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Exposing the role that Islamic jihad theology and ideology play in the modern global conflicts

Attorney General Barr says Pensacola jihad murderer was motivated by “jihadist ideology”

Jan 15, 2020 12:00 pm By Robert Spencer

This is momentous. For years now, since Obama in 2011 banned all mention of Islam and jihad from counterterror training, the US government has been committed to the fantasy that there is no jihadist ideology. There are still many in the clueless and compromised FBI and other agencies who believe these delusions.

“AG Bill Barr demands Apple unlock two phones used by Saudi cadet responsible for shooting at Pensacola Navy base to see if he acted alone as he says the attack WAS terrorism motivated by ‘jihadist ideology,'” by Megan Sheets and Valerie Edwards, Dailymail.com, January 13, 2020 (thanks to Frank):

US Attorney General William Barr has demanded that Apple unlock two cellphones used by a gunman who carried out a mass shooting at a Florida military base.

Barr made the high profile request at a press conference on Monday where he branded the attack an ‘act of terrorism’.

Three American sailors were killed and eight other people were wounded when Saudi military trainee Mohammed Alshamrani opened fire in a classroom at the US Naval Air Station in Pensacola on December 6.

Alshamrani, 21, who was training to be a naval flight officer, was then killed in a shoot-out with police….

In the Alshamrani case, DOJ officials say that they need access to the gunman’s phones to see data and messages from encrypted apps like Signal or WhatsApp and determine whether he had discussed his plans with others at the base and if he was acting alone.

At Monday’s press conference Barr said that Alshamrani was motivated by ‘jihadist ideology’ and had posted anti-American, anti-Israeli and jihadist messages on social media. Some of those messages were shared within hours of the shooting.

On September 11 of last year, Alshamrani allegedly posted a message which read: ‘The countdown has begun.’

Barr added that Alshamrani also visited the New York City memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001, attacks days before the shooting….

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Filed Under: Featured, Jihad in the U.S., Saudi Arabia Tagged With: Apple, Mohammed Alshamrani, William Barr


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Comments

  1. Emilie Green says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    Quite unlike you know who,

    https://cloudinary.cagle.com/image/upload/w_600/cartoons/159375.png

  2. No Muzzies Here says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    Just what might that Jihadi ideology be? Could it be a certain religion that contains a significant political component?

    • mortimer says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 1:22 pm

      Reply to questions of NMH:

      The following commentary is as close to an “official” definition of jihad as we can get. It is contained in ‘The Noble Quran’, which is the translation distributed by the Saudis in millions of copy, a footnote to the mentioned Quran 2:190 (verse of the sword) explains it in detail:

      “Jihad is holy fighting in Allah’s Cause with full force of numbers and weaponry. It is given the utmost importance in Islam and is one of its pillars. By Jihad Islam is established, Allah’s Word is made superior (which means only Allah has the right to be worshiped), and Islam is propagated. By abandoning Jihad Islam is destroyed and Muslims fall into an inferior position; their honor is lost, their lands are stolen, their rule and authority vanish. Jihad is an obligatory duty in Islam on every Muslim. He who tries to escape from this duty, or does not fulfill this duty, dies as a hypocrite.”

      Definition of JIHADISM (jihad ideology):

      …”Islam is a religion like any other with all the various sects and denominations. ISLAMISM is a desire to IMPOSE Islam over society. And that is a very theocratic, extremist desire. It can manifest itself VIOLENTLY. When it does, I call it JIHADISM. But it can also manifest itself politically. It’s still a PROBLEMATIC IDEOLOGY because any desire to impose anyone’s faith over anyone else is inherently flawed and must be challenged”… – Maajid Nawaz, co-founder of the Quilliam Foundation

      • PRCS says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 1:42 pm

        Nawaz?

        Famous Muslim apologist.

        No such thing as ‘jihad ideology’.

        • Westman says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 2:52 pm

          We’re aware that, ” Islam is known in the State of California to not cause Jihad Idelogy.” However, “Islam is known in the State of Florida to cause violent Jihad.” Go figure…

        • PRCS says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 3:57 pm

          +1

      • Michael Copeland says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 3:45 pm

        Nawaz: “any desire to impose anyone’s faith over anyone else is inherently flawed and must be challenged”.
        This is misleading. It may be Nawaz’s personal opinion, but it is not Islamic teaching.

        “If anyone desire a religion other than Islam never will it be accepted of him”, K 3:85
        “It is the nature of Islam to …impose its law on all nations” – Hassan al Banna
        “Does Islam or does it not force people by the power of the sword to submi…t? Yes!” – Osama bin Laden
        “Convert or be killed” – Al Baghdadi

        Not much room for doubt there.

        • PRCS says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 7:08 pm

          Yup.

        • Norger says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 11:18 pm

          Exactly. And THAT mainstream Islamic fascism/totalitarianism is the proverbial elephant in the room that our political leaders and the MSM just continue to ignore.

    • gravenimage says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 3:47 pm

      No Muzzies Here and PRCS, I take your points.

      This is still *far* closer to the truth than you usually hear from officials in the West.

      • PRCS says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 3:53 pm

        19 years post 9/11.

        No excuse.

        • gravenimage says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 11:29 pm

          It is still not the case that all leaders in the West are all of a piece. Were that true, there would be no difference between someone like President Trump and Jeremy Corbyn.

    • Alarmed Pig Farmer says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 4:24 pm

      Excellent question. It seems to me that Barr has come perilously close to publicly stating the obvious truth about Islam. That’s significant. On another subject, The Rotherham Islamo-Pedophilia scandal is trying to break back into the MSM Sphere; it’ll be interesting to see if either Fox channel reports the news that just came out on it, the FoxNews website did. My guess is no way.

      Btw, Wm Barr is the 2nd most important person in Washington now. Will he do the right thing and file criminal charges against the several dozen Deep Staters and Obama political appointees who apparently committed felonies. Again I say not.

  3. PRCS says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 1:01 pm

    “This is momentous. For years now, since Obama in 2011 banned all mention of Islam and jihad from counterterror training, the US government has been committed to the fantasy that there is no jihadist ideology. There are still many in the clueless and compromised FBI and other agencies who believe these delusions.”

    Momentous?

    Perpetuating the idiotic notion that jihad is separate from, is not a core component of Islam, is momentous?

    That nonsense is the true delusion.

    That is what AG Barr regurgitated.

    • Alarmed Pig Farmer says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 4:29 pm

      Interestingly, and contributing to your point, the word jihad has been adopted as a general term in English now to denote all-out war, for example that Trump is waging Jihad against the deep staters. This I think has the effect of diluting the word of its true meaning. But the Moslems will remember what it really means.

      • PRCS says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 9:01 pm

        Indeed it does, and yes–they will.

      • gravenimage says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 9:17 pm

        Good point, APF and PRCS.

    • eduardo odraude says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 7:15 pm

      Barr and Trump have pushed the envelope. For that we should be thankful. We who are not political figures can and should state what we consider the unvarnished truth. But people in politics, even the best of them, if they are to be successful in reaching their goals, have to first think about what various constituents and populations are ready to hear and what public statements on the other hand will lead only to a politician losing all power to do anything at all. Politicians, even moral ones with good ideals, must often compromise while pushing the envelope where possible. Lincoln never could have ended slavery if he had spoken as directly as the radical abolitionists. He would never have been elected. Lincoln had to gather support from all sorts of disparate groups of people with a large range of varying opinions.

  4. mortimer says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 1:09 pm

    Hurrah! Reality is being recognized! We cannot predict which Muslims will ‘act out’ in jihad terror attacks. Why?

    Saudi Arabia promotes JIHAD, HATRED and HOSTILITY towards the dirty KAFIRS at all levels of their national school curricula.

    In other words, KSA is promoting genocidal ideation among its students … directed against non-Muslims worldwide … the dirty disbelievers … the KUFAAR.

    The Saudi teaching of hatred against disbelievers is a perfect example of systemic bigotry. If the kufaar are so evil, it is ‘logical’ and ‘obvious’ to a Saudi student that his duty is to be HOSTILE towards the kafirs.

    When such a BIGOTED student has HIGHLY POWERED WEAPONRY in his hands, WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WILL DO WITH THE WEAPONS WHEN HE SEES KAFIR TARGETS ???

    (You know the answer: any Saudi student could be a ticking time bomb.)

    Having any genocide-prepared Saudis in the US is a risk. It’s ‘Muslim roulette’. They are all indoctrinated jihadists.

  5. mortimer says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    Many Muslims are indeed ticking time bombs counting down to zero … Alshamrani admitted that in his message: ‘The countdown has begun.’

    Any Muslim who is interested in jihad ‘in the cause of Allah’ is certainly a risk to those around him.

  6. Jim says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 2:31 pm

    “Bill Barr demands Apple unlock two phones used by Saudi cadet responsible for shooting at Pensacola Navy base to see if he acted alone”

    In order for Apple to accomplish this, they would have to break the encryption on the phones – in other words, they would have to damage their own product (encryption). Apple has no way to unencrypt the phone, because the customer, not Apple, has the encryption/decryption keys. Apple’s customers know that they can trust Apple, and this is one of the reasons for Apple’s great success in the market.

    I applaud Apple for resisting the intense pressure by the FBI to break their own encryption. Because of their very principled stand in the face of intense pressure, I recently got an iPhone rather than an Android for my daughter.

    • Jim says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 2:38 pm

      We don’t live in a police state; we live under the rule of law. According to the Constitution, the police don’t have carte blanche to search anywhere they want; they have to get a warrant. Encryption prevents them from being able to spy on you anytime they want.

      In this case, the issue is a bit different. The government is not simply looking at the contents of the phones, they are demanding that Apple damage their own product (and reputation). I haven’t found any provision in the Constitution which empowers the government to force someone to damage their own product.

      When the people have rights, sometimes the bad guy gets away. That is the price you pay to live in a free society.

      • gravenimage says

        Jan 15, 2020 at 3:55 pm

        Is this where you have decided to make your stand for “freedom”–that Apple has to allow Jihadists to use their products without fear of exposure?

        • Keys says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 9:39 pm

          Gravenimage asks a significant question for Jim.

          Would Jim tell a lie to save his daughter’s life ? Would it be “principled” to unlock an iPhone if doing so might save Jim’s daughter’s life from being part of a “terrorist” massacre ?

        • Norger says

          Jan 15, 2020 at 11:49 pm

          Yeah, I’m 100% behind you on this Graven. The Constitution is supposed to be a living document, not a suicide pact.

          Understanding that the Constitution is not up for vote, I suspect the vast majority of Americans have no problem with forcing Apple to assist the feds in getting access to a suicide jihadi’s phone, particularly after he’s already completed a high profile act of mass murder on a US military base. Honestly, I could give a rat’s *ss about forcing Apple to “destroy their product.” Among other things, the feds have every reason to believe that this man’s phone has information which could lead to the prevention of future terror attacks.

          Jim doesn’t seem to understand that this isn’t a question of “the bad guy getting away.” The “bad guy” is already dead. This is about potentially preventing the “bad guy’s” fellow jihadis from committing another 9/11 or worse. It’s not an exaggeration to say that thousands of innocent lives could be at stake. Apple is morally bankrupt here.

  7. gravenimage says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 3:57 pm

    Attorney General Barr says Pensacola jihad murderer was motivated by “jihadist ideology”
    …………………………

    This is *very* close to fully accurate (actually, as others have pointed out, “jihadist ideology” is orthodox Islam itself). I’m glad to see it.

  8. underbed cat says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 5:06 pm

    There may have been phone calls to handlers in S.A. or U.S.prior or contacts with political party members….inside or outside the U.S. Apple not opening this phone seems like collusion with the enemy. Could they find out who the provider was and get the phone number…to see who he talks to like a fisa warrant, but with good cause this time.

    Something does not set right with me that tech computer companies giants have more power or access than a President or a Attorney General….corruption. betrayal, terrorism hides in secrecy, especially in a dangerous time.

  9. underbed cat says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 5:11 pm

    Do encrypted messages once opened then get deleted or go back to encrypted state after read? Anyone know?

  10. eduardo odraude says

    Jan 15, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    The fact that Barr spoke of “jihadist ideology” is better than if he referred to “Islamists” as so many equivocators do in order to avoid pointing the finger at Islam. “Islamism” is assumed to be an arbitrary interpretation of Islam, or a hijacking of true Islam.

    Unlike “Islamism,” however, Jihad is a widely recognized part of Islam.

    True, by referring to “jihad ideology,” the implication might be drawn that that is something distinct from Islamic ideology. Would have been better had Barr simply referred to “jihad,” not to “jihad ideology.”

    But one shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. We should be glad that Barr used the word “jihad.”

    • PRCS says

      Jan 15, 2020 at 9:42 pm

      Well, my friend, it’s been almost 19 years and more than 30,000 acts of violent jihad around the world since 9/11.
      And, in truth, ‘Islamist’ is a legitimate word with a definitive meaning.
      ‘Jihadist ideology’ is a deceptive, concocted term.
      One can only imagine how many CAIR reps appreciated him saying that.
      IMO

    • Norger says

      Jan 16, 2020 at 12:16 am

      @eduardo

      PRCS posted a similar comment last night and I agree with him. There’s an implication here that “jihadist ideology” is somehow not (or is different from) Islamic ideology. I’ve never understood the term “Islamism” other than, as you say, “Islamism” is also supposedly somehow different from or a distortion of Islam. As most of the posters on this site know, this man’s “ ideology” is the mainstream form of Islam he learned growing up in Saudi Arabia, heart of the Muslim world. Unfortunately, even Trump’s AG won’t dare to say that, almost 20 years after 9/11.

      • PRCS says

        Jan 16, 2020 at 1:20 pm

        +1

        Disagree only in tthis:

        Islamism/Islamist:

        Islamism
        “movements which call for full implementation of sharia”
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamism

        Not “different from or a distortion of Islam”, rather its full-throated promotion.

        Enjoy your day.

        • eduardo odraude says

          Jan 16, 2020 at 8:28 pm

          Well, the term “Islamism” no doubt can be used with a range of different meanings. My sense is that 90% of the time it has been used by public authors in order to avoid saying “Islam” or “Islamic”. Because if you point the finger at Islam and you have to think about getting hit from two sides at once: jihadists, violent or otherwise, and leftists. Will you get fired from your newspaper? Will people stop publishing your work? Will you no longer be permitted to be a talking head, fired by your network? find yourself slandered as a bigot, a racist, and an idiot? But simply substitute “Islamist” and your problems shrink to manageable size.

          I admit that “jihad ideology” can serve a purpose almost identical to Islamism. But at least Barr said the word “jihad” and not “man-caused disaster” or “war on terror.” At least he breached Obama’s purging of government documents of mention of Islam and jihad.

        • gravenimage says

          Jan 16, 2020 at 11:02 pm

          Agree, Eduardo.

  11. sidney penny says

    Jan 16, 2020 at 1:18 am

    Are we sure he was not mentally ill?

  12. maemae77 says

    Jan 16, 2020 at 3:20 am

    No sh*t Sherlock. Straight from the versus of the Quran.

  13. underbed cat says

    Jan 17, 2020 at 10:18 am

    Settle the dispute, Islamic, Islam, Islamist is all Quran warfare or Quranic warfare…..complete with dawah, jihad killing, deception and the command to be silent about the intent and goals, act peacefully, act pious, deny jihad, set up communities, don’t talk to the police, while funding it thru sakat payments, charities and money provided by SA Q etc. and methods of Islam when it wants to infiltrate influence, spread itself unnoticed and untouched across the world. The highly educated class that follow Isam is extremely important to land positions in governments in cities, states and in federal positions, in the military, medical fields, education or managerment. It is strategic in the plan that took years of influence to operate so that eradicating the potential would be like trying to open an encrypted phone. I appreciate the AG for exposing this it is but he must defange sharia influenced organized sedtitious groups that uses sharia law standards, to destroy free speech with threats of” lawfare”, “racism” where is does not apply, and continues the fibs or denys the doctrine of Islam doctrine of sharia spread by mosques. It will take skill and knowledge to even start.

  14. David Johnston says

    Jan 17, 2020 at 4:12 pm

    Robert, in other published articles/books– clearly outlines the three activities (which should keep adherents out of any freedom-loving country) of Islamism that are creedal and placed before their pagan religion. Military, Political & legal (sharia law) Islam . Islam’s zealotry and fascist ideology related to other people groups is anathema to freedom and freedom-loving people.The book of Revelation (of Jesus Christ) to me, clearly outlines Islam as one of Satan’s tools to keep as many people out of following Jesus as possible (the gullible) THUS headed for Hell and damnation.

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