Walid Phares

Walid Phares is touted as an authentic expert on Muslims and political Islam despite being a former militiaman and foreign affairs spokesman for the mostly Christian Lebanese Front—the militia responsible for the Sabra and Shatila massacres of Muslims during the September 1982 Lebanese Civil War.

Phares promotes the conspiracy theory of radical Islamist cells posing as mainstream Muslim organizations. He warns that “jihadists within the West pose as civil rights advocates” and will patiently recruit until “[a]lmost all mosques, educational centers, and socioeconomic institutions fall into their hands.” He was originally scheduled to testify at Rep. King’s hearings on the alleged radicalization of the Muslim American community but was dropped at the last moment following revelations about his sordid history with the Lebanese Forces.

When asked about his connection to the leadership that allowed the atrocities to occur, he simply replied, “Everybody did silly stuff, on both hands … but amazingly enough, the Guardians of the Cedars [a right-wing Christian religious group with the Lebanese Forces] have been the most moral fighters.”

Phares also served as one of Mitt Romney's foreign policy advisers, namely as the co-chair of Romney's Middle East working group during his 2012 Presidential campaign.