Do you think citing the guy's description of himself is going to give you an accurate picture? Honestly?
He is a commentator - therefore he will have those who agree with his commentary and those who criticize. At least the wiki links to both.
Quotes from other people...
What they're saying about Steven Emerson
"Steve has been on the cutting edge of [investigating terrorism] for many, many years... he has provided an extremely valuable service."
- Robert Blitzer, retired FBI Counterterrorism Chief
"[Steve] has been doing this a very long time, he is very professional, he is very thorough... Steve produces very unique, very significant information."
- Steven Pomerantz, former Assistant Director of the FBI, former Chief of Counterterrorism of the FBI
"When we would ask FBI if there were criminal violations of support to terrorism such as establishing Web sites soliciting funds or other means of terrorist financing, we would get blank stares. Rick Newcomb's office at Treasury was trying to give the FBI some guidance on where to look for terrorist money, but to little avail. When FBI said there were no Web site in the U.S. that were recruiting jihadists for training in Afghanistan or soliciting money for terrorist front groups, I asked Steve Emerson to check. Emerson had written the book American Jihad, which had told me more than the FBI ever had about radical Islamic groups in the U.S. Within days, Emerson had a long list of Web sites sitting on servers in the United States. I passed the list to Justice and the FBI
"
- Richard A. Clarke, former chief of counter-terrorism for National Security Council, Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, pp217.
"'I think of Steve as the Paul Revere of terrorism'
[Clarke] credits Emerson with repeatedly warning of Al Qaeda sleeper cells in the United States. He adds that he would attend Emerson's speeches whenever possible because 'we'd always learn things we weren't hearing from the FBI or CIA, things which almost always proved to be true.'"
- Richard Clarke, former head of NSC Counterterrorism, in a feature article on Emerson in Brown Alumni Magazine
"
Emerson was helpful in preparing to cross-examine defense witnesses in the [1993 World Trade Center bombings] case....He's a valuable source of information and knowledge. And in terms of trying to find places to look for evidence, he's a very good person to talk to. He's got a lot of insight."
- Andrew McCarthy, Assistant U.S. Attorney who prosecuted the 1993 World Trade Center bombings
"[Emerson is] the most authoritative expert on Middle Eastern terrorism in the United States today and whose investigations have uncovered the existence of terrorist groups operating in the United States today
This country owes a great deal of gratitude to him."
- Senator John Kyl (Arizona)
"Mr. Emerson has for so long been right on [his] predictions about our long fight against terrorism... Mr. Emerson has shared his very important insights with this subcommittee on a number of occasions in recent years. His expertise is based on daily contact with sources in government and key financial institutions as well as his participation in major terrorist financing cases."
- U.S. Representative Ed Royce (California)
"[The Investigative Project] was a decade ahead of its time in focusing on the terrorist threat to the United States and to our homeland from Islamic extremist..."
- U.S. Representative Brad Sherman (California)
"Steve Emerson, who I think is the best in the world he's got an overview of the war on terror kinda guy, he's got a lot of information coming in."
- Bill O'Reilly, The O'Reilly Factor, December 29, 2006
"Steve was also the one who before 9/11 was saying, 'it's coming, it's coming, it's coming', and Islamic terrorists are going to hit us, and 9/11 came, and he was one of the
only ones screaming about it at the time."
- Dan Abrams, The Abrams Report, June 9, 2005
"Steve Emerson, you have been a fighter, a hero in the battle against terrorism in this country."
- John Kasich, Heartland with John Kasich, December 10, 2005
"Steve Emerson is one of the nation's best national security correspondents. His investigative work on radical Islamic fundamentalism is absolutely critical to this nation's national security. There is no one else who has exhibited the same expertise, courage and determination to tackle this vital issue."
- A.M. Rosenthal, former managing editor of NY Times.
Same link.
Not that I think that will satisfy you either.
