Family Security Matters (FSM) is a rightist advocacy outfit based in Washington, DC, that bills itself
as the "national security resource for American families." Closely connected to other hardline
outfits through overlapping board members, FSM has, since 2004, served as a high-profile and controversial
advocate of hardline policies on the "war on terror." It has championed a tough line on Iran,
China, and other perceived enemies; supported the Iraq War; and promoted preferential treatment of
Israel.
The group's publications have been the subject of heated criticism, in part because of their often
extremist views. A case in point was the August 2007 article, "Conquering the Drawbacks of Democracy," written
by FSM contributor Philip Atkinson, who wrote: " The simple truth [is] that modern weapons now
mean a nation must practice genocide or commit suicide. Israel provides the perfect example. If the
Israelis do not raze Iran, the Iranians will fulfill their boast and wipe Israel off the face of the
earth. Yet Israel is not popular, and so is denied permission to defend itself. In the same vein, President
[George W.] Bush cannot do what is necessary for the survival of Americans. He cannot use the nation's
powerful weapons. All he can do is try and discover a result that will be popular with Americans. "
Regarding the Iraq War, Atkinson would have preferred using nuclear weapons to defeat Saddam Hussein's
regime: "When faced with the possible threat that the Iraqis might be amassing terrible weapons
that could be used to slay millions of citizens of Western Civilization, President Bush took the only
action prudence demanded and the electorate allowed: he conquered Iraq with an army. ... The wisest
course would have been for President Bush to use his nuclear weapons to slaughter Iraqis until they
complied with his demands, or until they were all dead. Then there would be little risk or expense
and no American army would be left exposed. But if he did this, his cowardly electorate would have
instantly ended his term of office, if not his freedom or his life." (The article, which seems
to have been taken off FSM's website shortly after publication, is available on WebCite, which provides
cached versions of web page: http://www.webcitation.org/5R9ikXAUH.)
FSM's public face is Carol Taber, the group's founder, who is also a board member of the rightist Independent
Women's Forum. Her appearance on September 28, 2004, during a special segment of Fox News, just
weeks before the 2004 presidential elections, helped draw public attention to her group. Claiming
that FSM was designed to appeal to a new "crucial target voter," the so-called security
moms, Taber said that "focus groups" purportedly organized by FSM had revealed that mothers
preferred George W. Bush over Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), largely because Kerry supposedly could not
be trusted to ensure their security. She said: "What we found is very interesting, and it favors
President Bush, number one. As I said before, the A-number-one concern for these women is the safety
and security of their families. Now, President Bush scores very well here because they really do
see him as a strong and resolute leader. But they don't see the same thing in John Kerry" (quoted
in "FOX's 'Security Mom' Expert Spouted Bush-Cheney Talking Points," Media Matters, September
29, 2004). Taber then pressed her point: "I'll give you some verbatim quotes that we heard from
the focus group to give an idea of what I'm talking about. Some women said about Mr. Kerry, 'I don't
trust him.' Some said, 'I don't know what it is about him. I just don't like him.' Some women said,
'He looks sneaky.' We actually heard that a couple of times. Some women said, 'He's too rich to be
president.'"
Commenting on the interview, which was presented on Fox's "Special Report with Bret Hume," Media
Matters opined: "Carol A. Taber, president of Family Security Matters, presented Bush campaign
attacks on Kerry as though they were nonpartisan public opinion data. Taber claimed that married women
who once voted Democratic have embraced President George W. Bush for his handling of terrorism but
produced no empirical evidence for her claims. In fact, Taber's harsh attacks on Kerry—along with her
total lack of credentials as a public opinion or demographics expert—indicate that she is a partisan
posing as an impartial analyst."
FSM has been criticized for misleadingly portraying itself as a nonpartisan organization, with the
modest goal of providing "Americans like us the tools to become involved citizens and powerful
defenders of our homes, our families, and our communities." But, say critics, lurking underneath
this carefully crafted image is a radical agenda that is wholly partisan in its support for right-wing
Republicans. An example is the June 9, 2006 article "Lessons from Zarqawi's Death," authored
by Molly McCarroll, FSM's editorial director. The article, a link to which was highlighted on the get-tough-America
website ReportingWar.com, featured a photo of McCarroll, her long, neatly combed blonde hair and brilliantly
white smile conveying the image of a middle-America mom the country can believe. Then begins the text: "In Kim,
his classic tale of imperialism and intrigue, Rudyard Kipling makes the observation that 'If evil men
were not now and then killed, this would not be a good world for weaponless dreamers.' In the
book, this comment was directed toward a holy man whose ability to wander throughout India safely was
protected by the assorted military forces, both British and local, who kept the peace. Today,
it is time to reissue the statement toward all of those 'weaponless dreamers' who would denounce the
death of Iraqi terrorist leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi as American imperial heavy-handedness and more
fuel in the insurgent fire."
In its analysis of Taber's Fox appearance and of FSM, Media Matters pointed to a number of papers
on FSM's website featuring titles like "Reckless Disregard: How Liberal Democrats Undercut Our
Military, Endanger Our Soldiers, and Jeopardize Our Security"; "Intelligence Failure: How
Bill Clinton's National Security Policy Set the Stage for 9/11"; and "Inside the Asylum:
Why the United Nations and Old Europe Are Worse Than You Think." FSM, Media Matters concluded,
was a "front group" created to promote the Bush administration agenda (Media Matters for
America, September 29, 2004). FSM's website, replete with links to antiterrorism advice columns such
as "It's for Kids Too—Especially Kids," offers a number of clues to its partisan allegiances.
In late 2004, Media Matters for America discovered that the phone number listed on FSM's website actually
belonged to the Center for Security Policy (CSP),
a hardline foreign policy outfit run by former Reagan administration figure Frank
Gaffney. (As of fall 2007, FSM no longer provided a phone number on its website, nor did it provide
a street address. Tax statements of its parent organization, available from GuideStar.com, likewise
had the address and phone number blacked out.)
After exploring the FSM's website in 2006, blogger Steve Clemons concluded that Family Security Matters "seems
mostly intent on creating the political foundation for a national security state. They want folks who
live in Missoula, Montana; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; Salina, Kansas; and Dubuque, Iowa to really worry
that terrorists might be there to mess up their lives—any time, any moment" (TPM Café,
June 25, 2006). Clemons argues that FSM reflects the "seriousness and real brilliance" of
the conservative movement: "Progressives and moderates have nothing like the proliferating shell
institutions of 501(c)3 and 501(c)4 organizations that neocons and isolationist nationalists have in
droves. We need to read through these sites, understand the relationships between this organization
and its allies—and learn from them."
FSM's board of advisers includes James DeGraffenreid, chair of CSP's board; Paul
Vallely, a conservative radio talk show host; Laura Ingraham, a right-wing commentator with
a nationally syndicated radio show; Arthur
Waldron, a well-known China hawk associated with the so-called Blue Team, an informal group
of defense policy strategists who, prior to 9/11, led the effort to make China the top U.S. security
concern (see " The Yellow Peril Revisited," by
Tom Barry and Jim Lobe, IRC, July 1, 2002); and James
Woolsey, the former CIA head who has helped organize a lengthy list of hardline foreign policy
advocacy outfits, including Americans for Victory
over Terrorism, the Coalition for Democracy
in Iran, and the Committee for the Liberation
of Iraq. Brigitte Gabriel, president
of American Congress for Truth, is one of FSM's contributing editors.
According to the philanthropy research organization GuideStar.org, which tracks charity organizations
through their tax statements, Taber is listed as the main contact person for the Family Security Foundation.
Based in Washington, DC, the Family Security Foundation says it aims "to educate Americans, men
and women, about all issues surrounding national security." Its official mission is "to fill
the education gap." Its one-line description of its programs reads: "FSM publishes Middle
Eastern, terrorism, and defense experts on the subject of national security threats to America." Among
its "goals and results" for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2005, was "publishing
40 contributing editors and publishing original pieces and aggregating national security news for American
citizens." Its objective for fiscal 2006 was "to complete college study."
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Contact Information
Family Security Matters
Web: www.familysecuritymatters.org
Publicity: PR@FamilySecurityMatters.org
Family Security Foundation, Inc.: CTaber@FamilySecurityMatters.org
Editorial: EditorialDirector@FamilySecurityMatters.org
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