On September 26, 2013 Rep. Darrell Issa of California asked for and was granted permission to address the United States House of Representatives for a few minutes regarding U.S. interventionist foreign policy. Specifically he talked of Egypt and the Arab spring, and the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya. What he said, I should warn readers right now, was very shocking to say the least!
“Mr. President, today, war is going on in the Sinai, and the Egyptian Army is fighting it while we debate whether or not to support their effort. We debate whether or not a coup that overthrew a dictator who was elected–a man who no sooner got his office then he began moving Egypt toward Shari’a law, abolishing its form of balance, including its judiciary and its parliament. We continue to debate.”
“The fact is we need allies in the region. Israel needs allies in the region. Egypt needs to protect borders from insurgency and terrorism to its south, in the Sinai, and along the Libyan border. More than ever, the Libyan border is a concern for all of us. It is a lawless area. The term “Benghazi” often is taken for the sad loss of four brave Americans at our consulate, but the truth is Benghazi is the next Afghanistan if we cannot engage and stop the terrorism that is going on there. It is a training ground for insurgents–one of many”, he said.
“So when many talk in foreign policy today about the Arab Spring, I’d like all Americans tounderstand, Mr. Speaker, the Arab Spring is, in fact, sulfur water spewing from mosques, from terrorist strongholds, from ideological extremists in the region. It is taking on a life of its own under this administration, and that life will end the secular life, the freedom of religion that many moderate Arab states have enjoyed for generations. Under President Morsi, we saw more than 50 Coptic churches burned; and in the days coming afterwards, even more by the Muslim Brotherhood, who somehow felt that one election based on one man, one vote, and one time would allow them to rule the largest Arab country forever as an Islamic state”, Said Rep. Issa (source: Congressional Recordhttp://thomas.loc.gov).
Rep. Issa currently is a member of the House Judiciary Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee, where he serves as the Chairman. Previously, Issa served on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the Foreign Affairs Committee, the Energy & Commerce Committee, and the Small Business Committee.