Is the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) a force for good or ill in the battle against Muslim extremism? The St. Petersburg Times explores the question in a recent story, which includes contrasting views among American Jewish leaders. The latest flashpoint came when a CAIR spokesman initially downplayed the possibility that two University of South Florida students arrested in South Carolina could have been planning acts of terrorism.

Count the Anti-Defamation League among those skeptical of CAIR’s protestations of good will:

CAIR is out there saying it is the organization that represents the Arab-Muslim community in the United States on human rights issues, on civil rights issues,” says Abraham Foxman, the ADL’s national director.
What we’re saying is that if you want to be there, there is a very high standard in terms of your position on terrorism. You either oppose it or not. I want to hear them condemn the terrorism of Hamas and Hezbollah.