Cruz Grills DHS's Johnson on Scrubbing Radical Islam from Intelligence Materials

6.30.2016 

 

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 Trey Sanchez 

 

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On Thursday, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) grilled Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson over the "systematic scrubbing" of references to Islamic jihad from intelligence materials within the Obama administration. Throughout the tense exchange, Johnson appeared unconcerned and boiled it down to semantics.

"It makes no difference to me in terms of who we need to go after who is determined to attack our homeland," Johnson said.

The DHS chief said tying terrorist attacks to Islamic ideology only validates groups like ISIS in thinking they represent Islam as a whole.

Yet, Cruz argued, "When you erase references to radical jihad, it impacts the behavior of law enforcement and national security to respond to red flags and prevent terrorist attacks before they occur."

The senator compared the 9/11 commission report's use of Islamic references with newer documents pertaining to terror attacks during Obama's tenure. Cruz noted the use of "jihad" in the 9/11 report 126 times. Today, it's used zero times in intelligence reports. It's the same for "Muslim" or "Islam," now no longer acceptable terms to use when reporting on Muslim terrorists.

Here's one particularly tense exchange:

CRUZ: The Obama administration was aware [Nidal Hasan] was communicating with Anwar al-Awlaki, a known radical Islamic terrorist. The Obama administration was aware that Nidal Hasan had inquired of Anwar al-Awlaki the permissibility of waging jihad against his fellow soldiers. And yet, the administration did not act and Nidal Hasan walked through Ft. Hood in my home state of Texas, murdering 14 innocent souls yelling "Allahu akbar." Do you think it was a mistake not to respond to those red flags ahead of time and prevent the terrorist attack at Ft. Hood?

JOHNSON: I disagree with your factual predicate. Those are not the facts.

CRUZ: What do you disagree with?

JOHNSON: I disagree with your factual predicate in numerous respects.

CRUZ: What specifically do you disagree with, sir?

JOHNSON: In one minute I couldn't possibly answer your question.

CRUZ: Pick anything.

JOHNSON: It was wrong in a number of respects…

CRUZ: Pick one thing, sir!

[Johnson responded saying that it wasn't correct that the federal government saw the "red flags" Cruz mentioned.]

CRUZ: Is it true or false that the Obama administration knew before the attack that Nidal Hasan was communicating with Anwar al-Awlaki?

JOHNSON: How are you defining the "Obama administration," sir?

CRUZ: The Federal Bureau of Investigation.

JOHNSON: The entire Federal Bureau of Investigation? I can’t answer that question sitting here.

CRUZ: The answer is "yes" and it’s public record, sir.

Johnson remained unconvinced that Cruz was arguing anything other than labels, which until the end, he said didn't matter:

"I think our people are smart enough to identify somebody who is a violent extremist, who is self-radicalized, who is moving towards violence. When there are some warning signs, like somebody who sees somebody buying a gun, or training, or buying weapons of explosive material, everyday I see people connecting the dots across our law enforcement, Homeland Security intelligence communities.

"Are there lessons learned? Could we do a better job? The answer's probably 'yes.' But everyday I see this happening and I think we are doing a better job and I think that our people are smart enough to identify potential terrorist behavior, whether you call it Islamic, or extremist, or anything else.

"I think the labels, frankly, are less important, except where we need to build bridges to American Muslim communities and not vilify them so that they will help us help them. "

This video includes Johnson's above remarks:

Foreign Policy Mag: London Should Secede From Britain "Parochial Countrymen"

Foreign Policy Mag: London ShouldSecede From Britain

"Parochial Countrymen"

6.30.2016 

 

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 Paul Bois 

 

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By far, the most head-scratching response to the Brexit vote comes from Foreign Policy Magazine, which recently suggested in an op-ed that United Kingdom's leftist Londoners should vote to secede from Britain. 

Writer Parag Khanna argues that Londoners have every right to want to divorce themselves from their "parochial countrymen" in the Midlands, because they don't contribute anything to the country, unlike the great Londoners. 

Many Brits voted for Brexit as a resentful protest against the political and economic elites who reside in London, but the contribution those elites make to the well-being of Great Britain is immense. Eighty percent of jobs created in the U.K. since the financial crisis have been in London, which is growing by 1 million people per decade. More than half of British university students head for London upon graduation. London’s gross value added per capita to the U.K. economy is more than $150,000 per year.

Translation: the working class should bow down to the wishes of their elitist overlords, because they don't pull their weight. These arguments are usually the type leftists accuse conservatives of saying, but since the working class decided to bite the leftist hand that feeds them, no such charity will be afforded, it seems.

While Khanna concedes that London could never morph into a bustling city-state like Singapore, Monaco, or Bahrain given its close ties to the country, Khanna argues there are other mechanisms in place that could make London mimic a city-state. 

Secession needn’t be London’s goal. There is a wide spectrum of federalist arrangements available to the city, on a continuum ranging from unity to devolution to autonomy to outright independence. London has plenty of room to maneuver to assert more control over its own policies short of building a moat around the city.

Under the rubric of “Big Society,” Westminster has provided paltry infrastructure loans to cities such as Manchester and Sheffield to develop their own urban regeneration plans. But these are loans, not grants or investments; they must be paid back. As a capital, London has been treating the rest of the country like the International Monetary Fund treats client states, lending to them but seeking to minimize its own skin in the game. No wonder the pro-Brexit regions wanted to slap London in the face.

Ultimately Khanna concludes that no such thing will happen, because "London still wants to rule over a country" while putting "as little a burden as possible on its own prosperity." But hey, the left can still dream, can't they?

Father Traveling to Rescue Son Defecting from ISIS Killed in Istanbul Blast "He went there to bring him back."

Father Traveling to Rescue Son Defecting from ISIS Killed in Istanbul Blast

"He went there to bring him back."

6.30.2016 

 

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 Trey Sanchez 

 

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A father who had traveled to Istanbul to rescue his son who had just left ISIS' ranks was killed when Islamic State members exploded suicide vests inside the Ataturk Airport on Tuesday.

A New York Times story, picked up by Mic, detailed the story of Fathi Bayoudh and his attempt to find his son, Anouar. Anouar had told his parents that he was taking an internship in Switzerland when actually, he had become radicalized and was heading to join ISIS's ranks in Turkey and Iraq. But after three months, he had had enough and called his father for help.

The Tunisian Embassy told the family that Anouar had turned himself over to authorities. But after several weeks of searching, the father still didn't know his son's whereabouts. It was then he asked his wife to come meet him at the Istanbul airport to continue their search but was killed in the ISIS attack.

A friend of the family told NYT, "He loved his son so much… he would have done anything for him. He went there to bring him back."

Benghazi Widow: Hillary 'Has No Right' to Tell Me 'It's Time to Move On' “Nobody in government can tell me how I feel, what I should feel about it."

Benghazi Widow: Hillary 'Has No Right' to Tell Me 'It's Time to Move On'

“Nobody in government can tell me how I feel, what I should feel about it."

7.1.2016 

 

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 Sarah Fisher 

 

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The wife of Benghazi victim Ty Woods spoke out for the first time in an interview with CNN's Erin Burnett. Dr. Dorothy Woods told Burnett how she felt about Hillary Clinton's remarks about the recent Benghazi report released by Congressman Trey Gowdy's Select committee.

“Nobody in government can tell me how I feel, what I should feel about it,” Woods told Burnett. “She has no right — nor does anyone in government have the right — to tell me it’s time to move on. They’re not in my shoes.”

While at a campaign stop in Denver, Colorado Hillary, who was Secretary of State during the Benghazi attack said, “I’ll leave it to others to characterize the report, but I think it’s pretty clear it’s time to move on.”

Woods said of the congressional committee that despite being "ridiculed" it was “sincerely doing the right thing.”

“It did not change my view of what happened, nor who to blame,” Woods said. “I place a blame on this sentiment, on this attitude in the upper level of government that says, ‘Hey, you know what, I’m just gonna lie about this, gloss over it, because I want to protect what I look like, and I’m thinking about the next job.’”

Woods did agree that the final judgment was up to the public. I agree, in a way, with her, that it’s for the public to decide,” Woods told CNN. “You know, some people have made their decision, others haven’t. But the facts are there and it’s up to the Americans, the American people, to really figure out where they fall in this.”

Washington Education Dept. Tells Schools to Help Students Deal withTrump Rhetoric

"Teachers are told to create “safe places,” plan for “recovery” from election rhetoric."

7.1.2016 

 

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 Sarah Fisher 

 

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An official from Washington's education department has sent out emails to the state's schools, directing them to prepare students for "increasing levels of fear and anxiety" related to the “Trump effect.”

Teachers are told to create “safe places,” plan for “recovery” from election rhetoric, incorporate election-related lessons in the classroom, and provide students with “protection” who are exposed to the rhetoric.

The email, which was obtained by The Daily Caller News Foundation, was sent out by Mike Donlin, program supervisor of the School Safety Center for the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Donlin sent the email to a mailing list of school officials in charge of complying with state law concerning harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools.

The subject of the email was "The Impact of the Presidential Campaign on Schools,” and recommends taking preemptive action against the harm of Trump's rhetoric.

“As we close this school year, we need to be aware of a phenomenon called the Trump Effect,” the email says. “Regardless of one’s politics, the impact of this year’s political rhetoric on K12 schools is huge. It has produced increasing levels of fear and anxiety among students of all ages. Fear levels are becoming especially high among ethnic, racial and linguistic minority, and LGBTQ youth. Perception is reality.”

The letter links to an article from and references the progressive Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks "hate group" around the country.

“Many [students], regardless of their place of birth, are worried about being deported,” he says. “There have even been stories of families moving or students transferring from one district to another which they perceive as safer, more inclusive.”

Donlin expects the problem to intensify once the school year begins again in the Fall.

“The rhetoric of this election campaign is something we cannot prevent [emphasis in original],” he says. “However, we can plan for mitigation, protection, response – andrecovery … Create safe places for students (and staff) to go, to talk. Don’t ignore the impact on students, staff and families. Allow students to ‘see something; say something’ in this very different context. Build discussions into lessons across curricula.”

The Daily Caller reached out to Donlins office and received this reply.

“The email was intended to describe a situation that educators are identifying in schools,” the statement from spokesman Nathan Olson said. “The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction is a nonpartisan office that neither endorses nor rejects candidates. The Office regrets if anyone was offended by the email.”

The Freedom Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization. Therefore we do not endorse political candidates either in primary or general elections. However, as defenders of America’s social contract, we insist that the rules laid down by both parties at the outset of campaigns be respected, and that the results be decided by free elections. We will oppose any attempt to rig the system and deny voters of either party their constitutional right to elect candidates of their choice.

Boston Police Captain Son Indicted onTerrorism Charges He was inspired by ISIS.

Boston Police Captain Son Indicted onTerrorism Charges

He was inspired by ISIS.

7.1.2016 

 

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 Sarah Fisher 

 

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On Thursday, the son of a Boston police captain was indicted on charges of plotting an attack on a college campus in support of the Islamic State. (ISIS)

A federal grand jury indicted Alexander Ciccolo on one count each of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and attempting to use weapons of mass destruction. Those charges were added to a pending indictment charging Ciccolo with being a convicted person in possession of firearms and stabbing a nurse with a pen during a jail intake process.

Ciccolo was arrested last July in a plot to detonate homemade bombs similar to the pressure cooker bombs used in the deadly 2013 Boston Marathon attack. Twin bombs placed near the marathon finish line killed three people and injured more than 260 others.

Ciccolo's father, Boston police captain Robert Ciccolo alerted the FBI that his son wanted to join ISIS. Son Alexander was arrested after receiving guns from a person cooperating with the authorities.

The indictment said that Ciccolo, who also used the name Ali Al Amriki, plotted to bomb an unidentified state university outside Massachusetts.

During a detention hearing after his arrest last year prosecutors said he received four guns from a person cooperating with members of the Western Massachusetts Joint Terrorism Task Force.

The prosecution said that Ciccolo spoke with the cooperating witness about his plans to commit terrorism inspired by ISIS using pressure cooker bombs in places like college cafeterias.