:
Sat Jul 8 -

THE EMIR OF
JERSEY CITY -

"A sudden change in his
personality occurred lately,"
a neighbor confides.

Dr Walid Phares writes about the apparent duality in the portraits which have emerged about Assem Hammoud. The aforementioned neighbor, Prof Phares tells us, has just described a "mutation" from Casanova to Islamist.

In his previous impression, the professor attributes this apparent duality or "mutation" to Taqiya, a kind of "holy deception." *You have the right to play another personality until you perform your mission.*

Maybe. But there are other possibilities. It may have been Taqiya for Hammoud's handler. But Hammoud may not have experienced it as an intellectual exercise. This process needs a much closer scrutiny by the FBI's Psych Squad, especially those specializing in Cults.

I would suggest the possibility that Hammoud may have experienced a cult-like "Magical Glen" phenomenon. And, having been through the Magic Glen, Hammoud may even believe he is now imbued with magical powers. You know: like Superman's Phonebooth; he enters as mild-mannered Clark Kent but departs with super powers.

* * * * *
"Do we look like al-Qaida people?"

That was Hammoud's mom.
Well, yes!

Since the 1960's when we had indigenous terrorists inside the U.S., we've had a well-known profile for them: they're usually upper-middle class, the offspring of lawyers or other professionals, affluent, and college-educated. Hammoud would fit this long-established profile.

...