The Khizr Kahn Firestorm

Comments by Lt. Col Allen West

by Gary Bauer, Contributing Author:  Donald Trump was on the defensive this weekend. During an interview with former Clinton employee George Stephanopoulos, Trump was asked to react to a vicious attack leveled at him at the Democrat convention by Khizr Kahn, the father of a Muslim U.S. soldier who was killed in the Iraq war. Trump's answer was disjointed. Instead of turning the question into an opportunity to go after Hillary Clinton, Trump took the bait and found himself in a major flap with the Gold Star parents of a fallen U.S. soldier.

Big left-wing media and the entire power of the "progressive" political kill machine have been attacking Trump ever since. The same TV networks that have ignored the parents of American heroes who died in Benghazi in part because Hillary Clinton ignored their pleas for better security were quick to give the Kahns a big platform. Mr. Khan was a guest on CNN's State of the Union. Mrs. Khan has an op-ed in this morning's Washington Post.

In contrast, Pat Smith, mother of Sean Smith, who was murdered in Benghazi, was treated like dirt because she attacked Hillary Clinton, not Donald Trump. MSNBC called her speech offensive and called Khan's memorable. Chris Matthews said, "I don't care what that woman [Pat Smith] up there, the mother, has felt. Her emotions are her own." The Washington Post actually "fact-checked" Mrs. Smith's heartfelt plea for justice for her son.

Over the weekend Trump made it clear he believes that Khan's son, Captain Humayun Khan, was an American hero. Governor Pence issued a statement agreeing and adding that he and Trump believe that Captain Khan's "...family, like all Gold Star families, should be cherished by every American."

I agree! All Gold Star families have suffered a grievous loss and have earned the thanks of our nation. But the Kahn's loss does not change the reality facing our nation as Islamists launch attacks across Europe and here in the United States.

Governor Pence went on to bring the debate back to where it belonged - How do we defeat Islamic supremacists? How do we make our country safe again? Pence stated:

"Captain Khan gave his life to defend our country in the global war on terror... Due to the disastrous decisions of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, a once stable Middle East has now been overrun by ISIS. This must not stand.

"By suspending immigration from countries that have been compromised by terrorism, rebuilding our military, defeating ISIS at its source and projecting strength on the global stage, we will reduce the likelihood that other American families will face the enduring heartbreak of the Khan family... Donald Trump will support our military and their families and we will defeat the enemies of our freedom."

Some things to remember:

1. Muslim Americans have volunteered to serve in the U.S. military and most have done so honorably. We owe them the same gratitude that all of our men and women in uniform deserve - no less but also no more.

2. It is also a disturbing fact that a number of Muslims serving in the U.S. military have conducted jihad and have killed their fellow service members. Most notable was Major Nidal Malik Hasan, a Palestinian Muslim who murdered 13 American soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas and wounded 33 more. Muslim American naval engineer Mostafa Ahmed Awwad tried to sell information about how to sink a U.S. aircraft carrier to hostile Muslim countries. There are a dozen other examples including Muslim convert Bowe Bergdahl, who deserted his unit in Afghanistan. Bergdahl was also defended by the left, got a special welcome at the White House and was praised by Obama. The men he deserted were ignored and in some cases smeared by the media.

3. The disproportionate number of Muslims in the U.S. military who have engaged in atrocities that killed or threatened other U.S. soldiers highlights the challenge facing the U.S., Europe and the entire non-Muslim world - How do you sort out the "closeted jihadists"? Prudence and common sense says immigration and refugee policies need to be changed to make the safety of the American people, of all faiths, the number one priority. That is the Trump/Pence position. It is the opposite of the Clinton/Kaine position, which calls for massive increases in the number of Muslims brought into the United States.

4. Mr. Kahn's hero son was killed by a Muslim suicide bomber not by Donald Trump, who did not support the Iraq war. Khan also used his moment of fame over the weekend to argue that Islam has nothing to do with terrorism. My heart goes out to Mr. Kahn and his wife for the loss of their son, but I do not believe they have the answers on how to defeat radical Islam. They aren't even willing to admit that the problem is within their own faith.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families

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