach across the aisle. Looking SO forward to 2010.

Pingback| 9.8.09 @ 8:00AM

Valerie Jarrett’s Show | America Watches Obama links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Playing to those types is another reason Jarrett’s office approved the invitation of Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” to the White House Ramadan dinner last week. Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, attended the dinner, which President Obama said was being held for American Muslims. Jaffer is a cause célèbre to the far left for his career of litigating against the…

Pingback| 9.8.09 @ 11:15AM

Brown Pelican Society of Louisiana » Valerie Jarrett’s Show links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Playing to those types is another reason Jarrett’s office approved the invitation of Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” to the White House Ramadan dinner last week . Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, attended the dinner, which President Obama said was being held for American Muslims. Jaffer is a cause célèbre to the far left for his career of litigating against the…

Pingback| 9.8.09 @ 9:08PM

Stand Like a Rock » Blog Archive » Valerie Jarrett’s Show links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Playing to those types is another reason Jarrett’s office approved the invitation of Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” to the White House Ramadan dinner last week. Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, attended the dinner, which President Obama said was being held for American Muslims. Jaffer is a cause célèbre to the far left for his career of litigating against the…

Pingback| 9.15.09 @ 4:12PM

Valerie Jarrett’s Show « Right Sided American Kafir links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…Playing to those types is another reason Jarrett’s office approved the invitation of Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” to the White House Ramadan dinner last week. Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, attended the dinner, which President Obama said was being held for American Muslims. Jaffer is a cause célèbre to the far left for his career of litigating against the…

Pingback| 3.17.10 @ 10:48AM

ACLU, led by Obama Ramadan guest, sues gov’t over drones « Creeping Sharia links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:

…but policy and moral questions as well,” said Jameel Jaffer, director of the ACLU National Security Project. Who is Jameel Jaffer? The American Spectator wrote about him in late 2009, Obama’s Special Ramadan Guest: The White House invited an ACLU attorney, who has built a career over the past six years of litigating against the United States in support of terrorists, to an official White House dinner…

More Blog Posts by The Prowler

http://spectator.org/blog/2009/09/02/obamas-special-ramadan-guest

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