Counter-terrorism expert Philip Haney has a simple message for presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump: Don’t go soft on Islamic terrorism.

Haney reacted swiftly to senior Trump adviser Paul Manafort’s comment that Trump was “softening” on his proposal to temporarily halt the immigration of Muslims to the U.S. until Americans can be assured that an adequate system is in place to prevent members of ISIS and other terrorists from infiltrating.

Manafort said that while Trump would certainly shift the debate in his direction, the Republican candidate would have to move to the center in the general election.

Haney – whose remarkable account of his nearly 14 years as a founding member of the Department of Homeland security is told in his new book “See Something, Say Nothing” – told Trump that now is not the time to play politics.

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“Don’t compromise, Mr. Trump,” said Haney.

He argued the threat from Islamic terrorism is more dangerous than ever, with ISIS openly urging its followers to commit “lone wolf” terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe.

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A recently released video message, purportedly from ISIS spokesman Abu Muhammad al-Adnani, tells “fighters and supporters of the Caliphate in Europe and America” to make Ramadan – June 5 to July 5 – a “month of calamity.”

Adnani also urges followers to focus on striking in the West, saying the “smallest action you do in their heartland is better and more enduring to us than what you would if you were with us … we wish we were in your place to punish the Crusaders day and night."

Haney noted Adnani's words – "the smallest action you do in the heart of their land" – are derived from a well-known passage in the Quran, verse 8.65, which encourages "steadfast" Muslims to fight and kill wherever they are, even if they are only few in number.

Haney was a Customs and Border Protection officer and intelligence analyst who identified hundreds of terrorists. He was well known for meticulously compiling information and producing actionable reports. But Haney faced fierce opposition from a politically correct administration that made him the subject of nine investigations.

WND previously reported Haney's disclosure that the Obama administration, citing concerns about discrimination against Muslims, shut down a case he developed that could have stopped the San Bernardino massacre last December.

Earlier this week, WND reported Haney was the one who informed the House Homeland Security Committee in 2013 that a Saudi citizen taken into custody in the Boston Marathon bombing case was an armed and dangerous terrorist who was about to be deported. Haney can show that Janet Napolitano either was lying or grossly misinformed by staff when she angrily insisted to Congress that the Saudi had nothing to do with the case.

Unable to vet

Haney argues the battlefield reversals suffered by ISIS in recent weeks will likely make the group even more dangerous.

“As al-Adnani said in the video, from an Islamic perspective, even if ISIS is pushed out of its strongholds in Raqqa and Mosul, this would not count as a final defeat, because ‘defeat is the loss of will and the desire to fight.’ The greater the pressure on the Islamic State, the more likely it is use violence in widespread, diverse places. The string of bombings in Baghdad in the last few days is only one example.”

Haney contends the federal government simply does not have the capability to vet Middle Eastern migrants. For that reason, he said, Trump needs to stick by his proposed temporary ban until, as the candidate suggested, the government develops such a capability.

“Using Syrian refugees as an example, even FBI Director James Comey said during a House Committee on a Homeland Security hearing on October 21, 2015, that the federal government did not have the ability to conduct thorough background checks on all of the 10,000 Syrian refugees that the Obama administration intends to allowed to come to the United States,” Haney told WND.

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Haney noted that only a few weeks later, Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., a member of the Homeland Security Committee and chairman of the Sub-Committee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence, said unequivocally that the U.S. cannot adequately vet the migrants from Syria, "a perspective shared by top-level members of the intelligence community."

Haney, nevertheless, was also quick to note Manafort’s assurances that Trump would build a border wall and “strongly” push for changes to the immigration system.

“The first thing we need to do is secure our borders,” Haney emphasized. “Without this critical first step, we will never be able to effectively secure the welfare of our citizens and of our economy."

"Throughout the world, we are still known as the 'land of the free,' but if we continue neglecting the fundamental obligation of government – to protect its own citizens – we will eventually succumb to the forces of chaos and violence.

"We owe it to ourselves, our children, and even to the rest of the world, to secure our freedoms by maintaining a strong, protected border.”

Enemies within? The hidden truth about the War on Terrorism. "See Something, Say Nothing" is available from the WND Superstore.

When asked what he would say to Trump if he could, Haney said he would tell the Republican candidate America is losing the "war on terrorism," and President Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s policies are partially responsible.

“For example, we now see that the Taliban in Afghanistan has expanded its presence and acquired more reach across the country than at any point since the toppling of their regime as a result of the United States-led intervention in 2001,” he said.

Haney noted that more than than three-dozen groups around the world have pledged either allegiance or support for ISIS.

"This obviously leads to an increased terrorist threat on the home front. And one of the main reasons we are facing this is because the policies of the current administration have handcuffed law enforcement officers in both state and federal agencies,” he said.

Haney saw firsthand how political correctness made it difficult for security professionals to do their job.

“During my 15 year career in federal service, I witnessed firsthand the gradual replacement of a facts-based, law enforcement counter-terrorism policy, with a subjective, arbitrary policy that was based on the abstract concept of ‘Countering Violent Extremism,’" he said.

"There was vague talk of an ‘engagement and dialogue’ policy instead of honest vetting. And the government seemed to deliberately and intentionally ignore individuals and organizations with irrefutable ties to terrorism both domestically and abroad.”

Haney urged Trump to recommit himself to defending American security.

“Today, we cannot confidently assure the American public that we are doing all we can to protect them from threats,” he said. “Until that changes, we can’t invite further danger.”

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