18 years later, are we safer? Have we defeated radical Islamic terrorism and those who sympathize with them, encourage them, fund them and cover up for them?

The short answer is NO.

Not only no, but we now have two terror sympathizers serving in the U.S. Congress as elected officials, using their position to normalize and even stand up for terror-linked people and organizations.

Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, as recently as a few weeks ago, August 25, tweeted her support for a chief financier of Al-Shabaab. The U.S.-designated Somali terror group is responsible for carrying out the deadliest terror attack in Somalia’s history where almost 600 people were killed just two years ago.

Omar is using her position and clout as a member of the U.S. Congress to pressure the Somali government to protect Hormuud Telecom. Two of the telecom giant’s employees were convicted in the deadliest terror bombing in Somalia in 2017. Ahmed Nur Ali Jimale, the telecom giant founder, is a chief financier of Al-Shabaab.

Here is what the United Nations Security Council says about Hormuud Telecommunications in its Report of the Secretary-General (pages 10-11):

Hormuud Telecommunications is a company identified as being one of the single largest financiers of al-Shabaab, which includes large lump sum payments to al-Shabaab in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and these payments to al-Shabaab were facilitated by Jim’ale. Hormuud Telecommunications has provided key material and logistical support to al-Shabaab to include weapons, private fighters, and ammunition.”

But having a member of the U.S. Congress, Ilhan Omar, coming out in support of terrorists and their sympathizers should not come as a surprise. This is not the first time Ilhan Omar has gone out of her way to defend her terror-linked Somali-American community which elected her.

In November of 2016, Omar wrote a personal letter appealing for “compassion” and “leniency” for nine Minnesota Somali men charged with planning on joining ISIS.

No less than 42 members of the Minnesota Somali community have left the U.S. to fight overseas with the terror organization Al-Shabaab.

But it doesn’t stop with Ilhan Omar.

Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, the Hamas sympathizer, doesn’t even try to hide or camouflage her loyalty to the terror group and their supporters. She proudly declared after her primary win: “I want to be a voice to the Palestinian people.”

After her swearing-in ceremony in her home district, Tlaib proudly socialized at a private dinner celebration with Abbas Hamideh, a supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated terror groups by the U.S. government. Unfortunately, he wasn’t the only one. Tlaib’s dinner celebration was filled with anti-Semitic terror sympathizers including Jbara Mwafaq, an infamous supporter of Hezbollah, and Ahlam Jbara, an anti-Semitic member of the UAE terror group CAIR.

All of this without even mentioning the fact that these congresswomen have and continue to receive immense support from a “laundry list” of organizations that are linked to the Muslim Brotherhood or are unindicted co-conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation trial (the largest terror-financing trial in U.S. history). The Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) are just a few prime examples that come to mind.

Who would have thought that 18 years after 9/11 we would have terror sympathizers serving in the U.S. Congress celebrated as heroes and trailblazers by the mainstream media and pop culture?

But for those of us who work with the intelligence community and are knowledgeable about the “Muslim Brotherhood Project,” we are not surprised.

The Muslim Brotherhood wrote a plan in 1982, a 100-year plan for radical Islam to infiltrate and dominate the West. In counterterrorism circles, it became known as the “Project.”

The project for North America was written in 1991 and titled: “An Explanatory Memorandum for the Strategic Goal for the group in North America.” The last page lists 29 Islamic front organizations set up in the U.S. to sabotage America, including ISNA, The Muslim Student Association (MSA), and the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP), which eventually became CAIR.

The project gives many proposals and tactics as to how this can be done. Here are a few:

Networking and coordinating actions between likeminded Islamist organizations

Involving ideologically committed Muslims in democratically-elected institutions on all levels in the West, including government, NGOs, private organizations and labor unions

Instituting alliances with Western “progressive” organizations

Making the Palestinian cause a global wedge issue for Muslims

When I look at what is going on today with the Leftist-Islamist Coalition, there is serious reason for concern. They finally have the power, financial backing, and representation in Congress to normalize defending terrorists and their chief financiers in the name of “Human Rights.” When you see “The Squad” make the anti-Semitic Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement a primary issue, it makes you pause, think, and hopefully get inspired to become involved and engaged politically.

There is no time to sit on the sidelines anymore. The 9/11 Commission report said: “We lacked imagination.” Today, America is at a crossroads of irreversible consequences. The country cannot be more divided. The ideological differences between those who believe in the foundation of our founding fathers and those who want to transform our country could not be clearer. 9/11 is a time of reflection. What are we doing to save our country from harm? The time to become engaged is now. Our country’s future hangs in the balance.

Brigitte Gabriel is the chairman of ACT for America, the largest grassroots national security organization in the U.S. and a NYT best-selling author. Her latest book is “RISE” in Defense of Judeo-Christian Values and Freedom.