For Pete King Examining Terror, a Pro-I.R.A. Past

[Lunar]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/us/politics/09king.html

“We must pledge ourselves to support those brave men and women who this very moment are carrying forth the struggle against British imperialism in the streets of Belfast and Derry,” Mr. King told a pro-I.R.A. rally on Long Island, where he was serving as Nassau County comptroller, in 1982. Three years later he declared, “If civilians are killed in an attack on a military installation, it is certainly regrettable, but I will not morally blame the I.R.A. for it.”

...

A judge in Belfast threw him out of an I.R.A. murder trial, calling him an “obvious collaborator,” said Ed Moloney, an Irish journalist and author of “A Secret History of the I.R.A.” In 1984, Mr. King complained that the Secret Service had investigated him as a “security risk,” Mr. Moloney said.

...

But as Mr. King, 66, prepares to preside Thursday as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee at the first of a series of hearings on Muslim radicalization, his pro-I.R.A. past gives his many critics an obvious opening. The congressman’s assertions that 85 percent of leaders of American mosques hold extremist views and that Muslims do not cooperate with law enforcement have alarmed Muslim groups, some counterterrorism experts and even a few former allies in Irish-American causes.

[Smash255]

My Congressman is a piece of s***, what else is new??

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

If I ran MI6 in the 70s and 80s I'd arrange for assassinations of people like him and NORAID donors.

[CARLHAYDEN]

Peter King is one of the most despicable nominal members of the Republican party in the House.

Its long past time for Republican voters in New York to rid themselves of this media chasing sleaze.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

Peter King is one of the most despicable nominal members of the Republican party in the House.

Its long past time for Republican voters in New York to rid themselves of this media chasing sleaze.

For once CARL gets it.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

I never knew that about King... how the heck is he in Congress?  This just shows the hypocrisy of the GOP when we criticize Obama for associating with people like Bill Ayers but give King a free pass.

[Landslide Lyndon]

I never knew that about King... how the heck is he in Congress?  This just shows the hypocrisy of the GOP when we criticize Obama for associating with people like Bill Ayers but give King a free pass.

It's all the fault of those damn librul media!

[Middle-aged Europe]

So, he's opposing Islamic terrorism not because terrorism is necessarily a bad thing, but because it's a form of terrorism directed against America? One could say that he's at least honest about it.

[Queen Mum Inks.LWC]

So, he's opposing Islamic terrorism not because terrorism is necessarily a bad thing, but because it's a form of terrorism directed against America? One could say that he's at least honest about it.

Yeah, making the claim that because the IRA never attacked America, it's ok is ridiculous.

[phk]

I never knew that about King... how the heck is he in Congress?  This just shows the hypocrisy of the GOP when we criticize Obama for associating with people like Bill Ayers but give King a free pass.

It's a common form of diaspora politics.

Cuban-Americans may oppose Islamic terrorism but may not necessarily oppose terrorism directed towards those associated with Castro.

Than again, you can just say justify it as taking a "hardline" stance for the motherland.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

haha, he's such a noxious hypocrite it's hilarious.

[LBJ Revivalist]

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/03/09/earlyshow/main20041017.shtml

"(CBS News) Rep. Peter King, the head of House Homeland Security Committee, begins a series of hearings Thursday on Islamic radicalism in the American Muslim community. King says the hearings are a matter of national security and is not deterred by critics who say the hearings amount to a witch hunt, unfairly singling out Muslims as potential extremists, CBS News correspondent Nancy Cordes reports.

King is a Republican from Long Island who lost dozens of constituents on 9/11. But even the name of the hearing he's holding has critics fuming - "radicalization in the American Muslim community."

"If you want to talk about terrorism or extremism it should be about everyone," said Valley Stream, N.Y. resident Saad Sheik.

[minionofmidas]

This will be as good an opportunity as any to discuss King's IRA gunrunning days in Congress.

[Lunar]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0311/The_IRA_and_the_Congressman.html?showall

One caveat here that is often missing: The IRA's connections in the Arab and Muslim world were not exactly its most appealing feature. The Libyan government, in fact, agreed last year to pay compensation to the civilian victims of IRA bombings conducted with explosives Qaddafi had supplied to the republicans. The IRA also worked with the PLO in its most violent terrorist phase.

Which is to say both that King's sympathy for the armed struggle in Northern Ireland took in some very uncomfortable alliances, and that his stated understanding of the difference between violent nationalist resistance and transnational terror groups isn't necessarily just about Ireland, or the examples he invokes to the Times, the Irgun and the ANC.

[Middle-aged Europe]

According to the Wikipedia article on King, he sort of broke with the IRA over their opposition to the Iraq war.

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Peter King is one of the most despicable nominal members of the Republican party in the House.

Its long past time for Republican voters in New York to rid themselves of this media chasing sleaze.

He's a arrogant jackass. Only Cantor is worse....

[Smash255]

Peter King is one of the most despicable nominal members of the Republican party in the House.

Its long past time for Republican voters in New York to rid themselves of this media chasing sleaze.

Sad thing is, the guy who would probably replace King, is about as arrogant and as much of an ass as he is.  Now, he has hurt himself a bit by trying to sharply increase his own pay and the current Nassau County Budget mess, but the Presiding Officer of the Nassau County Legislator Peter Schmitt (who was my rep in the Nassau legislature before the last redistricting) would probably be the front runner for King's seat if he were to retire or step down, barring the changes in redistricting.  Schmitt and King are very close allies and both scumbags.

[The Mikado]

and that his stated understanding of the difference between violent nationalist resistance and transnational terror groups isn't necessarily just about Ireland, or the examples he invokes to the Times, the Irgun and the ANC.

Question: if he hates transnational terror groups like Al Qaeda or Hezbollah, but doesn't mind national liberation ones like IRA or Irgun, how does he feel about Hamas?  It's pretty clearly in the second category.

[Lunar]

and that his stated understanding of the difference between violent nationalist resistance and transnational terror groups isn't necessarily just about Ireland, or the examples he invokes to the Times, the Irgun and the ANC.

Question: if he hates transnational terror groups like Al Qaeda or Hezbollah, but doesn't mind national liberation ones like IRA or Irgun, how does he feel about Hamas?  It's pretty clearly in the second category.

The Daily Show tonight just played a clip of him saying the Imam of Park 51 should be investigated for his refusal to denounce Hamas, or something of that nature, so...yeah

[Torie]

Has anyone been watching these hearings? How are they going?

[Mechaman]

Peter King is one of the most despicable nominal members of the Republican party in the House.

Its long past time for Republican voters in New York to rid themselves of this media chasing sleaze.

For once CARL gets it.

For once all three of us agree on an issue.
(mouthwash)

[Mechaman]

Peter King=Out of all the dumb micks in the world, he is probably the dumbest.

[Lunar]

does anyone here like Pete King?

[Landslide Lyndon]

does anyone here like Pete King?

I guess Sam, Carl and cinyc do.

[Lunar]

does anyone here like Pete King?

I guess Sam, Carl and cinyc do.

I don't think any of that is true.  I don't think Sam is in that in love with the Nassau GOP machine and Cinyc & Carl don't like King's pro-gun control advocacy