January 5, 2016 --

A news story in The New York Times, December 9, reporting the address of the political head of Hamas, Khaled Meshal, to a throng in Gaza city, pointed out that Hamas "is the political branch" of the Muslim Brotherhood. In his address, Meshal declared that the Jewish state would be wiped out, replaced by the Islamic State of Palestine, that will extend to the West Bank and Gaza. Meshal's comments are, of course, consistent with the Hamas charter, which also recognizes that Hamas is a branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Does President Obama consider regard Hamas as an "extremist" organization? In view of President Obama's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, does it follow that he also supports Hamas?

btw -- the lead story in The New York Times, December 9, 2012 reported that one of the "most effective fighting forces" against Syria's President Bashir Assad was backed by Al Qaeda, "posing," the article noted, "a stark challenge to the United States and other countries that want to support the rebels but not Islamic extremists."

Word now from Rep. Trent Franks, a Republican member of the House Armed Services Committee, is that the Obama administration is not trying very hard to destroy ISIS.

Does President Obama support the anti-Assad rebels, whether or not they are "extremists?"