Unfortunately, thanks to Hesham Islam, ISNA has been of late the preeminent vehicle for Pentagon “outreach” efforts to the American Muslim community. When Mr. Coughlin warned the Pentagon leadership of the error of such contacts, he was pressed by Mr. Islam to desist. Shortly after the former refused to do so, his contract with the Joint Chiefs of Staff was not renewed because, as one unnamed officer told the Washington Times’ Bill Gertz, it had “gotten too hot” to keep Mr. Coughlin on the job.

Some in Congress who have taken an interest in the Coughlin affair have been led to believe that Mr. Coughlin’s contract was not re-upped for reasons having nothing to do with his altercation with Mr. Islam, that he was getting a job in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and that Mr. Islam was going to be leaving the Pentagon. It appears they have been misled.

As of now, the Defense Department’s best hope for understanding – and drawing the appropriate insights from – the Islamofascist threat doctrine will be separated from the government at the end of March. An appointment that would allow Maj. Coughlin to continue his vital work in a position within the Office of the Secretary of Defense is reportedly being blocked by Under Secretary of Defense Eric Edelman or one of his subordinates.

Meanwhile, serious questions about not only Mr. Islam’s possible ties to the Muslim Brotherhood organization but his truthfulness in describing his personal history seem to have gone unanswered. One of America’s most accomplished investigative reporters, Claudia Rosett, was unable to confirm various colorful claims made by this Egyptian expatriate on a Pentagon website. The Department’s response to date has been to remove the page from that site. Mr. Islam evidently remains what Deputy Secretary England has called him: “a close personal confidante.” In the counter-intelligence heyday of the Cold War, would outreach to suspected Soviet front organizations have been so blithely dismissed?

In the current War for the Free World, it is nothing less than a scandal that America is still trying to win it with so much confusion about the doctrine of our enemies, to say nothing of having some fact-based hypothesis and understanding of those who may seek to replace our constitutional order with a Shariah Law-based one. As Maj. Coughlin argues, “If we fail to align the enemy to his doctrine,” then our strategies and comprehension of the threat will likewise be “misaligned.”

Steve Coughlin’s insights and capabilities are needed today more than ever. Effective congressional intervention, including hearings, may be required to ensure that the services of those who understand the threat posed by the Muslim Brotherhood and its ilk are retained. No less importantly, individuals who express sympathy for or otherwise abet the purposes of one of our enemies’ most insidious and successful instruments, the Muslim Brotherhood, have no place in the United States government.