Ben Carson: Muslim Civil Rights Group Has Ties to Terror

Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson called Tuesday for the State Department to "fully investigate" the Council of America-Islamic Relations (CAIR) "as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood and a supporter of terrorism," NBC News reported.

Carson included the investigation in his "Seven Steps for a Safer America." Carson also called for Congress to formally declare war on ISIS, the United States to lead a regional coalition against the group, and for moderate Arab nations to establish a "refugee Safe zone" in Syria.

Asked to explain the new position against a group the campaign says it has reached out to in the past, Communications Director Doug Watts said CAIR supports Hamas in public comments, refused to condemn Osama Bin Laden immediately after the 9/11 attacks, and has made "proclamations of desire to turn the US into a country that is governed by Sharia law."

A spokesperson from CAIR, a national organization that advocates for Muslim civil liberties, dismissed Carson's call, saying he is "a failing candidate grasping at straws and seeking payback for CAIR's previous criticism of his anti-Muslim bigotry."

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