It is a component of an Arabic name, a type of epithet, in theory referring to the bearer's first-born son or daughter. By extension, it may also have hypothetical or metaphorical references, e.g. in a nom de guerre or a nickname, without literally referring to a son or a daughter.
Print |. A A. Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., an author of the Patriot Act, is calling for Director of National Intelligence James Clapper to be prosecuted for lying to Congress last March in response to a question by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., about alleged NSA snooping on Americans.
The administration defended Clapper after his testimony and said he has been aggressive about providing information to the public. Clapper's tone at conference was downbeat at times and occasionally peppered with the sarcastic humor for which he is known. He complained of budgets cuts, leaks to the news media, and an expectation that, as he put it, intelligence can be collected with no risk of embarrassment upon discovery and no threat to anyone's civil liberties.