25 Sep 2014 Project 21 Members on Obama’s Crusade Against ISIS

Three times over the past week, members of the National Center’s Project 21 black leadership network appeared on the One America News Network’s “Rick Amato Show” to discuss the resumption in the rise of Islamic terrorism and the Obama Administration’s pivot to a militarized response.

Interviews took place both before and after military action began, and dealt with many facets regarding the new Obama policy and the threat of religious extremism.

In discussing the threat of militant Islam before the missiles and bombs began to fly, Project 21 member Council Nedd II noted on 9/17/14 how “no one took [ISIS] seriously” a year ago.  Now, however, “everyone should be concerned” about the threat of ISIS and other rising militant groups.

Council — an archbishop with the Episcopal Missionary Church who is involved in ministry work in areas of the Middle East and Africa threatened by Islamic extremists — said these radical activists are “like a virus.”  And, when dealing with a virus, he noted that one cannot expect success when “giving it a sub-therapeutic dose of antibiotics… literally, the virus keeps getting stronger.”  Council’s prescription?  “We need to do something drastic.  We need to do something radical.  And it’s not going to be pretty.”  Simple things that Council suggested in the hours before Obama ordered military strikes included revoking someone’s citizenship if they chose to fight for ISIS and not buying or refining oil that comes from fields seized by ISIS and others.

Having already written two recent New Visions Commentaries on the need to contain and combat radical Islam, Council reiterated: “The fact is, unless we do something and unless we do something dramatic — unless we do something big in a big way — ISIS is just going to continue with their march toward Jerusalem and Spain and other places… Somebody needs to step up and say, ‘you know, this is ridiculous and we’re stopping you right here.’”

After military operations began, Project 21 member Hughey Newsome appeared on Amato’s show on 9/22/14 to discuss how Obama seems to have evolved in office regarding decisive action against terrorism.

Noting the difference between Obama as a senator and presidential candidate compared to his recent action as president, Hughey said “it’s night and day.”  He also noted that Obama continues to show that he has “no capacity whatsoever” to deal with Congress — even liberals such as Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA).

He noted that Obama once had an overriding goal of getting American forces out of Iraq and Afghanistan at all costs, but now that goal-oriented agenda has come back to haunt the President.

Hughey noted how generals have said there is a possibility of needing “boots on the ground” to ultimately prevail against these terrorist networks — something that White House staff seem decidedly against.

“It might be the right thing to do.  Who knows?” Hughey noted.  “But, of course, putting politics first [and] effective policy second is the way the White House has gone… you need Congress to have some oversight.”

On 9/23/14, during Amato’s “grassroots citizens panel,” Project 21 member Kevin Martin, a Navy veteran, when commenting about the motivation of the extremists, said “[t]hese groups want notoriety.”  He added that “[t]hey look at al Qaeda and say ‘we’re gonna do it bigger and better.’”

But Kevin — who commented previously about the Obama military pivot in the war on terrorism — warned about the effectiveness of Obama’s work to build a coalition against the terrorists, saying “We cannot contract our national defense out to ‘moderates.’”  In particular, Kevin said it was valid to wonder about “who picks and chooses” who these alleged moderates are and whether they are working for the same goals as the United States.