“Marcos Alonso Zea of Brentwood intended to become a jihadist and fight against perceived enemies of Islam.” Yet the New York Daily News disrespects him by continuing to refer to him by his slave name — a dishonor it would never accord to Muhammad Ali or Kareem Abdul Jabbar. The mainstream media, however, is indefatigably committed to showing Islam in the best possible light, and so much the worse for the truth.
“Long Island man admits to wanting to travel to Yemen to join Al Qaeda,” by John Marzulli, New York Daily News, September 9, 2014:
A 26-year-old Long Island man pleaded guilty Tuesday to hatching a bizarre plan to travel to Yemen to join Al Qaeda.
Marcos Alonso Zea of Brentwood intended to become a jihadist and fight against perceived enemies of Islam, but never made it further than London before authorities shipped him back to the U.S. in 2012.
Zea was not alone in his dream of becoming a home-grown warrior abroad — his then-18-year-old friend Justin Kaliebe also pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and is scheduled to be sentenced next week in Long Island Federal Court.
Zea faces 25 years in prison. “He has certainly accepted responsibility by pleading guilty and his family is very supportive and standing behind him as a son,” said defense lawyer Marc Bogatin.