Walid Phares

Walid Phares is a right-wing "terrorism expert" who often appears as an expert on TV chat shows. He is also featured as a speaker by Benador Associates where his biography states:

Dr Walid Phares is a Professor of Middle East Studies, Ethnic and Religious Conflict, and an expert on Political Islam, Jihad and the Clash of Civilizations.
Born and raised in Lebanon, Walid Phares was educated at the Jesuit and Lebanese Universities of Beirut where he obtained degrees in Law and Political Science as well as certificates in Sociology. He obtained a Masters in International Law from the Universite de Lyons in France and a Ph.D. in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Miami.[1]

And about his expertise:

Phares expertise covers Islamic Fundamentalism, the Jihadic Movements and strategies worldwide, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Human Rights under Islamic Regimes, ethnic minorities, women, and democratic processes within the Muslim world, Terrorism, as well as the Clash of Civilization.
He has served as an analyst of the ongoing conflict since September 11 with regards to Bin Laden ideology, strategy, al-Qaida, Taliban, regional and local Jihadic groups, as well as Militant Islamists within the West. Phares analyses the surge and development of those movements in the Muslim world as well as within the West and South Asia.[2]

Checkered history

Prof. As'ad AbuKhalil comments about Phares:

"Terrorism Expert" (former comander of the Lebanese Forces militia, although that is stricken out of his c.v.)[3]

Affiliations

• American Congress for Truth
• Ariel Center for Policy Research (Israel) – Contributing Expert
• Benador Associates – Featured speaker
• Campus Watch – reprints some of his articles
• Canadian Lebanese Human Rights Federation [4] A group dedicated to removing Syrian influence from Lebanon, and pursuing the "jihadists".
• David Project – Featured speaker. NB: this group produced a smearing film aimed at undermining the MEALAC professors at Columbia Univ. They have targeted Josheph Massad and Rashid Khalidi among others.[5]
• Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
• FrontPage columnist
• Guardians of the Cedars
• Israel on Campus Coalition – featured speaker.[6]
• JihadWatch – Frequent contributor
• Middle East Forum / Middle East Quarterly
• National Review – columnist
• United States Committee for a Free Lebanon – listed as expert

Contributed US$1,000 to the Bush-Cheney ticket in 2004. [7]