. "On Tuesday, President Barack Obama stated that “Over [the] last eight years, no foreign terrorist organization has successfully planned and executed an attack on our homeland.”
Talk about something actually deserving of being labeled as
“fake news.”
December 11, 2015
80. Terrorist Hides in Maryland, Plans Attack on U.S.
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist apprehended
Mohamed Elshinawy pledged allegiance to ISIS while stating his desire to undertake jihad. While he would remain in the U.S., Elshinawy stated that he had several targets but was taking his time. Elshinawy also discussed making “some sort of explosive device,” saying that he dreamt of using a gun to kill people in a church.
To support this plot, Elshinawy and his co-conspirator received at least $7,700 from a source that Elshinawy identified as an ISIS operative, to be used in carrying out an attack in the U.S.
December 2, 2015
79. San Bernardino
Individuals directly involved:
Attack successful, terrorists killed
U.S. citizen Syed Rizwan Farook and his wife Tashfeen Malik, originally from Pakistan, attacked the Inland Regional Center for disabilities development, killing 14 of Farook’s coworkers. The two were later killed by law enforcement following a road-side shootout.
The couple was found to have had tactical gear, .223-caliber rifles, handguns, and 1,600 rounds of ammo at their time of capture. Three thousand rounds of ammo and 19 pipe bombs were additionally found at their place of residence.
Reports show Malik had devoted allegiance to ISIS. FBI has since noted that the couple had been radicalized for ‘quite some time.’
November 4, 2015
78. UC Merced Stabber
Individuals directly involved:
Plot successful, terrorist killed
On November 4, 2015, Faisal Mohammad was shot and killed by law enforcement after stabbing four individuals on the University of California-Merced campus. Mohammad’s backpack contained a photocopy of an ISIS flag, zip ties, a knife, and a glass breaker, as well as a two-page “manifesto” that detailed his plans for taking hostages and killing students and police officers. The FBI has concluded Mohammed may have been self-radicalized as no evidence of a direct connection with ISIS has been found.
July 27, 2015
77.Florida Keys Plot
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist apprehended
The FBI was made aware of an individual espousing radical Islamist ideology on Facebook and was able to identify and locate Harlem Suarez, a 23-year-old living with his parents in Key West, Fla.
An FBI confidential informant then approached Suarez through Facebook. Suarez had two handguns and was attempting purchase an AK-47-style weapon. He also wanted to “learn how to make a controller bomb,” meaning a bomb that was remote-controlled. Suarez would also make at least one ISIS recruiting video.
Suarez met with another confidential informant to discuss improvised explosive devices. He considered bombing police or military targets or softer targets like hotels or 4th of July celebrations. Suarez also considered building a car bomb, though he decided on backpack bombs for at least the first bomb. He provided the FBI informants with galvanized nails, a backpack, a cell phone, and $100 in cash for the building of the first device. When he had picked up the bomb, which was actually an inert device, the FBI arrested him. He awaits prosecution.
July 16, 2015
76. Attack in Chattanooga
Individuals directly involved:
Attack successful, terrorist killed
A shooting at two military facilities in Chattanooga, Tenn., killed four Marines and a sailor. FBI Director James Comey announced that the shooter, Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, "was inspired, motivated by a foreign terrorist organization’s propaganda.” Comey further claimed that it was difficult "to untangle" the particular source of the propaganda, as there “are lots of competing [terrorist] poisons out there." According to multiple sources, Abdulazeez attacked these facilities for Islamist reasons. Abdulazeez was later killed in a gunfight with police at the second military facility he had travelled to.
July 4, 2015
75. Plot to Bomb College or Bar, Live-streaming Executions
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist apprehended
A close acquaintance of Alexander Ciccolo, reportedly his father, a Boston police captain, informed the FBI that Alexander was a supporter of ISIS and was seeking to engage in terrorist activity. A cooperating witness met with Ciccolo, who detailed his plans to use pressure-cooker bombs, Molotov cocktails, and firearms to attack a college or college bar before the end of July. He had purchased pressure cookers and was making the firebombs when he was arrested for illegally obtaining firearms as a felon. When in custody, he stabbed a nurse in the head with a pen, thankfully only causing a minor injury. He is awaiting trial for weapons and assault charges, though additional charges may be added.
June 19, 2015
74. Plot to Attack Public Venue with Rifle
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist apprehended
Justin Sullivan’s father alerted local officials to his son’s increasingly radical behavior. Sullivan swore his allegiance to ISIS and told a confidential informant that he sought to attack the U.S. since travelling to Syria to join ISIS was too difficult. He planned on buying a rifle from a gun show and getting a silencer to make his attack more effective. He was going to target a concert or a bar and believed the informant would help him. After taking a silencer from the informant, the FBI arrested him at his home in North Carolina. He is awaiting trial for firearms and terror charges.
June 17, 2015
73. NYC Landmarks Plot
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorists apprehended
Munther Saleh was under surveillance after being picked up for strangely inspecting the George Washington Bridge in New York City. He allowed law enforcement to examine his computer, which contained ISIS materials that he appeared to be translating. While under surveillance, he searched for various weapons and bombs as well as New York landmarks. He also enrolled in an electrical engineering class, which would provide skills useful for bomb making. He told a confidential informant that he was doing “an op.”
Fareed Mumuni picked up Saleh and another individual very early in the morning on June 13 and began performing anti-surveillance measures, such as driving without lights on and erratically pulling over and speeding up. At around 4 a.m., Saleh (with knife in hand) and one other individual got out of the car and charged a law enforcement vehicle tracking them, causing police to arrest them. Mumuni got away and was arrested on June 17, but not before stabbed an FBI agent multiple times, fortunately hitting the agent’s vest, before being subdued. The individuals await terrorist, assault, and attempted murder charges.
June 2, 2015
72. Plot to Behead Police
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist killed
Usaamah Rahim was being watched by the FBI for planning to engage in terrorism. The FBI was listening in on the calls between Rahim and an associate, David Wright, and recorded multiple conversations regarding how Rahim planned to use large knives to behead someone. He eventually decided to go “on vacation right here in Massachusetts…. I’m just going to, ah, go after them, those boys in blue. Cause, ah, it’s the easiest target.” During this conversation, Rahim told Wright that he planned to attack a police officer on June 2 or June 3. Wright then offered advice on preparing a will and destroying any incriminating evidence.
Based on this threat, Boston police officers and FBI agents approached Rahim to question him, which prompted him to pull out one of his knives. After being told to drop his weapon, Rahim responded with “you drop yours” and moved toward the officers, who then shot and killed him. Wright is only charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice.
May 21, 2015
71. Plot to Kill U.S. Government Officers
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorist apprehended
Munir Abdulkader of West Chester, Ohio, started expressing support for the Islamic State on Twitter in July 2014. By May 2015, Abdulkader was in communication with an overseas member of ISIS known as Junaid Hussein. Hussein directed Abdulkader to forego traveling to Syria and to instead launch a domestic attack within the U.S.
Abdulkader plotted to kidnap and kill a member of a U.S. military installation in the Southern District of Ohio before then attacking a local police station with firearms and Molotov cocktails. He was arrested on May 21 after purchasing an AK-47 that he intended to use in his attack.
May 3, 2015
70.Muhammad Art Exhibit Plot
Individuals directly involved:
Plot foiled, terrorists killed
Elton Simpson had been watched by the FBI since 2006 when it appeared that he was going to travel overseas to join al-Shabaab in Somalia. While his travel plans were thwarted, he was only convicted of lying to federal officials and received three years’ probation in 2011. The FBI stopped monitoring him in 2014 but reopened their investigation in March after he expressed interest in jihad and ISIS on social media. The FBI did not have any specific intelligence regarding an attack but did send a general bulletin on Simpson to the Garland Police.
Upon arriving at the convention center, Simpson and his roommate, Nadir Soofi, opened fire with rifles, wounding one unarmed security officer in the leg. The first officer to confront the shooters returned fire, wounding both, and together with other members of the Garland, Texas police department, killed the shooters."
Obama’s Terrorism Claim Hides an Inconvenient Truth