But don’t be concerned. U.S. officials are going to vet the heck out of those Syrian refugees. They’re going to vet them til the cows come home. That’s right: U.S. officials who are bound as a matter of policy to deny that there is any connection between jihad terror and the Islamic faith are going to discern the level of commitment of Muslims to the jihadi tenets of the Islamic faith that they deny exist. Tashfeen Malik stands as an indication of how successful this vetting is going to be.
“U.S. Visa Process Missed San Bernardino Wife’s Zealotry on Social Media,” by Matt Apuzzo, Michael S. Schmidt and Julia Preston, New York Times, December 12, 2015:
WASHINGTON — Tashfeen Malik, who with her husband carried out the massacre in San Bernardino, Calif., passed three background checks by American immigration officials as she moved to the United States from Pakistan. But none uncovered what Ms. Malik had made little effort to hide — that she talked openly on social media about her views on violent jihad.
She said she supported it. And she said she wanted to be a part of it.
American law enforcement officials said they recently discovered those old — and previously unreported — postings as they pieced together the lives of Ms. Malik and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, trying to understand how they pulled off the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since Sept. 11, 2001.
Had the authorities found the posts years ago, they might have kept her out of the country. But immigration officials do not routinely review social media as part of their background checks, and there is a debate inside the Department of Homeland Security over whether it is even appropriate to do so.
Officials have discovered a potential link between the attackers and Islamic extremism.The discovery of the old social media posts has exposed a significant — and perhaps inevitable — shortcoming in how foreigners are screened when they enter the United States, particularly as people everywhere disclose more about themselves online. Tens of millions of people are cleared each year to come to this country to work, visit or live. It is impossible to conduct an exhaustive investigation and scour the social media accounts of each of them, law enforcement officials say.
In the aftermath of terrorist attacks in San Bernardino and Paris, this screening process has been singled out as a major vulnerability in the nation’s defense against terrorism. Lawmakers from both parties have endorsed making it harder for people to enter the United States if they have recently been in Iraq or Syria. Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, has said there should be a temporary ban on Muslims’ entering the country.
While President Obama has cautioned against “a betrayal of our values” in the way the United States responds to threats, he has ordered a review of the K-1 visa program, which allows foreigners like Ms. Malik to move to the United States to marry Americans, putting them on a pathway to permanent residence and, ultimately, citizenship….

jewdog says
The Japanese chose the wrong time to bomb Pearl Harbor. If they could have waited a few years, they could have simply invaded by immigration and used human rights slogans to cover their tracks.
And since when do foreigners have rights of privacy that citizens do? I wasn’t aware that the Consitution applied to Pakistanis.
Ashley says
Had the authorities found the posts years ago, they might have kept her out of the country. But immigration officials do not routinely review social media as part of their background checks, and there is a debate inside the Department of Homeland Security over whether it is even appropriate to do so.
______________________
This is fucking outrageous! Who DOESN’T review social media as part of their background checks? You post it, you own it. And that goes for all you chicks who think its cool to flash their tits and paste the photos on Facebook.
It is ROUTINE for employers to screen social media content of employees and/or potential employees. Once posted, it is in the public domain. What part of that doesn’t the DHS get?
Ugh! I’ve got smoke coming out of my ears…
Ex-muslim says
Short story:
Several years ago, I temporarily worked as a translator for a US agency that processed muslim refugees who are immigrating to the US. When we come to the (background section) of the interview, the US official would ask the muslim asylum seeker a number of specific (check list) questions such as have you ever involved in a terrorist activity? Have you ever had a military training etc, etc and then the official would check all boxes with no, no, no which was the standard answer that every muslim gave to such questions and that was it. To me, the whole thing was actually like a despicable piece of a joke! By the way, one day a muslim woman who wore the hijab and who was a regular worker for this US organization learned from the other translators who were all muslims that I left islam and converted to Christianity and she called me started criticizing me and calling my an infidel and after I gave an appropriate answer she reported me to a big fat, bald-headed American supervisor and he called to his office and told me to “leave the premises immediately”. This was 2002 just a few months after the 9/11. I tried to explain to him that I was my self a refugee in that third world country and that I had small kids and I needed the small job and that the muslim woman is the one who started to insult me but he arrogantly kept telling to “leave the premises” which I did. On that day and in that country, it was like a wake up call for me in that, I learned that most Americans really hate Christians and will side with muslims and I can see the same thing going on now in different forms over and over again in all across the world.
Mathew Solo says
Ex-muslim…I am Sorry that happened to You…we have wrong minded people here just
like everywhere else…I wish You and Yours good fortune.
Ex-muslim says
Mathew Solo
Thank you. What happened to me is happening in larger scales all across the world. America is siding with muslim states and jihadist groups while it despises and dismantles Christianity replacing it with islam and with post modernist secularism. I believe God is clearly using islam and muslim jihadists to punish America and the West for their rejection of his moral principals and this will only intensify in the coming months and years. I believe there will very bad days ahead for America and for the West if they don’t change their ways and repent. There will not only be multiplication of islamic jihadism in the West and worldwide and internal moral and societal implosion but there will be huge natural disasters the likes of which the world have never seen.
John Stefan Obeda says
I agree with what you have said to Matthew Solo down below. I think the same as you that it seems that God is planning to punish America especially for her glaring and public unrepentant sins like killing such innocent human beings as the unborn, etc. Of course, I hope I’m wrong. Yes, indeed, America and the people of other countries too must repent and change their ways. “God, please forgive our nation for the sake of Thy beloved Son Jesus Who atoned for our sins by His suffering and death.”
Greyhound Fancier says
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world!
Laura says
Exactly what I just said to my husband!!! And my hair is on fire!
somehistory says
If it is “appropriate” to collect meta data…making it possible to know what each citizen emails to family, friends and business contacts, to know who calls whom even if they don’t *listen* to every call, why then is it not “appropriate” to look online where potential terrorists might be saying what they really think, feel and plan to do to carry out their internal struggle to kill some of the rest of us?
It has become commonplace for businesses to look at social media when seeking to know more about a potential employee. The government can be much more intrusive than most businesses. Is it just that they wish to allow so many, many,…hundreds of thousands of…potential terrorists just waiting for their opportunity to kill non moslims into the country? Job security…hunting, following, tracking, investigating…is not so for the ones making the decisions.
The wild beast has captured so many in its evil grip and it isn’t about to let go until it is made to.
(Revelation 13)
Ashley says
Exactly, somehistory! You said it far better than I could during my streak of rage.
There are sites, organizations, and individuals that devote countless hours screening social media for terror-related activity/chatter/posts. It blows my mind that the Department of Homeland Security, you know, the good folks that espouse “see something, say something” to the public doesn’t sweep their own fucking front porch.
A buddy of mine works in admissions at an Ivy League school. Her very first step in her position? Screen social media for the college applicant’s profile. The college just isn’t interested in accepting a kid that is into ISIS, necrophilia, kiddie porn, and/or slamming a kitten’s head against the wall.
Angemon says
Is “cultural and collective suicide” an American value?
gravenimage says
SB jihadi passed 3 background checks while advocating jihad murder on social media
……………………..
What, me worry? sarc/off
John says
Its relatively easy to deduce why they don’t screen social media. This is because it would prevent nearly all Muslims from entering the USA. Nobody wants to be labeled a Islamophobe o rascist.
Matew Solo says
Putting people in jobs based on hyperbolized need must stop…
Homeland Security seems way over staffed with wrong personal and ineffective with wrong perspectives…the executive administrative staff is micro managing all agency efforts…special Interests are involved in influencing opinion of so many issues…while the issues needing attention must wait until an event draws attention to Itself.
This President’s terms in office is ending…Who ever gets the office must work with law makers to unravel this Bureaucracy…Give control back to the security apparatus and department heads…stop giving undue attention to imagined problems…and tie all their efforts to realistic goals…insist that they produce desired result…We can significantly reduce the chaos…the cost…and coordinate efforts so much better.
Rob Ronzio says
Hillary is honest. Bruce Jenner is a female. Temperature is man made. Muslims who terrorize are peaceful and people who speak out about it are hateful. Any questions as to why liberalism is a severe mental disorder.
don says
So this Jihadi, would be mass murder “passed” three federal government background checks without raising a single flag and the federal government focuses on pat downs to elderly people getting on planes who can barely walk.
Mike of the North says
The answer is much simpler than arguing about Muslims entering the US.
It is time to end ALL IMMIGRATION for a minimum of fifteen years – and I see no reason not to make it permanent. (We have 90 million people Unemployed or Underemployed Right Now, and a growing population!) No Non-US Citizen has a Right to come here, Period. Economics alone says STOP IT! Teach our own people to be the computer programmers and engineers!
From 1924-1965 there was NO US IMMIGRATION! Why? To assimilate the Millions who had come here from the 1890’s to the 1920’s. And that group was European, and had the same Western Culture and was thus easier to assimilate. Well, it’s time to do that again. Without real economic growth, and jobs, adding further numbers to our overloaded social and economic systems is insane.
The 1952 Immigration Law, put into law by a Democratic President and Democratic Congress gives the President the power to exclude ANY GROUP from entering the United States. It has been used numerous times since, most recently by Jimmy Carter, who banned all Iranian immigration and DEPORTED 15,000 Iranians, students and persons with visas.
We Don’t need ANY MORE PEOPLE. 75% of all Immigrants immediately get on Welfare – and most stay there. And bring their non-productive Grandparents and Relatives over to LEACH on the tax paying American Public and use up our medical, educational and legal systems – to NO BENEFIT to any American tax paying normal citizen. Indeed, their children will be competing with your children for jobs, educational benefits, etc, and they will get minority preferance!
The original immigration laws required you spend 8 years getting citizenship, have a sponsor, get a productive job, learn English, NO SUPPORT from Government programs, good character, And an honest Desire to BECOME AN AMERICAN – and leave their past allegiences behind. At a minimum, go back to this. Stop making new citizens. John F. Kennedy had it right – help them fix their countries, don’t bring them here.
It’s not just about Muslims. END ALL IMMIGRATION, NOW!
Mike of the North
Dave J says
Muslims who believe in democracy and truly wish to assimilate peacefully are the exceptions – so good luck in “vetting” the rest of the Koran reciting masses.
We don’t have enough police and surveillance personnel to watch them forever and they know it. And why should we have to live in a security/police State because of them anyway?
Trump is a blowhard egomaniac but he can at least raise the subject.
Jay Boo says
No Muslim Ban
Let’s not ban Muslims even temporarily until we figure out what is going on because that is discriminatory.
Let’s ban instead carpet kissing people from certain countries who have unbridled religious intolerance toward non-Muslims and open hostility to our culture and Western lifestyle.