“W
hile initial reporting from unnamed sources suggested Zale Thompson may have been motivated by anti-government or black power sentiments, the four-page document provides new details that speak to Thompson’s self-radicalization. They show his online obsession with the ‘message’ of terror groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.” You mean, mainstream media reports were wrong, and Jihad Watch was right? Stop the presses!
“Intel memo shows NYC ax attacker’s online obsession with radical Islam,” by Catherine Herridge, Fox News, November 11, 2014 (thanks to Pamela Geller):
EXCLUSIVE: The suspect in the Oct. 23 hatchet attack on two New York City cops had been searching online for jihadist propaganda and foreign terror organizations — as well as information on martyrdom and suicide bombings — in the weeks leading up to the assault, according to a city counterterrorism bureau intelligence assessment obtained by Fox News.
While initial reporting from unnamed sources suggested Zale Thompson may have been motivated by anti-government or black power sentiments, the four-page document provides new details that speak to Thompson’s self-radicalization. They show his online obsession with the “message” of terror groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State.
The intelligence assessment, further, said he “may have held a long-standing interest in violent jihad.”
“A preliminary analysis by the NYPD of approximately 277 online search terms by Zale Thompson in the weeks leading up to the attack revealed multiple references to ‘jihadist’ materials,” the assessment states. “Thompson used internet search engines to query specific terms including but not limited to ‘lone wolf,’ ‘jihad,’ and ‘jihad against the police’.”
The investigation is ongoing, and the report says “there is no evidence that Thompson conspired with other individuals to carry out the attack” — but it adds that his Internet searches were focused on known terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda, its affiliate in Somalia known as al-Shabaab, and the Islamic State. It also documents 58 search terms from Thompson’s electronic records that range from “jihad against the infidels” to “fatwa against americans” to “death to America in Arabic.”
The search history with terms such as “is Saudi Arabia a member of the United Nations” and “Saudi Arabic 69th general assembly un” also suggests Thompson may have considered targeting the annual U.N. conference and Saudi dignitaries….
“This was jihadist inspired. Plain and simple,” said Frank Cilluffo, associate vice president and director of the Homeland Security Policy Institute of George Washington University. “He had so many search terms in this respect, I think it would be very difficult to suggest that it’s anything but.”
The intelligence assessment says there is no known link between the New York attack and the one in Washington on Oct. 31 — where the suspect swung an ax into the window of a police cruiser — but suggests the pattern of attacks on military and law enforcement, including recently against Canadian soldiers, cannot be ignored….
Sam says
This just makes me feel like protecting all poor innocent Muslims from Islamophobia.
Peter Buckley says
Like “radicalisation”, the term “self-radicalisation” is a non-word. So-called “radicalisation” occurs when an individual muslim decides, for whatever reason, to read the Quran correctly i.e. he acts on the Medina, rather than the Mecca verses. Contrary to what the mainstream media likes to imagine, this change is not dependent on any outside influence i.e. it is a form of “offensive” jihad as delineated in the final verses of the Quran.
“Self-radicalisation”, although an equally absurd term, is at least a recognition that this inner process can indeed be achieved without any outside influence. It is an improvement. The next educational barrier will be breached when the political elite realise that the overwhelming majority of Islamists and jihadists haven’t been “radicalised” by anyone : they have indeed been “self-radicalised” from birth i.e. they have been raised as devout muslims.
With respect to the this particular story, how do people who claim that muslims worldwide are being “radicalised”, explain the phrase “Thompson’s self-radicalization…”? Answer: they can’t. The guy read the Quran and acted on it. Simples.
Hope you get my drift……
Jaladhi says
Indeed, self radicalization is reading Quran and following it acting in accordance with it to a Tee. It is such a meaningless word that gives protection the rest of the Muslims and that is why they and our useless moronic leaders and media use it endlessly!! As if this guy was self radicalized so we don’t have worry about other Muslims who are just a peaceful bunch going about their lives just like us !! ha, ha,..There is nobody more stupid than the the western leaders, media and academia. They have devoted their lives in lies and deceit when it comes to Islam and Muslims!!
Unless our society starts telling the truth about Muslims, we are doomed!!
Salah says
“The suspect…had been searching online for jihadist propaganda and foreign terror organizations — as well as information on martyrdom and suicide bombings”
The internet is a double-edged sword; some Muslims are going to search for what is evil, they’ll end up blowing themselves up and shedding innocent blood.
Other Muslims are going to search for the Truth, they’ll end up leaving Islam, tearing up the Qur’an, burning it and urinating on it.
It all comes down to these two words: Free will.
http://crossmuslims.blogspot.ca/2014/01/egyptian-muslims-tear-up-quran.html
gp says
If he was mentally ill, unemployed and homeless, could it still be called workplace violence? Regardless, Zale Thompson is more of a moderate now.
Babs says
Thought-provoking article.
A group of us were discussing the extent to which violence-prone individuals were attracted to Islam because it promotes blood letting and gives them an outlet for their anger, or whether young males in particular become violent when they are in contact with Islam or become Muslims.
Looks like the former was the case for this fool.
Mo says
“New York hatchet attacker had “obsession” with al-Qaeda and the Islamic State”
You don’t say?