Message sent, message received:
The White House invited an ACLU attorney, who has built a career over the past six years of litigating against the United States in support of terrorists, to an official White House dinner last night to celebrate Ramadan with President Obama.
Jameel Jaffer, who runs the ACLU’s “national security project,” has filed lawsuits challenging the FBI’s “national security letter” authority, the constitutionality of warrantless wiretaps, and has been a leader in pushing for the shut down of Guantánamo Bay, and providing legal rights to terrorists held by the United States overseas in such countries as Iraq and Afghanistan. His efforts enabled the leaking of “torture photos” out of Iraq and Afghanistan, and some sources inside the Central Intelligence Agency believe he was one of the lawyers who provided legal advice to the Department of Justice to pursue an investigation into enhanced interrogation techniques used by the CIA.
Jaffer, a Canadian citizen, was vetted for the dinner by White House staff. His invitation was approved by the White House Counsel’s Office, as well as the Office of Political Affairs.
On a couple of items, I might be more in agreement with Jaffer than not. But that doesn’t mean I think inviting him to the White House is a good idea. The message it sends is, once again, one of weakness.
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