Obama Controversial Photo With Al-Qaeda Recruiter Sparks Rage Among Gov't Officials

It seems that US President Barack Obama is gonna need some sort of technolgy that will tell what guys he can have pictures with.

After a highly-criticized 'selfie' by America's first black president last week in Nelson Mandela's funeral, the leader is again on the hot seat after a picture with a man treated as 'enemy of the state.'

On Tuesday, a photo of the president smiling next to Mohamed Abdelaziz surfaced on the net. This would have been like any 'fan' photo except that Abdelaziz is the leader of Polisario Front, a Moroccan separatist group in Algeria known for massive human rights infractions and regarded as a "prime recruiting grounds for al Qaeda." According to sources, the photo was taken last week during the funeral service for South African democracy icon Nelson Mandela. It was first featured in an Arabian website with the caption "the first official meeting between the Polisario and the U.S. president."

Shortly after the photo cruised on the net and reached the government's top officials, foreign policy experts, and anti-terrorist group, negative comments and condemnation also poured.

"I don't blame the president; lots of people want their pictures taken with him. But where's the quality control? What were his aides thinking?" asked former Pentagon analyst and terrorism expert Michael Rubin.

"The whole reason Obama travels with hundreds of people is to prevent this sort of screw up."

Prior to Obama and Abdelaziz's meeting in Johannesburg, Washington has already denied Polisario Front's request to meet the US Congress last June.

Rubin does not blame the president regarding the issue. However, he hit on Obama's aides for not knowing who are sitting close to the leader of the United States.

"No one bothered to ask who this guy sitting with foreign dignitaries was? And why a so-called dignitary would act like a campaign rally groupie?" he wondered.

Washington is yet to respond about the issue.

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Barack Obama
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US President Barack Obama with Mohamed Abdelaziz
Mohamed Abdelaziz
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