Hmmm, who is Nijad Fares and why is Rich Ashooh happy to see him (or, at least his money)? - Granite Grok

Hmmm, who is Nijad Fares and why is Rich Ashooh happy to see him (or, at least his money)?

A frequent guest on Meet The New Press, Jen Rubin also became a friend – and I have followed her writing over at Commentary Magazine and its Contentions blog and talked with her from time to time.

Sidebar:  the ‘Grok may soon be setting up a new internet Radio show similar to Meet The New Press – Jennifer has agreed to come on if the decision is made to do so.   I have the basic software construction done – am looking into what hardware I want (vs what I can affod) – 8 channel mix board, 2-4 mics, another phone line into the house, phone adapter; if anyone has suggestions, I’m listening…and oh yeah, will do locations spots as well…

Well, yesterday, her writing caught my eye – she had some news, interesting news, about the Congressional Republican Primary here in my district – NH CD-1 (emphasis mine):

… “Arab-Americans must substantially increase contributions to political candidates,” he wrote. “Even modest contributions help ensure that Members of Congress and their staffs take phone calls and are more responsive to requests. Furthermore, the contributor must make explicit an interest in Middle East-related issues.” ..

…He also “doled out at least $86 million of our tax money [in USAID funding to southern Lebanon] … allowing Hezbollah to rebuild its strongholds in Southern Lebanon and expand.” That, it seems, is what “increasing Arabs’ clout” is all about…

This EASILY sound like a PAY for PLAY in my eyes – sure lobbying is what that is all about – but in the Middle East, there are only two major sides, and this guy is not talking about aiding Israel.  And while Hezbollah has a social services side, it is also a terrorist group – one that wishes to wipe Israel off the map ("For It").

As frequent readers may know, I’m tired of the hyphenated Americanism that has evolved with the rise of the Democrat / Progress use of identity politics – one could easily blame them for the movement from America being a melting pot to frozen tossed salad (that sometimes boils over).  The guy that Jen is profiling – Nijad Fares – seems to have a checkered past, is refusing to answer pointed questions.  What’s he up to?

Now, who is Fares? He’s a self-proclaimed advocate for increasing Arab clout in Congress.

Guess who he is supporting in NH CD-1 all the way from Houston?

Rich Ashooh

Jen’s tale:

Increasing Arabs’ Clout in Congress: The NH-1 GOP Primary
 
In the New Hampshire 1st congressional district, there is a spirited, multi-candidate Republican primary race to face off against Democrat Carol Shea-Porter. The most viable Republicans are Sean Mahoney, Frank Guinta, Bob Bestani, and Rich Ashooh. (Polls suggest that Shea-Porter is in trouble, and the Cook Report pegs the seat as a “toss up.”) One of the candidates, Ashooh, is being bankrolled by a curious character. Nijad Fares and his wife, who reside in Houston, donated $2,400 to Ashooh and raised thousands more for him, likely making Ashooh the GOP candidate in the race with the most donors from  Houston. (Weird, huh?)

Now, who is Fares? He’s a self-proclaimed advocate for increasing Arab clout in Congress. This report relates:

Nijad Fares bluntly laid out his strategy for increasing the clout of Arab-Americans in an opinion piece he authored that appeared in the Detroit News on Dec. 16, 1996.

“Arab-Americans must substantially increase contributions to political candidates,” he wrote. “Even modest contributions help ensure that Members of Congress and their staffs take phone calls and are more responsive to requests. Furthermore, the contributor must make explicit an interest in Middle East-related issues.”

Jen then has a short discussion about Nijad and his dad (”known to be close to the powerful chief of Syrian intelligence in Lebanon, Ghazi Kenaan”) and campaign donations shenanigans.  So why this interest by Jen?

So what sorts of views does Nijad Fares hope will gain traction through fundraising like that done for Ashooh? We have some clues. It seems that Nijad Fares has a track record of giving to congressional candidates, having given handsomely to Rep. Joe Knollenberg and his state legislator son. Knollenberg “put ‘Seeds of Peace’ — a summer camp founded by Yasser Arafat’s fave biographer — on the federal budget.” He also “doled out at least $86 million of our tax money [in USAID funding to southern Lebanon] … allowing Hezbollah to rebuild its strongholds in Southern Lebanon and expand.” That, it seems, is what “increasing Arabs’ clout” is all about. (Fares also gave to Obama and to the only Republican to co-host J Street’s confab, Charles Boustany. Fares is nothing if not consistent in his choice of recipients.)

So, we get US money going to Hezbollah (again, a named terrorist outfit, who was wont to fire off rockets at Israel, thumbs its nose at the UN, and is known quite well for fighting from in between civilians so as to better blame their opponents in media blitzes (just as the Viet Cong pioneered this tactic, aided by our left leaning media and radicals – some of whom are now primary White House supporters). And always the blame game:

…And then there is this: when the fundraising brouhaha surfaced, Issam was quick to blame the Jews. Caught in a media firestorm for paying a large sum to Colin Powell for a speech five days before the 2000 election, he immediately “accused the ‘Zionist lobby’ of spreading ‘distortion and lies.’”

….“It is a mistake to make a comparison between the [Al Qaeda] network … which Lebanon has condemned, and Hezbollah, which Lebanon considers a resistance party fighting the Israeli occupation,” Fares told Agence France-Presse. He claimed the group has never targeted Americans, a position disputed by U.S. officials as well as Fares’s own Wedge Group CEO.

When Jen asked for info from the campaign, she got the standard boilerplate politicalese as to "can’t agree with everyone’s views on stuff" even as they’ll take the money that comes with the views.  She ends her piece with more unanswered questions:

  • So are Ashooh’s positions the same as those of the Fares family?
  • he [Ashooh] someone ready and willing to increase the clout of Arabs? 

Questions, questions – always questions.  More will be coming, I bet….will the Campaign answer them?

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