Two days after a pair of gunmen opened fire in a Dallas suburb outside an event that was characterized as being anti-Muslim, the Islamic State group claimed responsibility and warned of more attacks in the U.S. to come. The official radio channel for the terror group referred to the attackers as brothers, and the Obama administration Tuesday called the shooting an attempted terrorist attack. But terrorism and national security experts said the assailants were merely Islamic State aspirants -- not trained jihadists -- and the United States can expect more of these ISIS-inspired attacks on American soil. The only difference between a terrorist wannabe and a terrorist is actually terrorism, said Tim Clemente, a retired FBI counterterrorism agent. This is what it takes to become a terrorist. All it takes is doing that act and getting your name connected to a group. The shooting in Texas was foiled Sunday evening, but it wont be the last attempt in the U.S. by ISIS hopefuls, according to experts, even though there was no evidence to suggest the gunmen received training or operational support from the Middle East group. But the fact that ISIS still laid claim to the attack has fueled fears among Americans that the terror organization has successfully radicalized young men in the U.S. without first sending them abroad. And these concerns leave many Muslims in America in an increasingly tough predicament. Theyre poorly executed attempts to do something to prove themselves, Clemente said of the amateur jihadists in the U.S. who are seeking ISIS membership but are unable to travel to Syria or carry out large-scale attacks at home. They could see opportunities for deadly attacks on soft targets, he said, such as malls, movie theaters and community centers. These will continue and will never abate. Were not anywhere near seeing an end to this. An aerial view in Garland, Texas, Monday, May 4, 2015, shows the area around a car that was used the previous night by two gunmen, who were killed by police. Texas police shot dead two gunmen who opened fire on Sunday outside an exhibit of caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.Reuters/Rex Curry Moments before Sunday nights shooting, Elton Simpson posted on Twitter that he and Nadir Soofi had pledged allegiance to ISIS. The tweet also included the hashtag #texasattack saying, May Allah accept us as mujahideen, or warriors for the faith. The two assailants, fully equipped with body armor and assault rifles, drove to a conference center in Garland, Texas, where a cartoon contest featuring depictions of the Prophet Muhammad and a $10,000 prize for the best caricature was taking place. Among Muslims, depicting the Islamic prophet in any pictorial form is considered blasphemous and sacrilegious. The gunmen opened fire outside the building, hitting a security guard in the ankle, before police shot back and killed them. Although ISIS took responsibility for Sundays attack, U.S. officials are still investigating whether the shooting really had any link to international terrorism. ISIS is not yet capable of launching a large attack on the West as al Qaeda did on Sept. 11, 2001, experts said. But the Syria-based militant group is using the Internet and social media to spread its influence and propaganda worldwide in an effort to motivate attacks on Westerners. ISIS is calling on people to attack in its name, said Michael Boyle, an associate professor of political science at La Salle University in Philadelphia whose research includes political violence and terrorism. This may ultimately be the first attack weve seen from ISIS in the U.S. These lone wolf-style attacks are simple to execute and difficult to thwart, experts said. The attacks typically involve one or two people who support a certain ideology but have no direct links to an organization, which means the attackers are often flying under the radar of security officials. Simpson, 30, had been identified by the FBI as a jihadist terrorism suspect. But his fellow gunman Soofi, 34, was largely unknown to federal law enforcement, the New York Times reported. This is the way that ISIS is hoping to generate terrorist attacks against the U.S., said Max Abrahms, an expert on terrorism from Northeastern University. Lone wolves have both the intent and the capability to continue mounting operations like this. A fighter of the Islamic State group held up an ISIS flag and a weapon on a street in the Iraqi city of Mosul, June 23, 2014.REUTERS/Stringer Sundays attack in Texas has already incited backlash against the Muslim community. Two men ambushed a Muslim worshipper outside a mosque in Texas on Monday after nighttime prayer. They knocked him down and started kicking and hitting him, until other worshippers came to his aide, the Dallas Morning News said. Unfortunately, human history shows us that hatred breeds more hatred and extremism leads to more extremism, said Ibrahim Hooper of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in Washington. These things typically happen after an incident like we saw in Texas and its just something we have to deal with. Part of curbing extremism on both sides of the coin is educating about the Islamic faith. Prejudice toward Muslims in the United States is most prevalent among those who have completed only a high school-level education, a Gallup poll showed. Its a vicious cycle that somehow we need to combat, said a source, who identified himself as a leader in the Islamic community in Michigan and asked to remain anonymous so as not to bring attention to his mosque. Its going to plague us until we can educate our people that we are on the same side of the battle against these extremists. We are all trying to combat this evil. Michigan is home to the largest proportion of Arab-Americans in the United States, according to the latest data from the American Arab Institute. The city of Dearborn has a particularly tight-knit Islamic community that maintains close ties with city officials and authorities. But Muslims in other parts of the country dont have a strong support system, the source said. There are always going to be kooks and the possibility of radicalization, no matter what we do, he said. We are on guard to make sure those people understand they have a voice and they have a way to address their grievances. But that message is not going to get to everyone. A French police officer stood in front of the entrance of the Paris Grand Mosque as part of the highest level of "Vigipirate" security plan after Islamic militants attacks, Jan. 14, 2015.REUTERS/Christian Hartmann The shooting in Texas proved to be fatal for only the assailants, but other lone wolf attacks have killed and injured dozens of civilians. French gunmen killed 12 people and injured others at the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris in January, and al Qaeda in Yemen claimed responsibility. One month later, a Denmark man who swore fidelity to ISIS killed two civilians and wounded three police officers during two separate attacks in Copenhagen. This violent ideology is something the [Muslim] community has to deal with, said Saif Inam, a policy analyst at the Muslim Public Affairs Council in Washington. We encourage law enforcement to treat the Muslim community as partners and not suspects. At the end of the day, I hope people know that apart from just condemning this--which American Muslims have done--they are working on this. U.S. counterterrorism security relies heavily on support from the American Muslim community, experts said. Together, community leaders and local law enforcement can help stem the flow of radicalization and violent extremism in the United States. But organizations like the New York-based American Freedom Defense Initiative, which hosted the Draw the Prophet event in Texas, can tarnish those efforts and add fuel to the flame. We should not take that support for granted when there are events designed simply to provoke the American Muslim community having a contest for the most upsetting depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, Abrahms said. That angers not just extremists but many moderates as well, and these moderates are absolutely crucial to providing counter-terrorism intelligence. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks extremist groups, described the American Freedom Defense Initiative as an active anti-Muslim group. However, the organizations executive director, Pamela Geller, has defended the American Freedom Defense Initiative saying, We are here for freedom of speech. Geller planned the controversial contest, in which a $10,000 prize would be awarded to the winning cartoon depicting the Prophet Muhammad. People like Pam make it less likely that the Muslim community will trust law enforcement, Abrahms said. I think shes playing a very dangerous game.
Greta Van Susteren went after Pamela Geller in her Off the Record commentary Tuesday night, arguing that the Muhammad drawing contest needlessly put Texas law enforcement officers at risk. The weekend contest was attacked by two gunmen, possibly with links to ISIS, and one security guard was hurt before the attackers were shot dead. Van Susteren highlighted Donald Trump's reaction, in which he said that Geller is a "provocateur" who was "taunting" Muslims by holding the cartoon contest. For her part, Geller told Sean Hannity that the First Amendment is supposed to protect all speech and criticized the media for the negative reaction she has received. Greta pointed out that police officers in Garland, Texas, had no choice but to protect the people who attended the event. Everyone knew this event would unglue some, who might become violent. ... Was it fair to the police to knowingly put them at risk by this unnecessary provocation? I say no," said Van Susteren, adding that Americans should also be committed to protecting police. She said the First Amendment supporters at this event were not risking their own "you know what," rather they were putting police officers' lives on the line. Watch Greta's commentary above and Trump's interview with Neil Cavuto below.
Jim Stone Pamela Gellar would be able add murder to her list of slam Islam tactics, that is IF ANYONE DIED, AND IT IS VIRTUALLY ASSURED NO ONE DID, NOT EVEN THE “Jihadists”. This is very difficult to piece together because no news report has all the details and they are widely separated, but HERE IT IS: Pamela Gellar was holding a “paint mohammed” festival in Garland Texas. Low and behold, TWO Islamic “nutcases” crashed her event and started shooting. And THESE EXACT DEAD SHOOTERS NOW CLAIM AFFILIATION WITH ISIS VIA TWEETS!. Caveat: They showed up shooting, but NO ONE took a bullet but the shooters, and BOTH died! Can you say B.S. FALSE FLAG NEVER HAPPENED BOSTON STYLE? I KNEW YOU COULD! It really looks like Pamela staged this phony ISIS attack to help her dry her tears ONLY FOUR DAYS after the New York Transit system banned ALL political ads to block her from posting her banner ad here to the left on buses and in the subways. The blocking of her ads, which were previously approved by a judge, no doubt gave her a setback that made her crave a recovery, so she went for the slam dunk, AN ISIS ATTACK AGAINST HER OWN EVENT! in a city a thousand miles away! HA HA HA HA HA, HOW TRANSPARENT IS THAT? No wonder why the MSM refused to put the pieces together, and instead left it all as a cattle trail of incomplete and deceptive reports. But it is my job to put it all into a cohesive picture, which in this case clearly states: PAMELA, YOU SUCK AT FALSE FLAGS! And Pamela, IT IS VIRTUALLY ASSURED YOU STAGED THIS. If anyone really was injured, YOU are responsible and will hopefully do jail time. That would shut you up! UPDATE: Zero hedge has all the details of what (supposedly) happened in Texas HERE so I do not need to fish up a bunch of MSM reports. It takes approximately 6 alert neurons to add New York to Texas and accurately output FALSE FLAG, this was a damn brazen stunt for Pamela to pull. And how will this stunt be used? Well, figure this: Pamela managed to inject into the public conscience an “ISIS” attack on American soil right as we were going into the dreaded Jade Helm. No doubt the FBI and CIA and all others will know Pamela scammed this, but since they are all about subjugation of the American people and false flags anyway, they won’t prosecute, they will THANK HER and use this to screwball the American people. Pamela Gellar is therefore, in my opinion, PUBLIC ENEMY #1, and the VERY FIRST to be definitively identified on a personal level as a destroyer of freedom for the American people. This time, we have a face, location, name, and organization to pin the tail on the donkey with. In Pamela’s version of a false flag, TWO armed terrorists showed up with blazing AK-47’s and full body armor, gave an unarmed security guard a mild ankle wound, and were shot dead in seconds by a lone police officer with a handgun. Pamela can’t dream up a plausible plot to save her life, PLASTIC KNIVES AND BOXCUTTERS ANYONE? Scenario matches THIS: Two paid actors nailed third unarmed actor “security guard” in the ankle with wad from blank while shooting at the ground. Sore spot only, no blood lost, looked at and immediately released from hospital. No one died, pure fiction after that. See updates at: http://www.jimstone.is/pamisis.html
Garland police were heavily armed and highly visible at Tuesday's City Council meeting.(Photo: Jobin Panicker / WFAA) GARLAND, Texas Security measures were beefed up at Tuesday night's City Council meeting in Garland. The mayor addressed members for the first time since Sunday's failed attack on an anti-Muslim art show at the Curtis Culwell Center. The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the violence on Tuesday, which if true would be the first ISIS attack on U.S. soil. That claim, however, has not been substantiated. The two gunmen Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi were killed by police before they could enter the Culwell Center, which is now changing policies in the wake of the attack. Things got somewhat back to normal in Garland on Tuesday, a day-and-a-half after the terror attack. Previously scheduled advanced placement testing for high school students resumed, and the event center's general manager, Chris Moore, said he is is taking a hard look at security. "Sometimes you can get some concerns and questions that you may not have thought of," he said. One big change was made on Tuesday: A clear bag policy to ensure guest safety at graduation ceremonies. "This gives folks the opportunity to self-police," Moore explained. "It makes it a lot simpler for the security officers when they're coming in." The mayor addressed members for the first time since Sunday's assault on an anti-Muslim art show. There were additional safety measures at Garland City Hall on Tuesday evening. More officers carrying bigger guns were in plain sight. Mayor Doug Athas applauded the work of his police force in its response to Sunday's attack. Only one citizen signed up to speak at the meeting. "We're not cowards," Mary Ehlenfeld said. "The country wasn't built on cowards. We're not going to lay down because some bad guy wants to make us afraid." News 8 was informed of possible cancellations at the Culwell Center because of what happened on Sunday. The Garland Independent School District, which manages the venue, said that wasn't true. And the groups who had made plans to lease the center say it isn't true, either. A few who gathered across from the event center waving flags and carrying signs Tuesday said it is an important place. Ask them, and they'll tell you it's not where the attack happened; it's where they graduated. "It has a meaning to everybody who lives in this city," said Garland resident Joseph Offutt. "Anyone that goes to a high school in the City of Garland, Rockwall." It will take time for a return to normalcy in this Dallas suburb, but then again with some changes already happening there may be a new "normal." Read or Share this story: http://on.khou.com/1Rd0f5q
In a report highlighting the long paper trail Simpson left behind of supporting and engaging with jihadists online, particualrly on Twitter, theTimesnotes that the sheer barrage of information can make it difficult for law enforcement to identify legitimate and imminent threats out of a sea of wishful jihadist thinkers. Simpson and his roommate, Nadir Soofi, attacked a “Draw Muhammad” art contest in Garland, Texas on Sunday armed with assault rifles. They were almost immediately neutralized by a traffic officer working at the Culwell Center in Garland, and managed only to shoot one officer in the leg before their demise. TheNew York Timesnotes that, while the center was heavily monitored due to a barrage of terrorist threats online, Simpson himself had only been cursorily monitored. He nonetheless was extremely active on Twitter: “Mr. Simpson, a convert to Islam with a long history of extremism, regularly traded calls for violence on Twitter with Islamic State fighters and supporters, as well as avowed enemies of Pamela Geller, the organizer of the cartoon contest.” Simpson appeared to be communicating extensively in particular with Mohamed Abduhallahi Hassan, an American who is currently waging jihad with the terrorist group Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Hassan is believed to have been the first jihadist online to highlight the Draw Muhammad contest and call for an attack on the event. Despite Simpson’s public calls for jihad on Twitter, one law enforcement official told theNew York Timesthat this did not make him unique or demanding of special monitoring. The ISIS guys are talking to these wannabes on Twitter all day long, the official told theNew York Times.Its like the devil is sitting on their shoulder saying, Come on, theyre insulting the prophet, what are you going to do about it?” The official added that “There are so many like him that you have to prioritize your investigations.” The statement is particularly concerning following a press release by the Islamic State claiming that there are at least 71 active Islamic State members in the United States, trained to kill. CNN’s Peter Bergen claims law enforcement is aware of 62 recruits to ISIS, the al-Nusra front, or similar groups, with ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds so varied that it is extremely difficult to predict where new recruits will come from. The most predictable behavior they share, he reports, is their love of publicly professing their commitment to jihad on social media: These militants are also quite active on social media. This is something of a boon for law enforcement, as many of these militants are prolific posters on publicly available social media, which it is perfectly legal for the FBI and police departments to monitor. […] The only profile that ties together American militants drawn to the Syrian conflict is that they are active in online jihadist circles. In none of the known cases was there a direct physical meeting or phone conversation with a member of a terrorist group; the ties had all been forged online. United States attempts to counter ISIS recruiting online previously have greatly failed. “Think Again, Turn Away,” a program by the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications consisting mostly of a government Twitter account scolding jihadists in public tweets, has largely been considered a failure, with the head of SITE Intelligence Group calling it a “gaffe machine,” “distressing,” and “embarrassing.” In February, the New York Times reported that President Obama had ordered a major overhaul of both the center and the program, focusing on not just dissuasion on social media, but “coordinat[ing] and amplify[ing] similar messaging by foreign allies and nongovernment agencies, as well as by prominent Muslim academics, community leaders and religious scholars who oppose the Islamic State… and who may have more credibility with ISIS target audience of young men and women than the American government.”
KELLY: We have breaking news tonight on who was behind that weekend terror attack in Texas. And new fallout in the first amendment fight now raging over this case. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) BILL O’REILLY, THE O’REILLY FACTOR HOST: This is what happens when you light the fuse. You get violence. KELLY: Now, they — that’s — I — but you sound like you are defending. O’REILLY: No, I’m not. KELLY: you are attacking the event itself. O’REILLY: I would not — I would. KELLY: Breaking tonight, one of the suspects in the attempted terror attack at a Texas Draw Muhammad event was reportedly in close contact with an ISIS recruiter for several months before Sunday’s shooting. These new developments come as we hear new questions about whether the group that was attacked somehow crossed a line arguably inviting it. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) O’REILLY: By setting up a contest and awarding $10,000 for a depiction of the Prophet Muhammad, the American Freedom Defense Initiative spurred a violent incident. That wasn’t smart even though the group has its supporters. Mike, I’m withholding his last name, in Fairbanks, Alaska, wrote. Megyn Kelly was completely right and you were completely wrong O’Reilly. An event like this should be held daily. The Muslim world doesn’t like it, tough. Insulting the entire Muslim world is stupid, Mike, it does not advance the cause of liberty or get us any closer to defeating the savage Jihad. (END VIDEO CLIP) KELLY: Joining me now, Richard Fowler, nationally syndicated radio talk show host. Richard, I say this to Bill. The relevant question is not, did those under attack say something offensive? The relevant question is, what do we do about a group that wants to kill us for exercising our constitutional rights? And you say? RICHARD FOWLER, NATIONALLY SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: This is — I agree with Bill 100 percent, and for once in my life, I agree with Bill. But here’s the distinction. Let me parse your question just a little bit if I can. It’s because there’s one thing — yes, there are people (ph) who want to kill us. ISIS want to kill us. Al Qaeda want to kill us, but Muslims as a whole do not want to kill us, right? KELLY: OK. FOWLER: And I think that’s part of the problem. So, when you go around and you depict “the who” they worship as some sort of character or some sort of cartoon, it’s offensive, and it’s wrong. KELLY: Right, right. It’s offensive. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: You would feel the same — I would feel the same way if some — I would feel the same say if somebody depicted Jesus as a crazy cartoon, right? KELLY: Right. It’s offensive. FOWLER: So, I think. KELLY: But there’s no– but there’s no debate about whether it’s offensive. Everybody knows it’s offensive. FOWLER: It is offensive and I think Gallagher was really — she was putting this on to create attention, to promote — to sort of promote her organization. KELLY: Gellar. FOWLER: Gellar, excuse me. And in fact. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: She was promoting — she — even if you hate her message. FOWLER: Right. KELLY: Even if you hate her message. She was promoting free speech. And as Rich Lowry put it in a column today, today, he writes, “Criticism of Islam is at the vanguard of the fight for free speech since it is susceptible to attack. FOWLER: But Megyn, there’s nothing. KELLY: And intimidation by Jihadists and calls for self-censorship. FOWLER: There’s nothing — there’s nothing wrong. KELLY: and politically correct.” FOWLER: There’s nothing wrong with free speech, as Donald Trump put it, “Be smart, not stupid.” Why would you invoke attacks on the people coming to your event? Doing something, so. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Do you hear what you’re saying? FOWLER: Not — something that’s so ridiculous. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: So, we in this country. FOWLER: Ridiculous. KELLY: We in this country need to limit our constitutional rights, we have to limit freedom of speech. FOWLER: No, but to some extent. KELLY: Let me finish — lest we invite attack or as O’Reilly put it, “Spur an attack against us.” That’s — that’s the way we need to be looking at this? FOWLER: Listen, freedom of speech — freedom of speech is one — as you made it right but also comes with the freedom of religion, the freedom of press and freedom of association. Muslims should be free to worship just like Christians should be free to worship. KELLY: As they are. FOWLER: And freedom of speech. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Let’s group come on that. FOWLER: comes then — freedom of speech with limits. And this is a clear limit. KELLY: No, it isn’t. FOWLER: It’s just like going into a theater. KELLY: You’re totally wrong. FOWLER: And yelling fire or walking into a black church and yelling the “n” word. KELLY: No. FOWLER: Neither of those things you would do that all the — offensive and they will invoke a reaction. KELLY: You are fundamentally confused and wrong and the U.S. Supreme Court has been very clear on that. FOWLER: I think you’re fundamentally wrong, Megyn. It doesn’t make any sense. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Well, I prefer you to case. Why – why don’t you go back and look at — let’s go back to the church. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: But this doesn’t — I mean, you can. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Excuse me, Richard. I have. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: You can talk about case as a case. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: You had your say, and now I will respond. The decision issued in 2011, 8-1, a nearly unanimous supreme court, the liberals and conservatives joining together, saying notwithstanding the fact that the Westboro Baptist Church, as hateful as they come, offered hurtful and speech which did not contribute hardly all to the public discourse. It was negligible value. Nevertheless, free speech still supposed allowing them to do it. FOWLER: This is — but there’s the thing, Megyn. KELLY: I think American people overwhelmingly for that principle. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: … this is not about — this is — this is not about case law. This is about commonsense and. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: You said — you said. FOWLER: … this organization. KELLY: you said that the limits of free speech. FOWLER: had lost their commonsense. KELLY: end here. And that this is. FOWLER: completely. KELLY: akin (ph) to yelling fire in a movie theater, which is not protected speech. And I am telling you. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: Well, this is — it’s a loss of. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: this is free speech. FOWLER: is a loss of commonsense. It doesn’t make any sense. Why would you — why would you paint a caricature of some — another group — another group’s god and say it’s OK and laugh at it and expect them not to respond. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Why would you show up at the funeral of dead soldiers and say God hates F-A-G-S? FOWLER: I don’t — I’m not — I’m not condoning the Westboro Baptist Church. I hate them as much as they hate this cruel. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: The more offensive the speech is, Richard, the more protection it needs. That’s how the first amendment works. FOWLER: Exactly. But it doesn’t mean you should do it. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: . we can defend the person and right to say it without aligning ourselves with the message. FOWLER: It doesn’t mean you should do it. The first human right — the First Amendment does give us right to freedom of speech. It doesn’t mean you should go out there and do it, right? (CROSSTALK) KELLY: But here’s the — here’s the — here’s the issue. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: It doesn’t mean you should go out there and do stupid things. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: Here’s the issue. When people exercise their First Amendment Rights and two Jihadist show up to murder them, the relevant question at that time. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: Nobody is. KELLY: is not what were they saying. The relevant question is, what are we going to do about this group of people. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: … but you’re putting — you’re putting the cart here. KELLY: that wants to murder us because we. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: you’re putting the cart before. KELLY: believe in spree speech. FOWLER: … the horse. KELLY: and the First Amendment? FOWLER: If they never had that event, the Jihadist would have never shown up. That’s the cart before the horse. KELLY: Wow! Wow! FOWLER: It’s just that simple. And this particular incident, Megyn. KELLY: Richard? FOWLER: … that they would not have shown up. KELLY: I’m concerned about the — I’m concerned about the America you would have us live in. That’s not the way it’s set up. FOWLER: I live in an America where everybody accepts everybody and not makes fun of their respective god, Megyn. KELLY: Well, why don’t just explain that to — to the Jihadist. Explain that to them because they need a little lesson in. (CROSSTALK) FOWLER: How we be — how we be. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: being respectful. I’ve got to go. FOWLER: … terrorism of the blog, not hate. (CROSSTALK) KELLY: I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go. I have another guest coming up after you. It’s great to see you, as always, Richard Fowler.
By Todd Starnes, Fox Nation The Islamic State says they have 71 trained soldiers in 15 states waiting to commit acts of jihad in retaliation for that Muhammad cartoon contest. They specifically mention five states - Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California and Michigan. And they also threatened to kill contest organizer Pamela Geller and her supporters. Jim Hoft, of The Gateway Pundit, posted the message from ISIS on his website. The message read: We will send all our lions to achieve her slaughter...everyone who houses her events, gives her a platform to spill her filth are legitimate targets." Now look, ISIS could be blowing smoke out of their hookahs for all we know. But what if they're telling the truth? We know the FBI had one of the jihadists on their radar. So, what if there are more? Not that it matters to the White House. They don't even believe there's such a thing as Islamic radicals, out of either willful ignorance or cowardice. They do get a bit of credit for acknowledging that what happened in Texas was an attempted terrorist attack. But the cold hard reality is that we don't know how many more radicalized Muslims might be living among us, waiting to attack. And by the way, the nation owes a debt of gratitude to the Lone Star State for demonstrating the proper response when Islamic radicals do try to wage jihad. You shoot back. Watch Todd Starnes' American Dispatch above and sound off! ===================================================================== Todd Starnes is host of Fox News & Commentary, heard on hundreds of radio stations. Sign up for his American Dispatch newsletter, be sure to join his Facebook page, and follow him onTwitter. His latest book is "God Less America."
GARLAND, Texas –Breitbart Texashad three reporters on scene at the Curtis Culwell Center for the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest and, at the time of the shooting, was interviewing Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer. Prior to the shooting outside the facility, there was no reason to fear that anything bad was going to happen. No protestors. Yet, Garland Police Public Information Officer Joe Harn toldBreitbart Texasthat law enforcement was monitoring social media. They were prepared. Did not say how. Just, in case. Around 6:50pm Breitbart Texasreporters were in the event banquet room. Bob Price had just started filming an interview with Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer when Gellers security detail brusquely stopped the interview. A police officer said, “We’ve got to go.” They meant now. Within moments, SWAT team and Garland police announced the facility was on lockdown. Everyone would be moved to a more secure location shortly. Pamela Geller being interviewed by Bob Price seconds before shooting began. Breitbart Texas Photo by Lana Shadwick. Immediately, the chatter began. German News Outlet,Ruptly,came to cover Dutch politician Geert Wilders, who had left after he spoke.Ruptly’scameraman played their raw footage of SWAT sending them back into the building at the time of the incident. A little freaky to see all those SWAT team guys in action. 7pm One attendee, John Roby drove in from Oklahoma City with his wife for the event. He toldBreitbart Texashe was an ear witness. They left just before 7 pm, even though the event, which started late, was not over. He said he heard shots fired as they exited the Culwell Center towards the parking lot. He described it as a “semi-automatic weapon firing off around 20 rounds followed by pistol shots.” He thought the pistols might be police. He said he heard officers say twice, We got the car. Roby believed that the gunmen shot towards the main entrance of Culwell Center on Naaman Forest Boulevard. He recounted that he and his wife were told to get down and get back inside the Culwell Center. Sometime after 7pm Media and attendees were shuffled off by SWAT escort to the centers auditorium, a “hardened shelter,” as it was referred to by SWAT officers, where they said people would remain inside until the threat was neutralized. That is where Garland Independent School District (ISD) holds its annual high school graduations. Some preliminary decorations for the class of 2015 already adorned a stage. People who paid $250 for VIP tickets held their event posters and goodie bags as they entered. Garland Police SWAT Officers brief attendees on what is happening. Breitbart Texas photo by Lana Shadwick. Maybe six SWAT officers stood in the hallway between the open entryway to the auditorium. Armed. Officers insisted that people sit down and stay in the auditorium. Everyones safety was their top priority. There was plenty of bleacher seating and officers asked that everyone sit down. Once inside, law enforcement advised that two suspects were down. From this moment on, it became an evening of uncertainty. Breitbart Texaswas only one of several news outlets in the auditorium with a lot of dead cell phone batteries. No chargers. One of theBreitbart Texasreporters had one. We juiced up to 27 percent. Then, we shared. Katrina Pierson, co-founder of the Garland Tea Party, and Ken Emanuelson, affiliated with the Dallas Liberty Center, were also in the auditorium. Pierson toldBreitbart Texas, “I am proud of our officers and how they are handing this. They acted swiftly. Ken Emanualson and Katrina Pearson were among the members of the audience in lockdown. Breitbart Texas Photo by Bob Price. All was calm. Most people were still in good spirits. Some. A few were cranky. A woman suddenly stood up in her seat and held up a full sized American flag. People burst out into singingGod Bless Americafollowed by theStar Spangled Banner, chants of USA-USA and loud applause, whichBreitbart Texasreported. Attendees saluting the flag while singing God Bless America and the Star Spangled Banner. Attendees being moved to secure location by Garland school buses. Breitbart Texas photo by Lana Shadwick. Then, came a moment of prayer as the news reached everyone in the auditorium that an officer was down during the during the incident but the extent of his injuries was unknown. More chatter. Concern from people about free speech. More hurry up and wait. The frustration of the situation was slowly felt. A Garland police officer came in and asked those who heard or saw anything to come over and speak with him. About a dozen people’s hands went up and they went to speak with him. One was Roby, who spoke toBreitbart Texas. 8pm and after, approximately Officers entered the auditorium and announced a change of plans. Buses were coming to move everyone off site, for safetys sake. The destination was a nearby high school. Shortly before dusk, everyone was loaded up onto several yellow school buses. The ride seemed long for a nearby campus. The SWAT officer on the bus that spoke to people twice about not disclosing over social media that they were on a bus. This was all about safety. Several buses were on the move from the Culwell Center however, they did not go to the high school. They went to the Garland Fire Administration Building on State Highway 66. Attendees being moved to secure location by Garland school buses. Breitbart Texas photo by Lana Shadwick. Attendees being moved to secure location by Garland school buses. Breitbart Texas photo by Lana Shadwick. Now, it was dark. An officer came in and asked if anyone was on medication, if anyone was experiencing anxiety or if anyone was having difficulty breathing. No one stepped forward, although the officer offered up a few deep breathing relaxation techniques, in case. 9 pm-ish Another officer came in and firmly admonished people No Facebook, no Twitter, no Instagram. He was clear. Our job is to protect you guys. He was adamant that they could not keep the venue secure if people were blasting their whereabouts online. On the otherhand, officers encouraged people to call family and loved ones so they did not worry. They just asked that the information did not make its way onto social media – for safety’s sake. Shortly after, a Garland City fireman added some levity to the evening. We werent ready to have 150 people show up. This hit all of you as it did us,” he commented lightly and asked if people were thirsty and hungry or they needed to use the restroom. He mentioned they were working on getting water brought in. A police officer from nearby City of Irving spoke to the crowd, advising that they were working in tandem with Garland PD. The FBI and ATF was also involved, they divulged. It was becoming a really long night. Another Garland PD officer officer joined him and said a second conference style room just like the one held the others who were removed from the Culwell Center. Breitbart Texasspoke to some of the people in the waiting with us to get a feel of how they were holding up. Many mulled around and chatted to pass the time. Jan Gentry of Dallas, who came to support free speech at the Geller event, said, I am grateful for all these police. She was also perturbed by the disconcerting reality of the evening. She asked, What is Islam so afraid of? We shouldnt have to go through this in America. It was leaking out that local news media was spinning it as an anti-Islamic event, which became the topic of chatter. Then, a gentleman announced that CNN reported this as a free speech event. Many were delightfully surprised to learn this. Most came to support the First Amendment, others because they were fans of Geller or Wilders. Closer to 10 pm, officers shared that there was a possible IED involved in the situation and the reason everyone was brought to the Fire Department admin building was because the high school was part of the active crime scene. They had no idea when it would be considered safe for everyone to go back to the Culwell Center to retrieve their vehicles, which would have to be checked out for any possible planted explosive devices. Another officer sternly cautioned again about tweeting, expressing that they cannot control tweets and if people start tweeting out to North America they cannot keep people safe. Somewhere 10 pm and after Officers brought in waters; then, other beverages. There was talk of bringing in food. It might be an even longer night now that FBI was involved in clearing everyone out of the building. Exit interviews. Affidavits. Breitbart Texasspoke to Dorrie OBrien, who assisted Geller in the event logistics. She was determined to remain upbeat and was glad that officers and security took into account that something like this could happen. Dallas realtor Diane Benjamin toldBreitbart Texasthat she came to the event and rescheduled showing showing a home to clients so she could attend. Those clients were French Jews. She underscored the dire situation of how Jews are fleeing France because of concerns over Islamic extremism. Benjamin was silenced by the profound irony of similar happening in neighboring Garland. Most people kept their cool and were appreciative of law enforcement efforts. One school teacher was antsy about getting home and to work on Monday. Officers were patient, reinforcing that everyone’s safety was paramount. Around this time, other beverages and soft drinks were brought in. Serious talk from Garland PD officials kicked up about being released from the Fire Department admin building. Get out your drivers license. Fill out the affidavit. Explain if you saw or heard anything. Or not. No one knew how long a night it would become and now more voiced concerns about having to work in the morning or not being able to get to their cars. Officers still could not say for sure that folks could get to their cars tonight. They offered up assistance in helping people book hotel rooms for the night. Many became more aggravated that at a free speech event, they had to even stop to fear for our lives. If for only a moment. 11pm and on A lot of stop and start but finallyBreitbart Texasreporters were released after giving verbal statements and filling out those affidavits. We had transportation to head back to the Culwell Center to get our reporters to their vehicle. Not so fast. News cameras lined Naaman Forest Blvd. leading up an impenetrable police blockade of vehicles. A dark haired woman in a white sedan drove down an intersecting side street asBreitbart Texasawaited clearance from officers. Perhaps, she was unaware of what had happened at the Curtis Culwell Center. She began to argue with officers who made it quite clear she was turning around. It took a few stern shouts from the policemen but she made a U-turn and drove away. Garland Police Spokesman Joe Harn. Breitbart Texas photo by Lana Shadwick. Breitbart Texasarrived in time for Harns’ late night press conference. Finally, the clearance came. It, too, was considered part of the “blast zone” and reporters were walked to vehicles by Garland PD. In driving from the area, it became apparent how large a perimeter had been sealed off. Main roads like Naaman Forest and Garland boulevards but also several exits before and after the President George Bush Tollway (PGBT). Anyone who was not already in, was not getting in. All well manned by law enforcement. All clearly pre-planned, in case. When all was said and done, the ordeal brought to mind something Geert Wilders said onstage at the event the West had something Radical Islam did not — humor. There was nothing funny about what happened in Garland on Sunday night. However, cartoons are supposed to be funny and they are often great ice breakers to chuckle about societal ills and other taboo or controversial issues. The shooting in Garland clearly felt to many like an attack on the First Amendment. Humor and social commentary fall under that category. Follow Merrill Hope on Twitter @OutOfTheBoxMom.
ISIS is purportedly claiming that it has 71 trained soldiers in 15 states across America who are awaiting orders from the terror group. The warning was posted on a file-sharing site and signed by Abu Ibrahim Al Ameriki, but it has not been verified. The message named five specific states: Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Michigan. Navy SEAL Rob ONeill, who is credited with killing Usama bin Laden, said that ISIS is popular on social media and has a glorified sense of resilience because no one is fighting the terror group. He added that ISIS can claim responsibility for an attack just because they like it. ONeill also discussed last weekends attack on a Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas. This is a prime example of the difference between a gun-free zone and Texas [] These guys showed up because they were offended by something protected by the First Amendment and they were quickly introduced to the Second Amendment, he said. ONeill said that the best way to protect yourself from attacks is to arm yourself.
Less than a week after two jihadists attempted to assault a ‘Draw Muhammad’ contest in Garland, Texas and one day after the Islamic State officially took credit for the attack, a statement claiming to come from ISIS leadership in America has appeared online threatening the event’s organizer, Pamela Geller, and asserting that “15 states” have been infiltrated by the terrorist group. The statement– posted on the site justpaste.it, which is a popular landing spot for much of the Islamic State’s output– serves both to warn Geller personally and threaten the nation at large. “Our aim was the khanzeer [“swine“] Pamela Geller and to show her that we don’t care what land she hides in or what sky shields her; we will send all our Lions to achieve her slaughter,” it reads, adding that the attack was perpetrated by “the Islamic State in America” and “the next month will be interesting.” It warns that “everyone who houses her events, gives her a platform to spill her filth are legitimate targets.” The statement goes on to warn that there are at least 71 members of the Islamic State that have been trained to attack in the United States: We have 71 trained soldiers in 15 different states ready at our word to attack any target we desire. Out of the 71 trained soldiers 23 have signed up for missions like Sunday, We are increasing in number bithnillah. Of the 15 states, 5 we will name… Virginia, Maryland, Illinois, California, and Michigan. The message also cites “our noble brother in the Phillipines,” perhaps a reference to notorious jihadist Abdul Basit Usman, who was killed this week in the Philippines by his bodyguard, who sought to collect a million-dollar bounty from the United States. Geller has responded to the message on her website: This threat illustrates the savagery and barbarism of the Islamic State. They want me dead for violating Sharia blasphemy laws. What remains to be seen is whether the free world will finally wake up and stand for the freedom of speech, or instead kowtow to this evil and continue to denounce me. Whats really frightening and astonishing about this threat is that the media in denouncing me is essentially allying with and even cheering on the Islamic State. I expected this from jihadists. I never expected it from my fellow Americans in the mainstream media. While Islamic State took credit for the attack on Wednesday, which left only the two jihadists dead, there is no concrete proof that leadership of the terrorist group was involved in planning the attack, only in encouraging it through social media. Law enforcement experts believe that at least one of the shooters, Elton Simpson of Phoenix, Arizona, responded “directly” to these calls on social media to attack the free speech event organized by Geller. Simpson is documented to have been attracted to the terrorist group Al-Shabaab, however, having been arrested in 2010 after telling an undercover FBI informant that he was looking to “bounce” to Somalia and join them in jihad. The earliest tweet found encouraging an attack on the Draw Muhammad contest appears to have been sent from an American citizen currently fighting with Al-Shabaab in Somalia. Al-Shabaab has long been an ally of Al Qaeda, a rival group to ISIS, but the latter group has made overtures in an attempt to convince Al-Shabaab to become its subsidiary.
A patriotic Texas resident held a flag all day and night near the site of this weekends shooting to remind Americans not to live in fear. ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack outside of a Muhammad cartoon event in Garland. A security guard was injured, and the two gunmen were killed in a shootout with police. Joseph Offutt, 21, told Elisabeth Hasselbeck today on Fox and Friends that residents werent taking their kids to school after the attack, which prompted him to get out in the community with his message. Veteran-Photographer Bashed for Picture of Baby Wrapped in Flag Offutt held his American flag and a sign, which read: Do not be afraid, we are America. Offutt said that he was by himself for an hour or two, and then a friend stopped by to help him hold the flag. As time went by, he said that people arrived with flags and signs of their own. He also told Hasselbeck the touching story of a Muslim family, who stopped and approached him. VIDEO: Military Men Chase Down Protesters Flying Upside-Down American Flag They walked up and gave me a hug and said thank you for what youre doing, and I said, 'We are all Americans, no matter what race, no matter what religion,' Offutt said. Offutt plans to join the National Guard.
A daily roundup of terrorism and security issues. While the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the weekend attack by two gunmen on a Texas cartoon contest depicting the prophet Muhammad, officials are questioning the militant groups direct involvement. It was the first time the terrorist group is believed to have claimed an attack on US soil. Two soldiers of the caliphate carried out the attack at a public event space near Dallas, IS said in its official online radio news program May 5. The exhibit was targeted for portraying negative pictures of the Prophet Muhammad, IS claimed. IS recently encouraged sympathizers in the US, Europe, and Australia who aren't able to travel to fight in Syria and Iraq where the group operates to carry out attacks where they live, the Associated Press reports. An estimated 3,000 Westerners have traveled to Syria since 2011 to join IS in its fight, including possibly hundreds of people from the US, reports The Christian Science Monitor. This attack wasnt the first jihadist operation to take place on US soil, but if Islamic State is able to prove that it planned and direct it rather than just staking a claim after the event then that would be a significant development, writes the BBCs security correspondent, Frank Gardner. One of the two shooting suspects, Elton Simpson, had been under FBI surveillance since 2006 and was convicted in 2010 of lying to federal authorities about plans to travel to Somalia to fight in religious wars, reports AP. The men tweeted about the attack moments before opening fire, using the hashtag #texasattack and writing, "May Allah accept us as mujahideen," or Jihadi fighters. But Islamic State may have played more of an inspirational role, observers say. The shooters may have been active online, reading posts by IS or other terrorist groups, but the militant organization itself may have played no role in actually directing the attack on the event in Texas, organized by well-known anti-Islam activist Pam Geller. The evidence does not indicate the attack was directed by the Islamic State group, "but rather inspired by them," Rep. Michael McCaul (R) of Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said this week. "This is the textbook case of what we're most concerned about." The Christian Science Monitor reports that this case shows it is becoming increasingly clear that the Islamic States greatest threat to the US is in its online messaging. This is terrorism on the cheap. The Islamic State doesnt have to try to send operatives to the US. It can simply prod disgruntled Americans and claim the credit. For the Islamic State, trying to get guys from Syria or Iraq into the United States [to fight] would be stupid and fruitless, because it would take time and money, it would take guys away from the fight, and why would you even do it when you have a great force multiplier in the Internet, where you can get people to pop up anywhere, making you seem omnipotent and universal? asks Tim Clemente, a former FBI counterterrorism agent. On one hand, Sundays attack gave that impression. But it also suggested the limitations of outsourcing terrorism operations. Americas legal dockets are strewn with the stories of homegrown terrorists who were rumbled by the FBI or simply failed. CNN notes that the attackers had body armor and semiautomatic weapons and yet were killed by a traffic officer with a pistol. The events showed that the attackers were wannabes who have never really done anything legitimate, and who hope this act will give them acceptance, Mr. Clemente says.
When an outspoken opponent of radical Islam sought to mock Muhammad in Texas, home to one of the nation's largest Islamic communities, local Muslims were encouraged to ignore her, and they did. No one protested when Pamela Geller's cartoon contest attracted about 200 people to suburban Dallas Sunday, even though some Muslims in Texas were already feeling aggrieved and fearful over growing anti-Islamic sentiment in the state. Then, two men with attack rifles drove in from Arizona and opened fire on officers guarding the conference center in Garland. Both were shot dead, an officer was shot in the leg, and from the other side of the world, the Islamic State group made an unproven claim of responsibility. "This is the exposure that they wanted and this is the divisiveness that they wanted to bring," said Omar Suleiman, resident scholar at the Valley Ranch Islamic Center in Irving, a Dallas suburb with a sizable Islamic community. "We condemn obviously the attack in the strongest terms, and we are glad that the police officer is OK," Suleiman added. "This is what extremists on both sides want: whether it's Geller or whether it's ISIS. They want this all-out war. That's not what we're about." Anti-Islam sentiment has been reverberating in Texas, from the state Capitol to local governments. Tensions rose in Irving after the City Council endorsed one of several bills to forbid judges from rulings based on "foreign laws." "I think it is redundant - no law can override the Constitution," said Malik Abdul-Rahman, an Irving barber. "I think it is more intolerance and bigotry than anything." Islam holds that any depictions of its prophet are deeply offensive, and yet Geller's contest rules sought images that engage "in criticism of and mockery of Muhammad and the belief system and ideology that underlies global jihad terrorism." She also brought in a speaker known for his outspoken criticism of Islam, Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders. Geller, president of the New York-based American Freedom Defense Initiative, booked Sunday's event at the same venue where she led about 1,000 protesters at a January fundraiser that the Chicago-based group Sound Vision held to combat negative perceptions of Islam. "We are standing against the most brutal, radical and extreme ideology on the face of the Earth," Geller declared. A man with a bullhorn repeatedly called Muhammad a pedophile. One person chanted "Go back to your own countries! We don't want you here!" Another held a sign saying "Insult those who behead others." Texas was a natural stop for Sound Vision, with more people associated with Muslim congregations, about 422,000, or 1.7 percent of its population, than any other state, according to a 2010 census by the Association of Statisticians of American Religious Bodies. Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston each have about 155,000 Muslim adherents. Later in January, hecklers greeted Muslims for the first time at their lobbying day at the Texas Capitol in Austin. Republican state Rep. Molly White told her staff to ask visiting Muslims to declare allegiance to America. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott rebuked such attitudes, saying "we must have civil discourse." But six bills addressing foreign laws, which opponents believe are anti-Muslim, are now pending in the Texas Legislature. Similar legislation banning judges from violating state and federal laws has been introduced this year in almost 20 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Nine other states have passed them. The lawmakers have gone out of their way to avoid mentioning Sharia, or Islamic law, but their constituents have done it for them. "The concern is they're hearing about it, they're seeing it, they're fearful," Republican state Rep. Dan Flynn said. "They don't want this foot in the door." Republican state Rep. Jeff Leach suggested that his bill would put limits on an Islamic tribunal in Dallas. The panel advertises voluntary, non-binding arbitration to resolve disputes among Muslims in accordance with both Sharia traditions and U.S. law, and says similar religious tribunals have helped the American Jewish and American Christian faith communities resolve disputes for decades. "Some people will tell you: 'Is this really a problem? Is this a solution looking for a problem?'" Leach said as he promoted his bill at the Texas Faith and Family Day rally in Austin in February. "We want to codify that, to ensure that there is no judge in Texas who should even think twice about violating the Texas or United States Constitution." Irving Mayor Beth Van Duyne weighed in on Facebook, saying she would investigate rumors of a Sharia law court in her city, and that if "there are violations of basic rights occurring, I will not stand idle and will fight with every fiber of my being against this action." It turned out that an imam from Irving served on the Dallas panel. In March, an Iraqi man was fatally shot in Dallas while photographing a snowfall, rattling nerves even though police later determined it was random and not a hate crime. "There is a lot of fear. So if anything happens, until proven otherwise, and even then, the violence sticks with you," Alia Salem, who directs the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. In April, people lined up to denounce Islam two weeks after the Irving City Council voted to endorse Leach's bill. One woman declared "Sharia law is Islam, and Islam's goal is to immigrate, assimilate and annihilate." A man sitting in the audience shouted "That is offensive!" and was escorted out. As Texans took stock of Sunday's shooting, Muslim leaders praised police for proactively guarding the area's mosques and Islamic schools, and thanked the FBI for reaching out to their community.
Nadir Soofi, one of the gunmen who attacked a Texas venue hosting a contest to draw the Prophet Mohammad, was a charismatic "ladies' man" as a teenager, contemporaries from an elite Pakistani school told AFP Wednesday.Soofi, 34, and Elton Simpson were shot dead by police on Sunday as they tried to storm the controversial cartoon drawing event. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility, although US officials caution it is too early to draw a firm link. Soofi studied at the $20,000-a-year International School of Islamabad from 1992 to 1998, where contemporaries said he was funny, popular and charming and showed no inclination towards extremism. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one told AFP Soofi was "quite suave and charismatic" and something of a "ladies' man" as a student. "Whatever fundo [fundamentalist] indoctrination occurred, [it] happened after he graduated and moved to USA -- here he was simply a cool kid with a bright future," the contemporary told AFP. Soofi's mother taught art at the heavily-guarded school, which is popular with diplomats and rich Pakistanis, several of his contemporaries said. He took part in theatre productions, and another schoolmate said Soofi starred as the lead in "Bye Bye Birdie", a musical inspired by Elvis Presley, transforming him from a sweet, shy boy into "a confident heartthrob". "He was always good looking, throwing back his long silky hair, but after the play he did, wow -- he was Mr Elvis of school," she told AFP, again speaking on condition of anonymity. She added she was shocked by news of what Soofi had done in Texas. "I had noticed on Facebook that he had become Islamic but never thought to such extremes," she said. A police officer stands near the suspects' vehicle after a shooting outside the Prophet Mohammad Art Exhibit and Contest sponsored by the American Freedom Defense Initiative in Garland, Texas. (Reuters) 'Not really religious' Another former pupil who was a close friend of Soofi's brother said past students were "traumatised" by events in Texas. "It's a very small community and everyone stays in touch. It's really sad to hear," he told AFP. "The family was not really religious in any way. They were obviously Muslim by birth like we all are." The former pupil said Soofi's family were "well off" and lived in a good house but paid no fees at the Islamabad school as his mother taught there. The school refused to comment on the case and security guards stopped journalists from approaching on Wednesday. Soofi's parents divorced while they were in Pakistan, two schoolmates said, and he returned to the United States with his mother. Soofi, who is survived by a young son, reportedly attended the University of Utah and later owned a struggling pizza and chicken wings restaurant. Managing his business reportedly meant he sometimes had to skip prayers at the mosque. The IS claim marked the first time the extremist group, which has captured swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq using brutal methods, alleged to have carried out an attack in the United States. Pakistan, in particular its restive tribal regions on the Afghan border, has long been a favoured destination for would-be Islamist militants from abroad seeking training and guidance. But there is no suggestion so far that Soofi's time in Pakistan had any influence on his radicalisation.
Nadir Soofi, one of the gunmen who attacked a Texas venue that featured a contest to draw the Prophet Mohammed, was a charismatic "ladies' man" as a teenager, contemporaries from an elite Pakistani school told AFP Wednesday. Soofi, 34, and Elton Simpson were shot dead by police on Sunday as they tried to storm the cartoon drawing event. The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility, although US officials caution it is too early to draw a firm link. Soofi studied at the $20,000-a-year International School of Islamabad from 1992 to 1998, where contemporaries said he was funny, popular and charming and showed no inclination towards extremism. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one told AFP Soofi was "quite suave and charismatic" and something of a "ladies' man" as a student. "Whatever fundo [fundamentalist] indoctrination occurred, [it] happened after he graduated and moved to USA -- here he was simply a cool kid with a bright future," the contemporary told AFP. Soofi's mother taught art at the school, several of his contemporaries said. He took part in theatre productions, and another schoolmate said Soofi starred as the lead in "Bye Bye Birdie", a musical inspired by Elvis Presley, transforming him from a sweet, shy boy into "a confident heartthrob". "He was always good looking, throwing back his long silky hair, but after the play he did, wow -- he was Mr Elvis of school," she told AFP, again speaking on condition of anonymity. She added she was shocked by news of what Soofi had done in Texas. "I had noticed on Facebook that he had become Islamic but never thought to such extremes," she said. Soofi's parents divorced while they were in Pakistan, two schoolmates said, and he returned to the United States with his mother. Soofi reportedly attended the University of Utah and later owned a struggling pizza and chicken wings restaurant. Managing his business reportedly meant he sometimes had to skip prayers at the mosque. The IS claim marked the first time the extremist group, which has captured swaths of territory in Syria and Iraq using brutal methods, alleged to have carried out an attack in the United States. Pakistan, in particular its restive tribal regions on the Afghan border, has long been a favoured destination for would-be Islamist militants from abroad seeking training and guidance. But there is no suggestion so far that Soofi's time in Pakistan had any influence on his radicalisation.
Elton Simpson(Photo: Les Stukenberg / AP) PhoenixAbout 20 minutes before the shooting at a Texas cartoon contest that featured images of the Prophet Muhammad, a final tweet posted on an account linked to one of the gunmen said: May Allah accept us as mujahideen, or holy warriors. Among the hastags used by the account was #texasattack. Federal authorities were tracking the Twitter account linked to 31-year-old Elton Simpson of Phoenix before he and another gunman opened fire Sunday in the Dallas suburb of Garland, said Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who was briefed on the investigation by federal law enforcement officials. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI on April 20 also had issued a joint intelligence bulletin to local law enforcement warning that the Garland event was a possible target for a terrorist attack, according to a DHS official who was not authorized to be quoted discussing the document. Social media accounts linked to violent extremists had been focusing on the contest, the bulletin said. According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad even a respectful one is considered blasphemous. And a federal law enforcement official said authorities had an open investigation into Simpson at the time of the shooting. The official was not authorized discussing ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Its unclear why Simpson and his roommate, Nadir Soofi, were not stopped. A security guard was wounded in the leg before the gunmen were killed at the scene. The law enforcement official said investigators will be studying the contacts the men had prior to the shooting, both with associates in the U.S. and abroad, to determine any additional terror-related ties. McCaul said the Twitter account linked to Simpson included images of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen. But the Texas congressman stopped short of saying law enforcement had missed a red flag. Was he on the radar? Sure he was, McCaul said from Turkey, where he was leading a congressional delegation. The FBI has got a pretty good program to monitor public social media. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the shooting, but counterterrorism experts said IS has a history of asserting involvement in attacks in which it had no operational role. That suggests the two gunmen could have carried out their own lone wolf-style strike. The evidence does not indicate the attack was directed by the Islamic State group, but rather inspired by them, McCaul said. This is the textbook case of what were most concerned about. The postings on the Twitter account linked to Simpson contrast sharply with the impression the jovial man and his quiet, 34-year-old roommate gave to neighbors and the leader of the mosque, which they attended in Phoenix up until recently. The families of both men say they were shocked by what happened and never saw any signs that either of them was capable of such violence. Both men had had run-ins with the law, according to court records. Simpson, who was born in Illinois, was arrested in 2010 after being the focus of a four-year terror investigation. But despite amassing more than 1,500 hours of recorded conversations, including Simpsons discussions about fighting nonbelievers for Allah and plans to link up with brothers in Somalia, the government prosecuted him on only one minor charge lying to a federal agent. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $600 in fines and court fees. Its unclear at what point in his life Simpson turned radical. Simpson played basketball as a freshman at Yavapai College, a junior college in Prescott, Arizona, for the 2002-2003 season before leaving school, said then-assistant coach Jeff Renegar. A former teammate, Keion Kindred, said the two would discuss everything from family life, movies and cartoons, to their love for basketball and their ability to play pool. Elton was a good kid, he was a comedian of some sort. We were young, so he was like every 18- to 19-year-old in college, trying to have fun and figure it out, said Kindred, who lost contact with him after 2005. Its not known how or when Simpson met Soofi. Soofi was born in the Dallas area, raised Muslim and later spent part of his childhood in Pakistan, according to his family. Soofi was an undergraduate pre-medicine major at the University of Utah from fall of 1998 to the summer of 2003, said university spokeswoman Maria OMara. She said he did not earn a degree. Utah court records show Soofi had several brushes with police during his time in the state. He pleaded to possession of alcohol by a minor, alcohol-related reckless driving and driving on a suspended license in 2001, court records show, and misdemeanor assault the following year. Simpson had worshipped at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix for about a decade, but he quit showing up over the past two or three months, the president of the mosque told The Associated Press. The centers president, Usama Shami, said Simpson would play basketball with mosque members and was involved with the community. Soofi owned a nearby pizza business and would stop in to pray occasionally, sometimes bringing with him his young son, he said. They didnt show any signs of radicalization, Shami said. IS recently urged those in the United States, Europe and Australia who cannot safely travel to fight in Syria and Iraq to carry out jihad in the countries where they live. An audio statement on the extremist groups Al Bayan radio station called the men two soldiers of the caliphate. Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Read or Share this story: http://detne.ws/1Rch3cD
U.S. investigators were looking into claims by the Islamic State that it was behind a failed attack on a Texas exhibit of cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in which two gunmen were killed, but officials said on Tuesday they doubted the militant group's direct involvement. The Syria- and Iraq-based Islamic State (IS) said on its official online radio station that "two soldiers of the caliphate" carried out the attack on Sunday in Garland, a suburb of Dallas. The White House said it was too early to tell if the two gunmen killed in Garland were tied to IS. Spokesman Josh Earnest said many people tried to capitalize on the influence of the group by claiming allegiance when they were not directly affiliated. "At this point, this is still under investigation by the FBI and other members of the intelligence community to determine any ties or affiliations that these two individuals may have had with ISIL or other terrorist organizations around the world. So it's too early to say at this point," Earnest said. U.S. officials said separately that investigators did not know whether the group was opportunistically claiming credit when it had little or no direct or indirect involvement. One U.S. official said investigators believed it was possible, if not likely, that IS played an "inspirational" rather than "operational" role in the attack. That would mean the shooters may have immersed themselves in items posted online by IS and other groups like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula intended to incite violence but that the group played no role in directing an attack on the Texas event. U.S. investigators were going through the shooters' computers and communications devices, officials said. The State Department said on Tuesday it was offering rewards of up to $7 million for information on four key leaders of the group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. "MIGHT HAVE SNAPPED" Authorities said roommates Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi of Phoenix were fatally shot by a police officer when they opened fire with assault rifles outside the cartoon exhibit and contest. An unarmed security guard suffered a minor wound. The Simpson family said in a statement late Monday it was struggling to understand how it happened. "We are heartbroken and in a state of deep shock as we grieve," it said. "We send our prayers to everyone affected by this act of senseless violence, especially the security guard who was injured in the line of duty." Court documents showed Simpson had been under federal surveillance since 2006 and was convicted in 2011 of lying to FBI agents about his desire to join violent jihad in Somalia. "I believe that perhaps he might have just snapped when he heard about the cartoon contest," Kristina Sitton, a Phoenix attorney who defended him in the case, told CNN. Such portrayals are considered offensive by Muslims. The shooting in Garland, an ethnic melting pot city of nearly a quarter million people, was an echo of attacks or threats in other Western countries against images depicting the Prophet Mohammad. In another Dallas suburb, Richardson, police were investigating an attack by two men on a worshipper leaving evening prayers at a mosque on Monday. "It is too early to say whether this was a hate crime or an attempted robbery," said Richardson Police spokesman Sergeant Kevin Perlich. The man was treated on the scene for minor injuries. Police and federal agents had planned security for months ahead of the Garland event, organized by American Freedom Defense Initiative (AFDI), a free-speech organization that the Southern Poverty Law Center has described as a hate group. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Tolba in Cairo, Katharine Houreld in Islamabad, David Schwartz in Phoenix, Arizona, and Julia Edwards in Washington; Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe and Ted Botha)
Terrorists, tweets and time lines. Authorities are looking into all three as they try to piece together this week's attack outside a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas. Plenty of questions remain, but a clearer picture is forming. Terrorists ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, but did the gunmen, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, have any direct links to the terror group or were they just acting of their own accord? ISIS offered no proof and officials believe it's likely the group is being "opportunistic" in its claim. A law enforcement official explained that the attack does not appear to be a clear-cut case of a lone wolf inspired to act or a pure case of someone directed by others to act. Rather, the official said, it appears to be something in between. Simpson appears to have had online ties to a British ISIS recruit -- Junaid Hussain -- thought to be in Syria, and an American jihadi operating in Somalia, according to a CNN analysis of tweets exchanged ahead of Sunday's attack. Still, it's not certain if either inspired or had a hand in the attack, a U.S. official told CNN. One of the theories investigators are exploring is whether Simpson was just trying to gain Hussain's approval and get on his radar or whether there was actually back and forth communication between the two men." American investigators are looking into it. Simpson was also in touch online with American Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, according to an analysis of social media postings by CNN. Tweets Former FBI agent Tim Clemente concludes that the gunmen may have plotted the attack without direction from ISIS at all. "They may not have had formal contact," Clemente said. "They may have had email communication or read communications from ISIS, but I don't think they were directed by ISIS." "I think it's the other way around -- they were kind of applying for membership into ISIS. And so they were doing this act, sent out the tweet in advance because if they know there's a possibility they're not going to make it out of this, then they can't give recognition to what they were trying to do after the fact." Moments before the attack, Simpson posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen." The tweet also said he and his fellow attacker had pledged allegiance to "Amirul Mu'mineen," which means "the leader of the faithful." CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said that likely refers to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Earlier, Simpson had asked his followers on Twitter to follow an ISIS propagandist, believed to be Hussain. After the shooting, the propagandist tweeted: "Allahu Akbar!!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire." Both Twitter accounts have been deactivated. One U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the shooting was "certainly more than just inspiration" by ISIS, but that assessment does not mean the terror group gave the gunmen specific instructions. The attack fits a well-known pattern of ISIS recruitment and incitement: encouraging sympathizers via a sophisticated social media campaign to join the fight in Syria, or, if they cannot, to carry out terror attacks on their own at home, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Timeline: Getting to Texas Simpson and Soofi were roommates in Arizona. Two law enforcement officials say it's believed they drove from Phoenix to Garland, Texas, but specific details about the time line of the trip or when it was made haven't been released. The officials say investigators are trying to determine whether the gunmen had any associates in Phoenix, or elsewhere in the United States, who share the same ideology. The FBI is scrubbing their hard drives and other electronics devices, plus interviewing friends to draw any connections. A particular concern among law enforcement and intelligence officials is keeping track of other Americans, similar to Simpson, who are following and in touch with Hussain. One official said he's "a real problem" due to his ability to recruit online and inspire others to launch attacks in the West. In 2011, Simpson was convicted of making a false statement involving international and domestic terrorism. Prosecutors said he told FBI agents he had not discussed traveling to Somalia to engage in "violent jihad" -- when, in fact, he had, according to an indictment. Simpson was sentenced to three years of probation, court records show. Soofi, on the other hand, was relatively unknown to federal investigators, a law enforcement official told CNN. Authorities knew of no indication the pair planned to launch Sunday's attack, another law enforcement official said. Simpson and Soofi wounded a security guard before police shot and killed them. A separate law enforcement source said the two long guns and four handguns found in their car were bought legally. The FBI searched the Phoenix apartment Simpson and Soofi shared and found it to be relatively barren, one of the law enforcement officials said.
PHOENIX — About 20 minutes before the shooting at a Texas cartoon contest that featured images of the Prophet Muhammad, a final tweet posted on an account linked to one of the gunmen said: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen," or holy warriors. Among the hastags used by the account was "#texasattack." Federal authorities were tracking the Twitter account linked to 31-year-old Elton Simpson of Phoenix before he and another gunman opened fire Sunday in the Dallas suburb of Garland, said Rep. Michael McCaul, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, who was briefed on the investigation by federal law enforcement officials. The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI on April 20 also had issued a joint intelligence bulletin to local law enforcement warning that the Garland event was a possible target for a terrorist attack, according to a DHS official who was not authorized to be quoted discussing the document. Social media accounts linked to "violent extremists" had been focusing on the contest, the bulletin said. According to mainstream Islamic tradition, any physical depiction of the Prophet Muhammad — even a respectful one — is considered blasphemous. And a federal law enforcement official said authorities had an open investigation into Simpson at the time of the shooting. The official was not authorized discussing ongoing investigation by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. It's unclear why Simpson and his roommate, Nadir Soofi, were not stopped. A security guard was wounded in the leg before the gunmen were killed at the scene. The law enforcement official said investigators will be studying the contacts the men had prior to the shooting, both with associates in the U.S. and abroad, to determine any additional terror-related ties. McCaul said the Twitter account linked to Simpson included images of Anwar al-Awlaki, an American-born radical cleric killed in a CIA drone strike in Yemen. But the Texas congressman stopped short of saying law enforcement had missed a red flag. "Was he on the radar? Sure he was," McCaul said from Turkey, where he was leading a congressional delegation. "The FBI has got a pretty good program to monitor public social media." The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for the shooting, but counterterrorism experts said IS has a history of asserting involvement in attacks in which it had no operational role. That suggests the two gunmen could have carried out their own lone wolf-style strike. The evidence does not indicate the attack was directed by the Islamic State group, "but rather inspired by them," McCaul said. "This is the textbook case of what we're most concerned about." The postings on the Twitter account linked to Simpson contrast sharply with the impression the jovial man and his quiet, 34-year-old roommate gave to neighbors and the leader of the mosque, which they attended in Phoenix up until recently. The families of both men say they were shocked by what happened and never saw any signs that either of them was capable of such violence. Both men had had run-ins with the law, according to court records. Simpson, who was born in Illinois, was arrested in 2010 after being the focus of a four-year terror investigation. But despite amassing more than 1,500 hours of recorded conversations, including Simpson's discussions about fighting nonbelievers for Allah and plans to link up with "brothers" in Somalia, the government prosecuted him on only one minor charge — lying to a federal agent. He was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay $600 in fines and court fees. It's unclear at what point in his life Simpson turned radical. Simpson played basketball as a freshman at Yavapai College, a junior college in Prescott, Arizona, for the 2002-2003 season before leaving school, said then-assistant coach Jeff Renegar. A former teammate, Keion Kindred, said the two would discuss everything from family life, movies and cartoons, to their love for basketball and their ability to play pool. "Elton was a good kid, he was a comedian of some sort. We were young, so he was like every 18- to 19-year-old in college, trying to have fun and figure it out," said Kindred, who lost contact with him after 2005. It's not known how or when Simpson met Soofi. Soofi was born in the Dallas area, raised Muslim and later spent part of his childhood in Pakistan, according to his family. Soofi was an undergraduate pre-medicine major at the University of Utah from fall of 1998 to the summer of 2003, said university spokeswoman Maria O'Mara. She said he did not earn a degree. Utah court records show Soofi had several brushes with police during his time in the state. He pleaded to possession of alcohol by a minor, alcohol-related reckless driving and driving on a suspended license in 2001, court records show, and misdemeanor assault the following year. Simpson had worshipped at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix for about a decade, but he quit showing up over the past two or three months, the president of the mosque told The Associated Press. The center's president, Usama Shami, said Simpson would play basketball with mosque members and was involved with the community. Soofi owned a nearby pizza business and would stop in to pray occasionally, sometimes bringing with him his young son, he said. "They didn't show any signs of radicalization," Shami said. IS recently urged those in the United States, Europe and Australia who cannot safely travel to fight in Syria and Iraq to carry out jihad in the countries where they live. An audio statement on the extremist group's Al Bayan radio station called the men "two soldiers of the caliphate." Watson reported from San Diego. Associated Press writers Ken Dilanian, Eric Tucker and Nancy Benac in Washington, David Warren in Dallas and Jamie Stengle in Garland, Texas, Felicia Fonseca in Flagstaff, Arizona, Lindsay Whitehurst in Salt Lake City, Hannah Cushman in Chicago and Amy Forliti in Minneapolis contributed to this report.
Terrorists, tweets and time lines. Authorities are looking into all three as they try to piece together this week's attack outside a Prophet Mohammed cartoon contest in the Dallas suburb of Garland, Texas. Plenty of questions remain, but a clearer picture is forming. Terrorists ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack, but did the gunmen, Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi, have any direct links to the terror group or were they just acting of their own accord? ISIS offered no proof and officials believe it's likely the group is being "opportunistic" in its claim. A law enforcement official explained that the attack does not appear to be a clear-cut case of a lone wolf inspired to act or a pure case of someone directed by others to act. Rather, the official said, it appears to be something in between. Simpson appears to have had online ties to a British ISIS recruit -- Junaid Hussain -- thought to be in Syria, and an American jihadi operating in Somalia, according to a CNN analysis of tweets exchanged ahead of Sunday's attack. Still, it's not certain if either inspired or had a hand in the attack, a U.S. official told CNN. One of the theories investigators are exploring is whether Simpson was just trying to gain Hussain's approval and get on his radar or whether there was actually back and forth communication between the two men." American investigators are looking into it. Simpson was also in touch online with American Mohamed Abdullahi Hassan, according to an analysis of social media postings by CNN. Tweets Former FBI agent Tim Clemente concludes that the gunmen may have plotted the attack without direction from ISIS at all. "They may not have had formal contact," Clemente said. "They may have had email communication or read communications from ISIS, but I don't think they were directed by ISIS." "I think it's the other way around -- they were kind of applying for membership into ISIS. And so they were doing this act, sent out the tweet in advance because if they know there's a possibility they're not going to make it out of this, then they can't give recognition to what they were trying to do after the fact." Moments before the attack, Simpson posted a tweet with the hashtag #texasattack: "May Allah accept us as mujahideen." The tweet also said he and his fellow attacker had pledged allegiance to "Amirul Mu'mineen," which means "the leader of the faithful." CNN terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank said that likely refers to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Earlier, Simpson had asked his followers on Twitter to follow an ISIS propagandist, believed to be Hussain. After the shooting, the propagandist tweeted: "Allahu Akbar!!!! 2 of our brothers just opened fire." Both Twitter accounts have been deactivated. One U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the shooting was "certainly more than just inspiration" by ISIS, but that assessment does not mean the terror group gave the gunmen specific instructions. The attack fits a well-known pattern of ISIS recruitment and incitement: encouraging sympathizers via a sophisticated social media campaign to join the fight in Syria, or, if they cannot, to carry out terror attacks on their own at home, U.S. officials said Tuesday. Timeline: Getting to Texas Simpson and Soofi were roommates in Arizona.
Top newsEconomicsStock marketPoliticsAccidentsSportAutoInformation TechnologyScience and technologyHealthTravelLaws and businessSpace and UFOsMusicMovies, theatreLiterature