Did he really think that aspiring jihadis would be deterred by the prospect of arrest? That only illustrates how abysmally Richard Thornton, and the entire FBI, misunderstands the appeal of the Islamic State.
“Minnesota FBI head: Terrorism arrests haven’t stopped others from planning to join IS group,” Associated Press, August 26, 2015:
BROOKLYN CENTER, Minn. – The head of the FBI in Minneapolis says the high-profile arrests of six young area men charged with plotting to join the Islamic State group haven’t stopped others from aspiring to do so.
In an interview Wednesday with The Associated Press, FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard Thornton said “there are people in this community that are at various stages along the path to traveling as we speak.” He didn’t elaborate on numbers.
About a dozen Minnesotans have traveled to Syria to join militants since late 2013….

Paladin says
About a dozen Minnesotans have traveled to Syria to join militants since late 2013….
MINO’s ( Minnesotans in name only)….
Join ‘militant’….Presbyterians? What a mystery….
Dr. Divinity says
Some laws,with vampire teeth, have to be passed in order to put a scare into would be jihadists.
If they are citizens make it treason for even trying to join any terrorist organization.Really ithink the military should have this responsibility for trying terrorists. WE ARE AT WAR EVEN THOUGH OUR GOVERNMENT WON’T ADMIT IT.
Angemon says
Well, DUUUUHHH!!!
Minnesotans? Minnesomalis? Minnesomalitans?
Huck Folder says
Ministans?
mortimer says
The FBI is forcing their people to learn the jihad doctrine on their own. FBI personnel must learn the jihad doctrine and pretend they have not read certain books (by certain unrecommended authors) that clearly explain it.
The lack of a clear understanding of jihad and the lack of an antidote for jihad are the two main problems that keep the FBI from being effective.
Islam’s ideology of world conquest must be understood and identified before it can be countered.
Cartimandua says
Minnesota FBI. Please take a break, you look like you are going to gave a heart attack.
daniel sebold says
Let them go. What a lovely place. Why sunbathe or ice skate on a Minnesota lake or spend a Saturday afternoon at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts when you can join the heavenly Caliphate? Stop wasting tax dollars.
vlparker says
Why let them go to make war upon us? Throw them in jail for treason and never let them out.
Gufo says
Why do we need to stop them from leaving? We should stop them from coming in!!
vickie says
Yes let the go. If they try to come back – deny them!!
DiMu says
The Star Tribune is one of the most PC newspapers in the country, so people NEVER read the truth. But the middle classes and the working classes, whose suburbs have been trashed by the Muslims, whose property values have gone down, are fed up to the back teeth. Landlords can’t get rid of bedbugs because the Muslim women don’t launder their hijabs adequately! The Mall of America is a number one ISIS target! The churches are paid by the Federal government to bring planeloads of Muslims in, and the State government will soon be stuck with the bill of supporting them.
Their culture is an abomination and we are deliberately opening the floodgates to the bottom feeders of the world. They too are victims of their birth, but their brains are totally screwed from reciting the Koran so they can no longer think rationally, whilst at the same time they have an attitude of utter superiority over the rest of us.
Islam is worse than Communism and Nazism put together!
Shmooviyet says
Bravo.
Warner’s video posted here some months ago, showing the attitude of a number of Minneapolistani muslims toward their new home, said it all. They ache for their homeland; cheer for implementation of sharia; the younger males dress like street gangstas; and many express hate and superiority toward ANY other citizens who don’t share their religio/ideological beliefs. Talk about intolerance!
How long did it take the local FBI to come to this conclusion?
Alarmed Pig Farmer says
When the geniuses at the MN FBI get a break in their schedule — and they do, I used to do happy hour at Kieran’s Pub, where the FBI guys would go cuz their office was a half-block away — could they please check whether welfare money is still being direct deposited into the bank accounts of these young Somali Mujahidin? I’m concerned. We pride ourselves on our socialism up here, and Moslems fit real good into the Karl Marx scheme of things.
Btw, they told me that they have two offices in downtown Mpls now, just in case one gets blown up the other would still be operable. Smart. When you got Moslems driving all over the place in cabs on their cell phones, you need to think about contingencies like bombs going off.
Vince says
Let them join. Let them all join, muahahaha! And once they’ve shown their colors, gather up all family and relative, close and distant, as well as all friends and acquaintances, and send them back to the lands from whence they came. Sadly, our benevolent leaders have deigned to import these people as “refugees” on the tax dime of the U.S. taxpayers. Rampant sickness. Makes my blood boil.