“We came from Mexico on a train.” Chilling and entirely possible. Nonetheless, this is likely to be just a hoax, as the Arabic text — “There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his prophet” — is upside-down and reversed, which is not an error that a member of the Islamic State is likely to make. Nonetheless, you never know, and so “Marine Corps commands in the National Capital region have been informed and are increasing situational awareness at their installations.”
“Possible Islamic State Leaflets Found in Quantico Marine Base,” by Bryan Preston, PJ Tatler, October 30, 2014:
Leaflets found at the site of the Marine Corps headquarters in Quantico, Virginia, Wednesday may have ties to the international terrorist organization ISIS, a source told the Tatler today. The leaflets, which portray the flag of the Islamic State, include a message in Arabic that says “We came from Mexico on a train.”
The leaflets raise the questions of whether the Islamic State has operatives in the heart of the United State’s Marine Corps headquarters, or alternatively, whether someone is testing security responses and military command communications.
The Tatler obtained a digital copy of the leaflet today, which is being distributed within the Marine Corps command. The source, who requested anonymity, wrote:
MCB Quantico personnel found 6-7 of these leaflets in Quantico Town (the shopping/residential area inside of Marine Corps Base Quantico) this afternoon (Wednesday). The picture depicts an ISIL banner. The translation of the writing is “We came from Mexico on a train.”
Marine Corps commands in the National Capital region have been informed and are increasing situational awareness at their installations.
The leaflet is being investigated by the Marine Corps, the FBI and Navy intelligence. The Tatler contacted public affairs at Quantico, but as of publication time the base has not commented.
Here is the one-page leaflet.
The Tatler has had the inscription independently translated. It says: “We are here from Mexico. We took the train.” Coupled with the ISIS flag, it is clearly intended to be a threat, connected to the porous U.S.-Mexico border.
But the ISIS flag is upside down and reversed with respect to the Arabic text. Here is an ISIS flag in its correct orientation.
“MCB Quantico” is Marine Corps Base Quantico, in Prince William County, VA, just outside of Washington, D.C. It is the Marine Corps’ headquarters, as well as the home of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Academy and Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations is also headquartered at Quantico. The National Museum of the Marine Corps is also located at at the base. The U.S. Navy’s Indian Head facility is nearby…