Just about a year ago, President Obama identified Sudan,Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, and Iran as “countries of concern”. He found those nations spawned a “growing threat from foreign terrorist fighters.” The response was crickets. But President Trump, offering an immigration pause and improved vetting on people coming from those hotbeds of terror set off a media meltdown. With a repeat of that biased coverage looming, now might be a good time for a quick review of the terrifying backstories connected with those “Malevolent 7”.
Sudan is one of three on this very naughty list that has been “….determined by the Secretary of State to have repeatedly provided support for acts of international terrorism…” and thus labeled a State Sponsor of Terrorism. They’ve been so designated since August 12, 1993. That was around the time it played host to Osama Bin Laden, allowing him to set up training camps and business/finance networks.
Yemen, currently being rocked by a 2 year old civil war, is infamous for having helped spawn a number of jihadis. Two of their most notable “soldiers” are Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab and Anwar al-Awlaki. The former, better remembered as the Underwear Bomber, attempted to blow 289 Northwest Airline passengers out of the sky on Christmas Day, 2009. The latter was considered a top recruiter and planner of terrorist operations for al-Qaeda. Al-Awlaki has been linked to Abdulmutallab, along with the Fort Hood murderer of 13, Nidal Hasan, and three of the 9/11 hijackers.
Libya has been in turmoil since the 2011 overthrow and killing of Muammar Gaddafi. USMilitary.com states it suffers from a “weak government” is “awash with weapons” and “still a fertile ground for terrorist groups”. It was here, on September 11, 2012, American Ambassador Chris Stevens was assassinated. Three other courageous countrymen were killed in the attack.
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Somalia has, for decades past, and continuing to this day, suffered the horrors of civil war and unstable governments. In September of 2016 ISIS took credit for “a soldier of the Islamic State”, Dahir A. Adan’s multiple stabbing attacks. The Somali wounded 8 shoppers, in a Minnesota mall. On December 1st of the same year, Abdul Razak Artan, a recent arrival from Somalia, used his car and knife in an attempt to murder innocent Ohio State students. For a second time the Islamic State took responsibility.
Iraq has a deadly terrorist problem. Suicide bombings are common place, even in the nation’s capital, Baghdad. Almost forgotten amid that headline grabbing carnage, is the fact ISIS established control over enough of this country to establish an Islamic state or caliphate; where the political/religious leader and successor to the prophet Muhammad has absolute authority. While diminished it remains entrenched in key parts of Iraq.
Syria, has been officially named a “State Sponsor of Terrorism” since December 29, 1979. It’s been the scene of a bloody, sometimes barbaric civil war which killed upwards of half a million people and sent millions more pouring into Europe. Syria also witnessed some of her territory swept into the above mentioned “ISIS state”, making refugees problematic to the point where even that country’s notorious butcher/leader, Bashar al-Assad has warned there are “terrorists that would infiltrate some of the immigrants (going) to the West.”
Iran is the third, and most deserving, of our “Malevolent 7” to be labeled a “State Sponsor of Terrorism”. It was so named on January 19, 1984, and has only expanded it’s radical murderous, sinister activities since that time. They’ve been responsible for the killing or wounding of thousands of American soldiers. In addition, Iran’s kidnapped our citizens, captured our sailors, exported violent jihad, fired ICBMs capable of carrying nuclear warheads, and during their most recent celebratory day, typically screamed, “Death to America!”.
There isn’t a single, stable, nation among this wickedly combustible lot that is pro-United States. The president should ignore the Open Borders, “America Last”, Never Trumpers, and secure a pause in immigration from Sudan,Yemen, Libya, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, and Iran until “extreme vetting” is in place. After all, our safety is Commander in Chief Trump’s #1 responsibility.
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