Posted on 10/26/2011 3:27:17 PM PDT by Cincinatus' Wife
TX Dept. of Public Safety Director: “We know [Mohamed Elibiary] has accessed DPS documents and downloaded them.
Texas Department of Public Safety officials are asking questions following a report that Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council member Mohamed Elibiary may have been given access to a sensitive database of state and local intelligence reports, and then allegedly shopped some of those materials to a media outlet. He allegedly used the documents to claim the department was promoting “Islamophobia” — claims that the media outlet ultimately rejected. They declined to do the story.
Earlier today, I received confirmation from a left-leaning media outlet that Elibiary had recently approached them asking to do a story attacking Texas DPS:
Yes, he approached us and gave us some reports marked FOUO [For Official Use Only] that he said showed a pattern of Islamophobia at the department. He emphasized that some of the regional fusion centers were shut down a few years ago after the ACLU complained that they were targeting Muslim civil rights groups and said that this was being directed by [Texas Gov.] Rick Perry.
We looked at the reports and they weren’t as he had billed them to us. They seem to be pretty straightforward, nothing remotely resembling Islamophobia that we saw. I think he was hoping we would bite and not give it too much of a look in light of the other media outfits jumping on the Islamophobia bandwagon.
I asked if there was any sense of his possible motivation:
Oh, self-promotion definitely. It was clear up front that he wanted to be a quoted source in the story. We’ve used him as an unnamed source in previous stories. There’s nothing unusual or unseemly about that because officials do it all the time, but this was the first time he approached us with documents. Honestly, if they had been what he represented them as we would have probably run with the story. But we looked at them and saw this was a partisan hatchet job that could blow back on us so we passed on it.
In light of these allegations, I spoke today with Texas DPS Director Steve McCraw. He confirmed that Elibiary has access to the Homeland Security State and Local Intelligence Community of Interest (HS SLIC) database, which contains hundreds of thousands of intelligence reports and products that are intended for intelligence sharing between law enforcement agencies.
(Full disclosure: I gave a briefing in April 2010 to the TX DPS on historical terror incidents and terror connections to Texas. I’ve also been critical of Elibiary’s involvement with DHS considering his past extremist statements and activities.)
I asked Director McCraw if he knew whether Elibiary had access to TX DPS reports on the HS SLIC, to which he replied:
We know that he has accessed DPS documents and downloaded them.
McCraw stated that he will be requesting that DHS conduct an investigation to determine whether or not Elibiary improperly handled any sensitive intelligence products, and said that he will reserve judgment until an investigation is complete. He added:
If in fact this happened we will be extremely disappointed in him. We’ve worked with him and other groups to get their comments regarding a wide range of issue in order to be inclusive.
In fact, Elibiary received his first official position serving on the TX DPS Advisory Board and leveraged that position into his current positions with DHS and the National Counterterrorism Center. Elibiary was appointed to the Homeland Security Advisory Council in October 2010.
I asked Director McCraw about the nature of their work product:
We do have a process in place that ensures the quality of our product going all the way to our assistant director of intelligence and counterterrorism. Our training of employees has been extensive and adheres to all Department of Justice and Homeland Security privacy and civil liberties policies. The ACLU was involved in our process for establishing the fusion center statute passed by the state legislature.
I asked about the potential impact of a security breach that has been alleged to have occurred in this instance:
This system allows intelligence agencies to share products. These products are meant to be for official use only and anyone working for the Department of Homeland Security attempting to use it in any other way undermines the efficacy of the program. If DHS has cleared somebody for access we have no questions, but if they violate the confidentiality of the system it has a chilling impact on sharing information, and that’s the last thing we need.
Following these interviews, I contacted both Mohamed Elibiary and the Department of Homeland Security asking for comment. At present I have not received a response from Elibiary, but I did speak with DHS spokesman Chris Ortman, who immediately demanded to know who my source was.
When I explained that I had become aware of Elibiary’s alleged approach to the media organization from a third party and directly contacted that publication for comment (which they gave under the condition of anonymity) and began reading the quotes I had been given, Ortman immediately interrupted and expressed skepticism:
In all my eight years working in media I have never heard of such a situation where a third party contacts a reporter at one outlet and tells them that another news outlet has spiked a story.
Mr. Ortman is significantly out of touch regarding this; it is likely a daily occurrence at a number of outlets.
When I directly asked Ortman about who gave Mohamed Elibiary access to the HS SLIC system, he abruptly ended the conversation and said he would need to call me back. After more than an hour wait and knowing from other sources that senior aides for DHS Secretary Napolitano had been fully briefed late last night on the matter and that the story is quickly leaking out, we are publishing what we have so far.
We’ll bring you any additional details, including any further comment from Elibiary or DHS on this story. Patrick Poole is a national security and terrorism correspondent for PJMedia.
He must be doing SOMETHING right! :)
David Stein: Debunking the Rick Perry “Pro-Shraria” School Curriculum Myth
Amil Imani Governor Perry's Islam Connection ………”No matter how I tried, I couldn't reach the conclusion that this inclusion promotes Islam or is pro-Sharia. It seems that the mere fact that Islam is included in the curriculum represents supporting it. And with regard to the concern that the education curriculum Perry promoted is pro-Arab and against Israel, the evidence is exactly the opposite. The lesson on Israel reads: …”
Department of Homeland Security Advisory Council member Mohamed Elibiary
Janet Napolitano hiring her masters minions.
That was my first thought as well.
I'm sure that Obama didn't say these things to La Raza:
Gov Rick Perry spoke to LaRaza about the drug cartels, shared responsibility of border security and that it is Washington's responsibility to secure the border -- that the Federal government should support the military, deliver the mail and secure the border -- and they aren't doing their job. [HE RECEIVED a lot of applause] He spoke of the money Texas spends securing the border, that it must be sealed and then we can sustain legitimate commerce...He told about protecting the sanctity of the vote and strengthening our shared values, family, faith, hard work -- they are TEXAS values and we should unite as citizen's of one Nation under God and concentrate on what unites us. He told his Cuervo joke and they found it funny unlike the Liberal Latino Leaders Give Perry Lukewarm Response (or more likely they'd heard it before)
A Mohammedan working for DHS given access to sensitive intel reports and then whining about “Islamophobia.” What else is new.
I want hearings and Napolitano's job yanked.
She doesn't "know" anything about "Fast and Furious."
What does she know?
Just one more peice of trash to throw out along with the socialist democrats appointed by obama in 2012.
obama is a damn traitor. I pray every day for divine intervention. Sooner or later he’s going to get caught in his web of corruption and it will be so bad the media won’t even be able to save him. What goes around, hopefully will go around. I despise him for what he’s done to my country.
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He’s always got his damn nose stuck up in the air.
LOL my SIL is a PGA club pro and he confirmed over the weekend that Baraq has played more rounds of golf than he has so far this year.
I am not a Perry suporter, but this corruption makes my blood boil.
This was sent to me in as an alert. Pajamas Media sends out articles once a day...this came in by itself with just this article, very unusual.
Typical dirty tricks. I hope the allegations against Mohamed Elibiary are fully investigated and he’s held accountable.
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