“Piranha Jihadophiles” Savage White House Scholar Gorka…on Iran’s Orders?

by John Hajjar

We often watch gangs of journalists attack President Donald Trump unfairly, repetitively and viciously using erroneous assertions and imaginary scenes, only to see the commander-in-chief ferociously decimate their arguments, rendering their campaigns to rubble. The unholy axis of neo-Marxists and Islamist militants has targeted its enemies using methods akin to psychological intimidation. They attack suddenly, in packs, intensely and emboldened by the number of casualties they incur. While their charges are in print and online, by historical comparison, they compare to the Mameluks, Huns or Pirates of the Caribbean. They have ambushed many close aides and advisors to Trump during the campaign and since the election and have continuously harassed his family members, including the non-political ones. Unethical and often bordering on slander, the “piranhas” of the so-called mainstream media have become the single ugliest component of the war on America.

The latest savaging over the past week or so was a “piranha blitz” on one of President Trump’s aides, Deputy Assistant on Strategic Affairs, Professor Sebastian Gorka. British born from Hungarian parents who were persecuted by the Communists, Gorka has developed an expertise on “radical Islamic terrorism” over the past years, a concept adopted by President Trump who was elected in large measure to counter it.

Sebastian Gorka, well known in the US military for his years of teaching, has often appeared on Fox News particularly over the past year, before he was hired by the White House to serve under Steve Bannon, chief strategist for the President. Over the past few days, a barrage of hit pieces, published in crescendo in the so-called “mainstream” (in fact apologist) media, targeted the scholar-advisor relentlessly, unprofessionally and unintelligently. The “machine,” concentrating its fire on Gorka, was said to be punishing him because he was working with Bannon, was serving the President and was among the best White House spokesperson blasting Islamist terrorism. Some even suggested he was attacked by US Bolsheviks because his parents escaped Soviet-dominated Hungary decades ago. In a sum, Islamists and neo-Communists are behind the assault on Gorka.

A thorough analysis of the string of attacks clearly shows the almost-military cascade of smear pieces against the scholar, using identical and repetitive charges, which can be deciphered as “talking points manufactured by the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran regime lobbies.” These slander-blitzes have been used against Steve Bannon himself and are now targeting Gorka. This “piranha” tactic was also applied to Dr. Walid Phares during two Presidential campaigns cycles in 2012 and 2016, while he served as senior foreign policy advisor to the Republican candidates. Back in the 1990s and after 9/11 similar tactics were used against researcher Daniel Pipes and investigative journalist Steven Emerson.

A comprehensive analysis of this last volley against Trump’s aide is underway. It will most likely show the fingerprints of the Bolshevik-Islamist cohorts behind the smear blitz. It shows careful preparation, distribution of roles, shelling tactics and thuggish assaults. A list of “talking points” appears behind the articles, with the same arguments, repetition and outright lies. The heaviest charges have “unnamed sources.” The poisonous criticism by so-called “colleagues” are childish. And the “concern” about national security is laughable.

Jacey Fortin, a complete unknown in the field of Middle East studies, opens the first salvo in the New York Times on February 17. The Boston Globe is ordered to fire on Gorka the next day by republishing the New York Times article. The Times appears to be “the head of the snake” spreading its smear poison across the apologist media. The third gun to launch an attack is the Washington Post on February 20 with an ad hominem knifing authored by ignorant blogger Greg Jaffe and airhead teenager sounding Julie Tate, both nobodies in the field. The piece is re-posted by “Finance Yahoo” on the same day. The next morning February 21, the “Jihadi artillery” redouble its shelling via the pro-Iran-deal web site Salon by Matthew Rozsa. He accuses Gorka of not having enough “Islamic” credentials, while the Rozsa is an ignoramus in that same department.  

On February 22, the “machine” deploys a Business Insider hit piece by Pamela Engle, reposted by “Finance Yahoo.” Engle is another uninformed blogger used to sign the smear. The real writers of the trashing never appear in the signatures. But leads are now close to identifying the single “top piranha.” Then as the bleeding proceeds, the machine sends the “professional” Jeff Stein, formerly with Congressional Quarterly and now operating with Newsweek. The attack takes place on February 23 with a weird reportage about a call between Gorka and a critic. The situation gets stranger by the day.

But the summa of stupidity peaks with Tina Nguyen in Vanity Fair on February 23. Unable even to understand the talking points sent to her to work with, her hit piece has no logic or structure. It mimic the New York Times mothership and barely capable of making a case. New York Magazine barks on the same day with an article by Jesse Singal, still trying to trash Gorka, but very miserable in its logic. By the last account on February 24 the “war room” deployed the Business Insider’s blogger Olivier Darcy, yet again, a no one in the terrorism investigative field. Clearly this is not about mainstream media, not even about media. This is a blogger war waged by an integrated online war machine, with a central writer, significant budgeting and a chief orchestrator.

They tried to discredit Professor Gorka with no results. They did their job, ordered by their bosses behind the scenes. But the public is smarter, and most Americans are online. The “Jihadophile Piranhas” are attacking but Sebastian Gorka will prevail.

First published in Family Security Matters.

John Hajjar is a co-founder of the American Mideast Coalition for Democracy