Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Obama security chief: No signs of Muslim Brotherhood operating within U.S.

Homeland security chief Janet Napolitano says federal law enforcement authorities led by the FBI have found “no credible evidence” that operatives from the radical Islamic organization known as the Muslim Brotherhood are operating inside the United States.

Napolitano commented in testimony before the House Committee on Homeland Security in response to questions by Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

Jackson Lee asked Napolitano to discuss the issue after five GOP House members led by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., wrote to the inspector general of the State Department to claim that Huma Abedin, a Muslim-American serving as deputy chief of staff for Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, had family members “connected to Muslim Brotherhood operatives and/or organizations.”

The lawmakers cited Abedin’s late father, her mother and her brother.

The lawmakers said they had “serious security concerns” about the Muslim Brotherhood infiltrating into the United States.

“We have looked into this; the FBI has looked into this. We have no credible evidence that this activity is going on.. . . We have no credible evidence that such infiltration is going on,” Napolitano said.