Intelligencer

King’s Big Payoff Likely

Congressman Peter King, Republican from Long Island, may be about to get the payoff he deserves for defending President George W. Bush through thick and thin, mostly thin in recent times.

On Wednesday of this week King is speaking before House Republican leaders to make his case to be named as the next chairman of the Homeland Security Committee in the House.

The media has speculated that King is favorite for the job, and King certainly was not shy about saying that too.

“I have the experience, the interest and desire,” he told the New York Post. “Coming from New York, I lost friends, neighbors and constituents on September 11. This has been my obsession.”

If he became chairman, King would be able to direct massive amounts of funds to New York projects and also become a real player on the Homeland Security issue.

There are four other representatives running against King, but his media savvy and genial personality is expected to be a big plus.

Interesting to see if anyone brings up Pete’s support for Sinn Fein for many years — indeed he was the party’s major supporter in the U.S. Pete can always respond that he played a huge role in creating their peace strategy too.

It would certainly be a huge breakthrough for King, who has long been considered a maverick, but who since September 11 has become an outspoken advocate and booster of President Bush.

He would replace Congressman Christopher Cox of California, who left to become head of the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Palestinian Killer In Dublin?

NBC’s Dateline program last Sunday night made sensational allegations about one of the worst Palestinian killers being allowed to live openly in Dublin.

Lisa Myers, one of the network’s top reporters, tracked Jihad Ja’ara, a man suspected of taking part or planning the deaths of hundreds of Israelis and some Americans too, to Dublin.

Ja’ara told Myers that he has no regrets about his actions. A brief transcript of their conversation follows.

Ja’ara was asked how much freedom he has in Dublin to come and go wherever he wishes.

Ja’ara: 100 percent.

Myers: 100 percent freedom?

Ja’ara: Yeah.

Myers: How many people did you kill or did you order killed?

Ja’ara: It’s not important for me how many I kill, one or 10 or 100.

Myers: Do you still consider yourself a member of the Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade?

Ja’ara: Yes, and I’m proud.

Myers: Did you engage in bombings?

Ja’ara: We do everything. What we can do.

Myers: So, we should assume that you engaged in bombings.

Ja’ara: I not tell you exactly. But I was a freedom fighter.

Ja’ara was a major target of the Israelis for many years. In 2002 after a shootout Ja’ara and others took refuge in the Church of the Nativity, one of Christianity’s holiest sites.

Shot in the leg, Ja’ara nearly bled to death. There was huge international focus and eventually a deal was done and Ja’ara and others were sent into exile. He ended up in Ireland by agreement.

NBC alleges that Ja’ara thumbs his nose at Irish authorities, and that in 2003 he used a fake passport to go to Spain to plan jihad. Spanish authorities captured him and sent him back to Ireland.

Myers interviewed a close associate of Ja’ara in an Israeli jail. He claimed that Ja’ara is at the heart of a Hezbollah network that trains Palestinians for suicide and other war missions.

Soon Ja’ara may be on his way back to the Middle East under the terms of an agreement that allows Palestinians to return to areas ceded to the them under the new land for peace deal set in motion by the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

However, one of the conditions is that anyone returning disavows violence. That seems unlikely, as the Dateline segment ended with Ja’ara refusing to give such a pledge and stating that he would continue to fight and kill Israelis until his country was free.

No doubt Ireland will be glad to see the back of him.

Irish Ministers Here

What a week for Irish government ministers coming to New York. Taoiseach (Prime Minster) Bertie Ahern will be in for the UN sessions, as will Foreign Minister Dermot Ahern and Junior Foreign Minster Conor Lenihan.

It is all part of a major push by the Irish government to increase their visibility at the UN. The UN is the only real forum where a country like Ireland can have clout beyond its size — and they have made a difference on a range of issues from Third World poverty to peacekeeping. No doubt Bertie and company will be making that point again and again this week.

Emerald Society Reaches Out

TheNational Conference of Law Enforcement Emerald Societies, Inc, in conjunction with the New York Police Department Emerald Society, has established a fund to benefit members of the Law Enforcement Emerald Society of Metro New Orleans who have lost so much.

As Hurricane Katrina was bearing down on the Gulf Coast and the city of New Orleans, citizens were urged to leave the area for their own safety. However, police officers could not flee.

Most officers stayed to protect lives and property even as their own homes were being washed away. Amid the lawless looters and snipers, New Orleans cops stayed to save those they could.

Many members of the New Orleans Emerald Society have lost everything. For that reason, the NCLEES/NYPD Emerald Society has established a relief fund, and 100% of money collected will go directly to Emerald Society members.

Contributions should be mailed to: NYPD Emerald Society/ NCLEES Disaster Relief Fund, 2121 New York Avenue, Brooklyn, New York 11210. Further information can be obtained at www.nclees.org.