US Air Force Academy Used "Former Terrorists" to Proselytize Fundamentalist Christianity to Cadets

[kpete]

February 13, 2008 at 01:12:26

Headlined on 2/13/08:
US Air Force Academy Used "Former Terrorists" to Proselytize Fundamentalist Christianity to Cadets

by jason leopold Page 1 of 2 page(s)

http://www.opednews.com


By Jason Leopold

Last week, the prestigious United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs invited three self-described former terrorists who have boasted about murdering hundreds of civilians in the Middle East and blowing up a bank in Israel to speak to cadets about the evils of Islam and their experiences as alleged radical Islamic fundamentalists.

.................

A day before they were due to speak to US Air Force Academy cadets, Meade Warthen, a US Air Force Academy spokesman, said Saleem, Shoebat, and Anani were invited to speak at the academy last week "about their experiences as terrorists so cadets can be prepared for leadership positions on the war on terror."

"The academy assembly has nothing to do with religion or anything with Evangelical Christianity," Warthen said in an interview. "They were invited to give a perspective from a terrorist point-of-view. But we have no control over what they say about any religion good or bad and we certainly are not going to guarantee that they won't say anything" critical about Islam or Muslims.

But moments after taking the stage to address academy cadets, Shoebat and his alleged terrorist colleagues did just that. The men railed against Islam, and praised their newfound faith as Christians.

much more at:
http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/genera_jason_le_080213_us_air_force_academy.htm

[polpilot]

1. Proof waterboarding works!

[Divernan]

2. Colorado Springs - brings out the Inner Fundie just from drinking the water?

These 3 were probably already extreme fundies - the type of personality which has to be a true believer in something. They just switched their extremes from terrorism/physical violence to Xtreme fundie Christianity. That said, sounds like the Academy spokesperson knew well in advance that the 3 were going to be critical of Islam/Musliims.

The chicken-or-the-egg question is whether the Academy has turned Colorado Springs into ground zero for Christian fundies or the Christian fundies of Colorado Springs infiltrated the Academy's staff's community/churches and thus spread their extremism into the Academy administration/faculty.

[Plague]

3. Awful big risk..

Seems like an awfully big risk to allow known 'former' terrorists to fly around the country giving speeches to large crowds. I mean, that strikes me as a huge breach of safety and security.

Unless of course these people were never terrorists, are lying profusely and are some kind of recruitment troupe for a religious organization.

[screembloodymurder]

4. Hasn't the guy in charge at the academy been warned about proselytizing?

He should be fired immediately.