Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth vowed to make the military less woke and concentrate instead on restoring the "warrior ethos" of the armed forces.
But while we're shoring up the requirements to enter and serve in the armed forces, we may want to consider rejecting recruits with divided loyalties — those holding dual citizenship, particularly with countries that aren't 100% behind the United States.
We may want to even reject outright, or at least take a closer look at, fundamentalist Islamists — those that adhere to Sharia law.
This came to light last week when Mohamad Hamad, a Pennsylvania Air National Guard member, was named along with two other individuals in a 35-page, nine-count indictment for constructing improvised explosive devices with the intent to use them against Jewish targets in the Pittsburgh area.
Hamad, who claimed to be a "Hamas operative," was also charged with lying about his allegiance to the United States in order to receive a top-secret security clearance.
He was previously charged with defacing the Chabad of Squirrel Hill synagogue and the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh office building.
Hamad is also a dual citizen of the United States and Lebanon.
Paragraph 15 of the indictment states that Hamad sent voice notes to another individual in which he "reiterated that Palestine and Lebanon were 'on top' for him and that 'people will say America, America, but let it lick my a**.'"
Hamad "also stated, 'don't get me wrong, my dear, Lebanon, Palestine are my country and they are on top, and at the end of the day, f*** off Israel and all her friends.'"
The United States is Israel's closest friend and ally.
Hamad added "that it was good to have the 'combat skills' he was learning in training 'in case something happens in my country [Lebanon] or Palestine.'"
What's really surprising is that the Hamad case isn't as rare as one might expect, according to Newsmax host and former U.S. Navy SEAL Carl Higbie.
"This is a real problem that's been around for a while," Higbie said on Frontline last week, adding, "It's not being addressed."
He then listed a few examples of U.S. servicemen-turned-terrorists — quite a few, including:
- Ali Mohammed, a former U.S. Army sergeant, who pleaded guilty in 2000 to conspiracy charges related to a U.S. Embassy bombing
- Semih Osman, arrested in 2002 for hosting a terrorist training camp on his own property in Oregon
- Jeffrey Battle, U.S. Army Reservist arrested in 2003 while trying to join al-Qaida
- Hasan Abu Jihad, U.S. Navy, converted to Islam in 1995, charged in 2002 and later found guilty of leaking classified material to al-Qaida
- Brian Venice, U.S. Army, converted to Islam, provided detailed information about the New York train system to facilitate a terrorist attack
- Nidal Hasan, murdered 12 soldiers, one civilian and an unborn child, and injured 32 others at Fort Hood
- Paul Rockwood, U.S. Navy, converted to Islam in 2001, and in 2010 created a hit list of U.S. targets for bombings and assassinations
- Cole Bridges, pleaded guilty to terrorism
- Ethan Melzer, gave information to al-Qaida affiliates about troop locations and movements in Afghanistan
- Shamsuddin Jabbar, drove a vehicle displaying an ISIS flag through a New Orleans Mardi Gras party earlier this year
"I list all these names because there's a fact pattern here, but anytime someone says the truth, people get very uncomfortable," Higbie noted. "But there is a problem with radicalized Muslims in our military, and some in our culture."
He observed that the problem wasn't universal among all practitioners of Islam, but the number is large enough to be of concern.
"The vast majority of Muslims practice that religion peacefully. However, a not insignificant percentage of that religion is not compatible with Western ideology. That should be considered when granting security clearances to people in our military."
Higbie acknowledged that it's a touchy subject.
"Our intel community, and our military … has basically been so wrung out on DEI training that they're afraid to suggest that anyone with radical Muslim views might actually carry out action on radical Muslim views."
If you hadn't heard anything about the Mohamad Hamad case, there's probably a good reason.
A writer for Twitchy who works under the pen name Just Mindy observed that had the terror suspect been Jewish, or been a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen, "the media would have been all over it" — particularly the legacy, mainstream media.
Recently we've been taking a second look at the suitability of transgenders in the armed forces. We're also questioning reduced physical requirements for women who want to serve in combat.
While we're at it let's give fundamentalist Muslim recruits and recruits with dual citizenship another look. America First.
Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and is a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He's also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and a Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.
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