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Home Front: WoT
FBI: Florida gunman 'tied' to Hezbollah
2016-06-14
[ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] The Orlando gunman who killed at least 50 and maimed many more, claimed to be loyal to a number of loyalist groups who are on opposing sides in the battlefield including Hezbollah and ISIS, US newspaper the Los Angeles Times reported.

Omar Mateen called 911 to say he was attacking the LGBT nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida on Sunday, swearing allegiance with ISIS.

The FBI's Director James Comey told the newspaper that since 2013 Mateen is known to have made a series elaborate claims linking his relatives to the Sunni terror network Al-Qaeda, while also claiming to have been a member of Hezbollah - the Iran-backed Shiite militia that operates in Leb. Both groups are known to oppose ISIS.

Comey said the contradictory comments and claims led to confusion surrounding his inspiration for Sunday’s devastating attack the newspaper report added.

In 2014, Comey added that the FBI again ’briefly’ investigated Mateen amid allegations that he had watched videos by Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar Awlaki. The killer also attended the same mosque as an American who became a jacket wallah for Al-Nusra Front in Syria which is also opposed to ISIS.

"During the calls [to 911] he said he was doing this for the leader of ISIS, who he named and pledged loyalty to," Comey told a presser on Monday using a different acronym for ISIS.

"But he also appeared to claim solidarity with the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing and solidarity with a Florida man who died as a suicide bomber in Syria for al-Nusra
...formally Jabhat an-Nusrah li-Ahli sh-Sham (Support Front for the People of the Levant), also known as al-Qaeda in the Levant. They aim to establish a pan-Arab caliphate. Not the same one as the Islamic State, though .. ...
Front, a group in conflict with the so-called Islamic State
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear the pols talk they're not really Moslems....
He added: "The bombers at the Boston Marathon and the suicide bomber from Florida were not inspired by ISIS, which adds a little bit to the confusion about his motives."

He explained that in 2013 "he was working as a contract security guard at a local courthouse and he made statements that were inflammatory and contradictory that concerned his coworkers about terrorism.

"First, he claimed family connections to Al Qaeda. He also said that he was a member of Hezbollah, which is a Shia terrorist organization that is a bitter enemy of the so-called Islamic state, ISIS."
Whatever works to terrorize the unbelievers fulfills the commandment. On the other hand, the new line at NPR yesterday was that this proved the gentleman is really just crazy, rather than a proper jihadi. It seems to me that being crazy is no bar to going a-jihading, and for Sudden Jihad Syndrome is a decided advantage.
Posted by:Fred

#9  Fred TW is pushing P&G stuff again!
Unilevers Pepsodent product is equal at cleansing and has Pepsin a digestive agent which breaks down that tough piece of Brisket between your molars. It is a price leader, recommended for old and young, black and white, rich or poor.
Posted by: Shipman   2016-06-14 16:59  

#8  As for Sunni vs whatever. I'm pretty sure that while they hate each other - they hate us non-muslims, not to mention gays, a *lot* more and will drop their little spat to kill off Infidels, Gays, and Jews.
Posted by: CrazyFool   2016-06-14 15:48  

#7  mateen was a psychopath and a confused one at that

sometimes gay, sometimes homophobic
sometimes al qaeda, sometimes ISIS, sometimes Hezbollah

but his massacre was done in the name of Islam and was almost certainly based on some personalized understanding of Islamic theology

anybody who pretends otherwise is being tendentious
Posted by: lord garth   2016-06-14 14:56  

#6  Shiite Iran sheltered Al Qaeda families and fighters after 9/11, so clearly the Sunni/Shiite divide is not absolute when there is prsent or future advantage to be gained.

Out here in Dar al Harb, the difference between Al Nusra and ISIS is like between tartar control Crest toothpaste and whitening Crest; Hizb'allah by comparison is Colgate brand toothpaste. All will clean your teeth, freshen your breath, and prevent cavities. Out here, or even Hamas in Gaza, jihadis will take what they can from whoever will give it to accomplish the shared goal of local terror leading to worldwide conquest.
Posted by: trailing wife   2016-06-14 14:01  

#5  These kinds of massacres occur pretty much every day in some part of the Islamic world. In the parts they don't the secret police tends to be good and feared.

As for ISSI v Al Nusra, I've said before designating brand X good and brand Y bad is just ridiculous.
Posted by: phil_b   2016-06-14 06:22  

#4  Identity issues, who knew ?
Posted by: Besoeker   2016-06-14 02:24  

#3  Bullsh*t, he's Sunni.
Posted by: g(r)omgoru   2016-06-14 01:23  

#2  Three guesses what is common to all these groups...


Islam!
Posted by: CrazyFool   2016-06-14 00:45  

#1  Well it appears to me that the current administration spin on this tragedy is unraveling rapidly.

Posted by: Sock Puppet of Doom   2016-06-14 00:20  

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