Ground Zero mosque builder Imam is on US State Department sponsored swing through mid-east states

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Claudia Rosett reports the US State Department is sponsoring Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf on a tour of mid-east countries. The Cordoba House and Rauf's wife independently gave the same information to Ms. Rosett. Rauf's wife Daisy Kahn confirmed in a telephone conversation that Rauf is now on a US State Department tour of mid-east locales. Ms. Rosett reports on Forbes.com

• Ms. Kahn (the Imam's wife) stated she too would be touring mid-east states this month, also paid for by the US government (6th paragraph in linked article)
  

8/7, Rosett: "Ultimately, in response to repeated questions, a member of Rauf’s New York Cordoba Initiative foundation e-mailed me Friday, saying that Rauf’s trip to the Middle East, “in the near future,” will be hosted by the U.S. government as part of an outreach program to

• “bring the message of moderation, peace and understanding.”

At the State Department, which presumably will be spending taxpayer money on Rauf’s tour, I have yet to receive confirmation or any other information about his program, despite

• three days of my repeated requests by phone and e-mail. Apparently it is taking a while for State’s Bureau of Public Diplomacy to get “clearance” to release any details of
  

this particular public outreach effort, though Rauf’s wife says

• it has been in the works for months."...

"Further travels of Imam Feisal," by Claudia Rosett, Forbes.com, via Canada Free Press

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The World Trade Center wasn't the only place marked for death by Islamic killers, the US Capitol was as well. The Pentagon was in fact damaged. One airliner crashed in a field in Pennsylvania only because brave Americans on board found out what was going on and diverted it.

• Many residents of Washington DC might have been killed. As it is now, it's convenient for the White House to call the building of the mosque in lower Manhattan a "local matter."
• The attack was meant to weaken the entire US economy and change our lives forever and it did both those things.
  

If a plane had reached its intended target, US government officials could have been killed, or members of their families. Would that have made it something other than a 'local issue?'

• Commenter #6 responds in NY Times Caucus blog, 8/3:
  

"The murders of innocent Americans on September 11, 2001, affected every U.S. citizen. Apparently, those advocating for the center/mosque have forgotten the

• murders done in the name of Islam as well as the
  
• economic havoc that ensued.
  

And many of us are still waiting for imams throughout the world to denounce those who murdered

• in the name of their religion and god."

(If the White House eventually confirms its involvement with the Imam's trip, it's possible they will describe the expense as "non-taxpayer funds" which is a little word game they have. They think we don't know that

• all government money is taxpayer funds). ed.

• photos from falling man or ap
  

• via John Batchelor show