Remember how the Democrats ran on the competence issue for the November elections? The argument was that Republicans were merely a bunch of dishonest, greedy morons who didn't know the first thing about intelligence, the Middle East, or foreign policy.
Well, evidently the new head of the House Intelligence Committee, Silvestre Reyes, hasn't been brushing up on his Al Qaeda knowledge since getting the nod from Grandma Pelosi. According to CNN.com (H/T to Ann Althouse),
Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped to head the Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take over in January, failed a quiz of basic questions about al Qaeda and Hezbollah, two of the key terrorist organizations the intelligence community has focused on since the September 11, 2001 attacks.
When asked by CQ National Security Editor Jeff Stein whether al Qaeda is one or the other of the two major branches of Islam -- Sunni or Shiite -- Reyes answered "they are probably both," then ventured "Predominantly -- probably Shiite."
That is wrong. Al Qaeda was founded by Osama bin Laden as a Sunni organization and views Shiites as heretics.
It's good to see all that Congressional oversight stuff is in good hands.
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