“Williams told a judge the messages underscored Thomas’ ‘strong and robust’ ties to the jihadist community and the danger she posed if released.” So there is a “jihadist community” in Philadelphia — no doubt local law enforcement officials are busy conducting “outreach” to it and assuring it of their good will.
“US: Attack threat after Philadelphia woman’s terror arrest,” Associated Press, April 9, 2015:
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A close associate of a Philadelphia woman charged in a plot to join the Islamic State group in Syria pledged to avenge her arrest with attacks on the U.S. and violence at the jail where she is held.
The associate tweeted a call for suicide attacks after federal agents searched Keonna Thomas’ home March 27 and posted an image of an exploding truck with the message, “No prison door would be able to stand against the force” after her arrest last week, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams said.
Williams raised the threats at a hearing on Thomas’ continued detention, arguing the 30-year-old mother of two should remain jailed pending trial. Williams told a judge the messages underscored Thomas’ “strong and robust” ties to the jihadist community and the danger she posed if released.
U.S. District Judge Marilyn Heffley agreed and ordered Thomas, an unemployed former home health aide, to remain in federal custody.
An FBI spokesman said after the hearing Thursday the agency could not discuss specific cases but that it takes every threat seriously.
Thomas’ mother, Debbie Thomas, railed at the government’s case in the hallway outside the courtroom, telling family members: “They lie. That’s what they do.”
Thomas faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of attempting to provide material aid to terrorists.
Her public defenders said they believed evidence would exonerate her and that she would plead not guilty to a grand jury indictment.
During the hearing, they argued Thomas’ strong ties to Philadelphia — she was raised in the city and has lived in the same home for a decade with her daughters, ages 7 and 9, and other family members — warranted her release.
The lawyers said she should have been sent home with a GPS tracking device.
Thomas, who prosecutors said also goes by Fatayat Al Khilafah and YoungLioness, wore a teal jail jumpsuit over a traditional Muslim burqua during the hour-long hearing.
She did not address the court.
Williams argued Thomas had already showed she was willing to abandon her family for the Islamic State with a planned flight to Spain, computer searches for a passage to Syria and online communication with alleged terrorists.
Authorities said she communicated with an Islamic State group fighter in Syria who asked if she wanted to be part of a martyrdom operation. She told the fighter that the opportunity “would be amazing, … a girl can only wish,” according to charging documents….
allan carr bryan says
Maybe, just maybe,
a female prisoner who takes offence to this raghead scumbag might do the World and the US judicial system a favour and “take care” of this little problem. She is like a bit of shit you wipe of your shoe that needs flushing away.
Beagle says
Remember back in June of 2014 when the experts were saying Islamic State had little appeal to Muslims, was neither Iskamic or state, would implode, was surrounded by enemies, and was nothing to worry about? Just a few weeks ago Robert Reich tried to trivialize Islamic State’s record recruiting.
How much longer can the willful ignorance survive in the face of so much contrary evidence? Probably a long time. Never underestimate the human tendencies towards confirmation bias and self delusion.
Beagle says
The new aggressive autocorrecting spell checker on my Galaxy 5 will change the correct word to an incorrect similar word. It gets confused when I backspace to fix something. And apparently it thinks an obvious typo “Iskamic” is just fine.
somehistory says
Your aggressive auto-correcting…or auto-incorrecting…spellchecker comment makes me think of the way the world is in general. One speaks the truth and then gets “corrected” by those who don’t know what they are talking about. They presume to be our think-checkers and speech-checkers. Especially in regards to things they consider as “offensive” to anyone other than white Christians.
These same people are, evidently, in charge of programming spellcheckers.
Shane says
Most liberals are too cowardly to admit that Islamic jihad is a major problem around the world and that our Muslims will join in the jihad. We need to get tougher on those who attempt to engage in jihad and those who encourage them. These people are traitors and should be stripped of their citizenship and deported to Syria. Let them wage jihad there.
Jules says
I’m so sick of hearing about liberals and democrats this and republicans that. Is it possible to have a conversation anymore without throwing in political parties?
Jay Airahs says
Hijab Revolution
Are we too cynical?
Could we be on the cusp of a new and improved ‘reformed’ Islam about to break ashore like a tsunami full of love and where all the songbirds birds tweet and chirp songs of inner peace?
Maybe Muslima will wear RED hijabs in a day of protest against the bloodletting by the ‘radicals’ and PINK for the innocence stolen and a gay RAINBOW colored coalition hijab to draw attention the intolerance by the ‘radicals’
Time to bid farewell to the bad ‘radical’ and usher in the new & improve packaging.
JamesonRocks says
“…Thomas had already showed she was willing to abandon her family for the Islamic State…”
So, up to 15 years in prison should be no problem. Maybe we’ll get lucky and she will “hang herself” in prison or “stab herself” with a sharp object.
Donovan Nuera says
So just being born in a craphole city, being probably unemployed, and wanting to leave for Syria proves “strong ties” to one’s community???
Donovan Nuera says
Where is lil’ Miss Jihad’s husband or father of her two kids that we the taxpayers are paying for? Is there any public info on that? Let me guess also that the FBI has not investigated her local mosque or imam yet to see why they could not teach her “true” islam and guide her away from non-islamic “radical” islam?
Ima Freeman says
Burqas are allowed in U.S. courts? Here in Canada, the federal government is appealing a Supreme Court ruling stating that it’s unconstitutional to demand that women taking the citizenship oath need to remove their face covering. Also, what about being able to “face your accuser?” Anyone?
Ima
mortimer says
Fifteen percent of Muslims support terror organizations according to opinion polls, but many of them are obviously supplying financial support. The number actually financing jihad is likely in the order of several thousand worldwide. Some of those will be oil millionaires, but many will be small donors. We have seen that 25,000 are conducting jihad in Iraq. Worldwide, there must be at least 100,000 Muslims who would commit jihad if they had the right leadership and financing.
9-11 had only 19 jihadists. 100,000 could do a lot of suicide attacks.
Wellington says
I regularly visit Philadelphia (I was also born there) and Buttlims (I call them this because of their extremely undignified way of praying, i.e., with their arses in the air) are all over the place, particularly in the black sections of Philadelphia like West and North Philly. I think it instructive to note that the founder of Pennsylvania, the enlightened William Penn, was, though a seventeenth-century man, far more tolerant towards those of faiths other then his own (Quaker of course) than Muslims to this very day are. He only required of anyone settling in Pennsylvania that they believed in God. By the standards of his time Penn was light years ahead of most of his contemporaries. Think any Mohammedans in Philadelphia know or appreciate this? Highly unlikely, ignoramuses and parasites that they are.
Mirren10 says
” … Buttlims (I call them this because of their extremely undignified way of praying, i.e., with their arses in the air) … ”
*Love* it. Wellington ! 🙂