Gilchrist to speak at terrorism confab

Gilchrist to speak at terrorism confab
Minuteman founder will join John O'Neill, Robert Spencer, others

Minuteman Project founder Jim Gilchrist will join a line-up of distinguished speakers at a symposium, open to the public, addressing the threat of radical Islam.

Also on the roster for the Nov. 10 and 11 event in Las Vegas – titled "Understanding the Threat of Radical Islamist Terrorism" – is Hamid Mir, the only journalist to have interviewed Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahri since the 9-11 attacks.

In addition, honored guests will include John O'Neill, co-founder and spokesman for Swift Boat Veterans and POWs for Truth; Retired Capt. Larry Bailey, who was president of Vietnam Vets for the Truth; and internationally syndicated columnist and television talk-show hostess Arlene Peck.

The symposium is presented by America's Truth Forum a grassroots, non-partisan, educational organization. Tickets are $150 per attendee and require advanced purchase due to security protocol. Information can be found on the group's website.

Gilchrist, co-author with Jerome Corsi of "Minutemen: The Battle to Secure America's Borders," founded the multi-ethnic Minuteman Project in 2004 after years of frustrated efforts to get the government to enforce immigration laws. He is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and recipient of the Purple Heart for wounds suffered during service in Vietnam.

Gilchrist will speak about the threat of terrorists infiltrating the border and about his recent appearance at Columbia University, where protesters rushed the stage, ending is speech.

A VIP Pre-Symposium Reception will be held Nov. 10, providing an opportunity to interact with the speakers and other guests. Tickets for the VIP Pre-Symposium Reception are $109 and also must be purchased in advance due to security protocol

Speakers also will include:

* Wafa Sultan: A secular Syrian-American psychiatrist who lives in Los Angeles, Sultan has become notable since the September 11, 2001 attacks for her participation in Middle East political debates, with Arabic essays that circulated widely and some television appearances on Al-Jazeera and CNN. Her thesis, described as witnessing "a battle between modernity and barbarism which Islam will lose," has brought her telephone threats, but also praise from reformers. Her comments, especially a pointed criticism that "no Jew has blown himself up in a German restaurant," brought her an invitation to Tel Aviv by the American Jewish Congress.

* Harvey Kushner: Noted author, lecturer, professor and internationally recognized authority on terrorism who has advised and provided training to numerous government agencies, including the FBI, FAA, INS, and U.S. Customs.

* Robert Spencer: Director of Jihad Watch and author of critically acclaimed books on Islam, including "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades)."

* Walid Shoebat: As a former member of the Palestinian Liberation Organization, Shoebat participated in acts of terror and violence against Israel and later was imprisoned in the Russian Compound, Jerusalem's central prison for incitement and violence against Israel. He has since become an advocate for his former enemy.

* Bruce Tefft: A 21-year veteran of the CIA, including 17 years abroad, and founding member of the CIA's Counter Terrorism Center in 1985. He has accumulated more than 30 years experience in foreign affairs, intelligence, security operations and counter-terrorism.

* Paul Williams: Journalist and author of "Dunces of Doomsday," "Al Qaeda Connection: International Terrorism, Organized Crime, and the Coming Apocalypse," and "Osama's Revenge: The Next 9/11: What the Media and the Government Haven't Told You." He has served as a consultant for the FBI as well as an adjunct professor of humanities at the University of Scranton.

Former CIA chief James Woolsey has been invited but is unconfirmed.

Topics to be discussed include:

* The mindset of Islamic terrorism from a reformed PLO terrorist

* Al Qaida's plans for future attacks against Americans on U.S. soil, including an "American Hiroshima."

* "Dhimmitude" and the uniquely Islamic institution of jihad

* Terrorist recruitment in the United States.

* Terrorist indoctrination on the campuses of U.S. universities

* Understanding the threat posed

* Effective counter-terrorism

* The threat posed to world peace and national security by the ideology of radical Islam

* The West's misidentification of the challenges faced from the global jihad

* A critique of the government's performance on its prosecution of the war on terror

* A first hand account of a slaughter committed against innocents.