In case you missed the last Republica.n debate, and I won’t hold it against you if you did, Republican candidates Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio got into a heated back and forth to prove how tough they will be against terrorism and immigration. And in the process, Ted Cruz blurted out some info abiut the NSA and data collection that was should have remained classified.
“What [Rubio] knows is that the old program covered 20 percent to 30 percent of phone numbers to search for terrorists,” Cruz said, clearly annoyed that he was being challenged by Rubio. Then he shared this indo. “The new program covers nearly 100 percent. That gives us greater ability to stop acts of terrorism, and he knows that that’s the case.”
Realizing what Cruz had just done on a nationally and internationally televised debate, Marco Rubio quickly interjected.
“Let me be very careful when answering this,” Rubio responded, “because I don’t think national television in front of 15 million people is the place to discuss classified information. So let me just be very clear. There is nothing that we are allowed to do under this bill that we could not do before.”
President Obama used his weekly address to once again address the terrorism fears in American and worldwide, and the steps his administration has taken and will continue to take, in fighting the terrorist threat.
This week, Americans across our country have shown what it means to be strong in the face of terrorism. In San Bernardino, even as the community continues to grieve, people are refusing to be ruled by fear. Across the county, dedicated public servants are on the job – and more will be returning to work this week. Faith communities have come together in fellowship and prayer. Families lined the streets for the annual children’s Christmas parade—because we can’t let terrorists change how we live our lives.
Meanwhile, our men and women in uniform are stepping up our campaign to destroy ISIL. Our airstrikes are hitting ISIL harder than ever, in Iraq and Syria. We’re taking out more of their fighters and leaders, their weapons, their oil tankers. Our Special Operations Forces are on the ground—because we’re going to hunt down these terrorists wherever they try to hide. In recent weeks, our strikes have taken out the ISIL finance chief, a terrorist leader in Somalia and the ISIL leader in Libya. Our message to these killers is simple—we will find you, and justice will be done.
This week, we’ll move forward on all fronts. On Monday, I’ll go to the Pentagon. And there, I’ll review our military campaign and how we can continue to accelerate our efforts. Later in the week, I’ll go to the National Counterterrorism Center. There, I’ll review our efforts—across our entire government—to prevent attacks and protect our homeland. And this week, the Department of Homeland Security will update its alert system to ensure Americans get more information, including steps that you and your communities can take to be vigilant and to stay safe.
Republican presidential candidate, businessman Donald Trump speaks during the CNBC Republican presidential debate at the University of Colorado, Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2015, in Boulder, Colo. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Donald Trump saga continues with yet another statement that Republicans will undoubtedly love – Donald Trump is promising that in his administration, not only will he go after known lawbreakers and terrorists, he will also go after the innocent, the wives and family members of the terrorists, because according to Trump, those wives and family members of known terrorists “know what’s happening.”
On CBS’ Face The Nation, Trump explained why targeting people simply because of who they know makes sense. “At least I would certainly go after the wives who absolutely knew it was happening, and I guess your definition of what I’d do, I’m going to leave that to your imagination.”
Trump also said that he didn’t believe the sister of the San Bernandino terrorist. In recent interviews the sister of Syed Farook, Saira Khan, condemned the terrorist attack her brother and his wife carried out in San Bernardino, and she said the rest of the family had no idea what they planned on doing. Trump however, doubted her statement because, she is family and obviously had to know something.
“I probably don’t believe the sister,” Trump said. “I would go after a lot of people and find out whether or not they knew. I’d be able to find out. Cause I don’t believe the sister.”
Michael Adebolajo was arrested with five others on charges that they were preparing to train and fight with an Al Qaeda-linked terror group. Adebolajo, who was carrying a British passport, was handed over to Britain. He is now suspected of butchering a British soldier last week on a London street.
Michael Adebolajo is among nine suspected members of the Al-Shabaab Movement arrested by Kenyan police on Nov. 22, 2010, on claims of being Al-Shabaab recruits on their way to Somalia.
NAIROBI, Kenya — A suspect in the savage killing of a British soldier on a London street was arrested in Kenya in 2010 near the East African country’s border with Somalia, an anti-terrorism police official said Sunday.
Michael Adebolajo was believed to have been preparing to train and fight with the Al Qaeda-linked Somali militant group al-Shabab in 2010 when he was arrested with five others, Kenya’s anti-terrorism police unit head Boniface Mwaniki told The Associated Press.
Mwaniki said that the suspect was then deported, however, Kenya’s government spokesman said he was arrested under a different name and handed to British authorities.
“Kenya’s government arrested Michael Olemendis Ndemolajo. We handed him to British security agents in Kenya and he seems to have found his way to London and mutated to Michael Adebolajo,” spokesman Muthui Kariuki said. “The Kenyan government cannot be held responsible for what happened to him after we handed him to British authorities.”
Michael Adebolajo (front) shouts slogans as Muslims march in London in a protest on April 27, 2007, against the arrest of six people in anti-terror raids.
The gruesome scene was captured by witnesses’ cellphones, and a video picked up by British media showed one of the suspects, with bloodied hands, making political statements and warning of more violence as the soldier lay on the ground behind him.
Hardline Muslim leaders have identified the man in the video as Adebolajo, an Islam convert who allegedly used to take part in London demonstrations organized by British radical group al-Muhajiroun. The group catapulted to notoriety after the Sept. 11 attacks by organizing an event to celebrate the airplane hijackers, and was banned in Britain in 2010.
Anti-terrorism head Mwaniki rejected allegations that Adebolajo was tortured while in custody, but said the unit would further investigate.
Adebolajo’s friend asserted in a BBC interview that Adebolajo became withdrawn after he allegedly suffered abuse by Kenyan security forces during interrogation in prison there. Mwaniki said at the time, there were no indications of torture or abuse.
Mwaniki said dozens of foreign youth are arrested every year attempting to cross the Kenyan border to join al-Shabab, which claims to be fighting a jihad or holy war against the Somali government and African Union forces.
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