Ted Cruz Teaches Homeland Security Chief Three Magic Words To Stop Terrorism Forever

Get it? Ted Cruz doesn't like it when the DHS "scrubs" Muslim references out of documents! It's a joke about a TLC song!

Just when you think Ted Cruz has slithered off to whatever hole he fell into after Donald Trump ruined his lifelong dream of starting a fundamentalist presidential bigot movement, he creeps back and immediately tries to set your house on fire, like a crazy, spurned lover.

[wonkbar]<a href="https: //wonkette.substack.com/p/obama-says-radical-islam-three-times-in-terrorism-speech-are-all-the-terrorists-dead-yet"></a>[/wonkbar]This week, the Senate Judiciary oversight committee interviewed retired Customs and Border Protection officer Phillip Haney, who testified that the Department Of Homeland Security had erased records containing Magic Words like "radical Islamic terrorism," "jihad," and "Muslim Brotherhood." Thursday, during a separate meeting of the Senate Judiciary oversight committee, Ted Cruz got all up in DHS Secretary Jeh Johnson's face about that:

</center> <p/><blockquote><strong>CRUZ</strong>: in October 2009, more than 800 Customs and Border Patrol documents were ordered, modified, scrubbed or deleted to remove references to jihad or the Muslim Brotherhood or other similar references. Was Mr. Haney’s testimony that the Department of Homeland Security had ordered over 800 documents altered or deleted in CBB, was that testimony accurate? <p><strong>JOHNSON</strong>: I have no idea. I don't know who Mr. Hanen [sic] is. I wouldn't know him if he walked in the room.</p></blockquote> <p>Well damn! Cruz continued: </p><p/><blockquote><strong>CRUZ</strong>: So you have not investigated whether your department ordered documents to be modified in 2009 to remove references to jihad, radical Islamic terrorism, the Muslim Brotherhood, you have not investigated that question? <p><strong>JOHNSON</strong>: No I have not taken the time to investigate what Mr. Hanen [sic] says, no.</p></blockquote> <p/><p class="wp-image-603630 size-full">Cruz got angry, turned his Hat to the Back, and asked Johnson if he even knew about the meeting where Haney was questioned, and if DHS staff had even bothered to look into the committee's questions. Johnson smiled and quipped, <em>"</em>No, but you have me right here, right now, to ask questions of, so here I am<em>." </em></p><p/> <p><img id="eb3d1" data-rm-shortcode-id="cb1504fb85b4781d299a17708bf46e2e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" class="rm-shortcode " loading="lazy" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8xNzY3MzkzNy9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY5MTE5NzI5NX0.wQxVUBtUQCxT60B6pxKeKdI1ETInxm4EeHtd6pm6QVs/img.jpg?width=980" /> LOL! Jeh Johnson, you so Crazysexycool! </p><p>Cruz pressed Johnson about two earlier times when Haney testified in front of the committee about about DHS "purges" of references to Radical Islamic Terrorism in: </p><p/><blockquote><strong>CRUZ</strong>:  In 2009 and again in 2012, Mr. Haney testified there were two “purges" -- and that was the word he used, “purge" -- at the Department of Homeland Security to remove references to radical Islamic terrorism. Is it accurate that the records were changed—" <p><strong>JOHNSON</strong>: Same answer I gave you before. I have no idea, sir. </p><p><strong>CRUZ</strong>: You have no knowledge of any records being changed at the Department of Homeland Security? </p><p><strong>JOHNSON</strong>: Same answer. I have no idea, sir. </p><p><strong>CRUZ</strong>: Would it concern you if it was accurate? </p><p><strong>JOHNSON</strong>: Senator, I find this whole debate to be very interesting, but I have to tell you, when I was at the Department of Defense giving the legal signoff on a lot of drone strikes, I didn’t particularly care whether the baseball card said Islamic extremist or violent extremist [...] [I]t makes no difference to me in terms of who we need to go after, who is determined to attack our homeland. The other point I’d like to make, sir, is that ... I have to think in practical terms in Homeland Security. [...] </p><p>[I]f we in our efforts here in the homeland start giving the Islamic State the credence that they want to be referred to as part of Islam or some form of Islam, we will get nowhere in our efforts to build bridges with Muslim communities, which we need to do in this current environment right now that includes homegrown violent extremists ... </p><p>[Muslims] all tell me that ISIL has "hijacked my religion," and it’s critical that we bring these people to our side to do this.</p></blockquote> <p>Imagine that! </p><p>Cruz accused Johnson and the DHS of being <em>intentionally</em> ignorant about whether or not the phrases were removed, which Johnson denied. Cruz said he felt references to <em>jihad</em> and radical Islam influence law enforcement and security officials in how they respond to suspected terror threats, and suggested that the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the 2013 Boston Bombing were intelligence failures. Cruz <em>also</em> said attacks like San Bernardino an Orlando would have been preventable, had the DHS used the MAGIC WORDS, because they would have set off "red flags" for law enforcement. </p><p>He concluded that the Obama administration is guilty of "willful blindness." </p><p>Johnson disagreed: </p><p/><blockquote><strong/>[V]irtually every day I read about the good work of our law enforcement personnel, our Homeland Security personnel and our intelligence community connecting the dots to identify potential terrorist plots, terrorist plots on our homeland, irrespective of the label you want to put on it. I think our people are smart enough to identify somebody who is a violent extremist, who is self-radicalizing, who is moving toward violence when there are some warning signs, like somebody who sees somebody buying a gun or training or buying weapons of explosive material. [...] <p>Are there lessons learned? Could we do a better job? The answer is probably yes. But every day I see this happening, and I think we are doing a better job, and I think that our people are smart enough to identify potential terrorist behavior whether you call it Islamic or extremist or anything else. I think the labels, frankly, are less important except where we need to build bridges to American Muslim communities and not vilify them so that they will help us help them. That is my answer to your question, sir.</p></blockquote> <p>Having been appropriately read for filth, Ted Cruz returned to his Canadian hidey-hole and never bothered anybody again, just kidding, he's probably being an asshole somewhere RIGHT NOW. </p><p>[<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/ted-cruz-jeh-johnson-terror-labels-224986">Politico </a>/ <a href="http://www.c-span.org/video/?c4608579/ted-cruz-grills-dhs-chief-jeh-johnson">C-SPAN</a>]</p>