My latest in PJ Media:
A few years ago, Robert Lorenzo Hester, Jr. of Columbia, Missouri met “several young men who suggested that Islam was a religion that valued men like him.” That was when his troubles began: prosecutors announced Wednesday that they want Hester to serve twenty years in prison and be under supervision for the rest of his life for plotted a jihad massacre in Kansas City. His case shows yet again how politically correct willful ignorance regarding the motivating ideology and magnitude of the jihad threat renders us all vulnerable.
True to form, federal prosecutors are already busily ignoring the possibility that Hester was inspired to try to kill non-Muslims by Qur’anic exhortations such as “kill them wherever you find them” (2:191, 4:89; cf. 9:5). According to the Columbia Tribune, they claim that “mental health issues combined with a mockery of his race and intellect by fellow soldiers led him to extremists ideologies.” Federal public defender Troy Stabenow also notes that Hester suffered from an “abusive childhood” and engaged in “drug use at an early age.” He “wanted to feel accepted and do something to make others proud, so he joined the Armed Forces,” but he didn’t stick.
And so, apparently, he got the idea that committing mass murder for ISIS in Kansas City would be just the thing.
All that may be, but the “extremists ideologies” to which he fell prey were ready to hand in his new religion. Where did this convert to Islam (who has also called himself Ali Talib Muhammad and Rami Talib) learn about his new religion? From whom? How many other American converts were taught by the same people? Where are they now? Generally media reports about jihad plotters tell us that they were “radicalized on the Internet.” These reports never explain why the supposedly peaceful Islam that these Muslims presumably learned at the local mosque was unable to withstand the appeal of the allegedly twisted and hijacked online version.
According to prosecutors, Hester “repeatedly glorified violence, and proclaimed his excitement to help ISIS carry out a terrorist attack. Hester thought he was assisting in a plan to cause widespread deaths, doing everything he could to help. Hester did not act in a vacuum. His conduct was part of a larger movement of growing support for ISIS in the United States and abroad.”
And of course he was, we are to believe, motivated by humanitarian concerns, as Stabenow hastens to tell us: “As a new father himself, he was heartbroken and infuriated when he watched carefully edited footage of Western forces engaging in violence that resulted in the deaths of women and children in Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. In the videos, he was consistently told that the American military had been corrupted and that the United States government had adopted a policy of actively trying to hurt young Muslim families. Robert expressed his anger about the violence he saw online, and began to parrot some of what he saw.”
And so in response, according to prosecutors, Hester “wanted to hurt the economy ‘by hitting oil pipelines’ or ‘computer systems.’” He plotted a jihad attack for Presidents Day 2017 in Kansas City, hitting buses, trains and a train station. He bought ingredients to make bombs. He said that the day of the massacre was “going to be a good day for Muslims worldwide” and that he wanted a “global jihad” that would target installations not just in Kansas City, but also “military bases,” “federal places,” “government officials” and “Wall Street.” “Any government building in D.C. would get attention of everyone,” he added hopefully.
There is much more. Read the rest here.
Walter Sieruk says
This above jihad watch article informs the reader how “politically correct willful ignorance regarding the motivating ideology and magnitude of the jihad threat renders us all vulnerable.”
Likewise Dr. Sabastian Gorka ,well, understands that the root cause of the ideology of Islamic terrorism which is based on Islam. For in his book which is entitled DEFEATING JIHAD explained about the jihadist –Muslims on page 132 which reads “The enemy’s center of gravity is ideology of holy war against the infidel…”
This is, of course, the ideology of Islam jihad [Islamic terrorism] in which the jihadists are in this war against us for the victory of Islam over us.
mortimer says
Agree with Walter: the late jihad expert Philip Haney said we are endangered by a “politically correct” federal government that capitulates to a subversive enemy within and punishes those who reject its narrative.”
Walter Sieruk says
The top jihadwatch main essay mentions the “motivating ideology” of the jihad threats .
Likewise there is much talk about rooting out the ideology of Islamic terrorism. What is not mentioned is that the foundation of this type of terrorism is the theology of Islam’s “holy book” the Quran. For the Quran instructs in the use of violence and killing for the advancement of Islam. As found in, for example, 2:191. 5:33. 9:5, 111.123. 47:4.
Therefore Islam is a false ,dangerous and deadly religion.
ElderlyZionist says
“As a new father himself, he was heartbroken and infuriated when he watched carefully edited footage of Western forces engaging in violence that resulted in the deaths of women and children…”
Um, is Hester current on his child support payments? Or was he looking for escape from those burdensome responsibilities too?
gravenimage says
Good question…
gravenimage says
The ISIS Plot in Kansas City You Heard Nothing About
………………..
How many more converts to the “religion of peace” are there like Hester (I wonder what his Muslim name is?) out there?
Frank Anderson says
I ask that all who want to criticize the defense lawyer remember that someone must “zealously represent the defendant within the bounds of the law” in order for any conviction to be obtained and survive appeal. As long as the defendant does not demand that the lawyer violate the duties of the bar and court, any argument (pitch) that the client wishes to present generally should be allowed for presentation, no matter how absurd it may seem to us (“objective observers”). For a good discussion on the duties of a defense counsel, the United States Supreme Court wrote Nix v. Whiteside, available online, 475 U.S. 157 (1986).
The defense lawyer’s openly accepted duty is not to establish the “truth”, but to “force the state to prove its case beyond the shadow of a reasonable doubt and to a moral certainty” even for a guilty client. That distinguishes the Common Law compared to the Roman based Civil Law where the defense must prove Not Guilty and the presumption is that the defendant is guilty because the charges were brought.
James Lincoln says
Frank Anderson,
Excellent post, my compliments.
For non-attorneys, it is very difficult to wrap our heads around the fact that the most vile of people have a right to an attorney who will provide a robust defense.
I know that you’re correct, it just eats at me…
Frank Anderson says
James, I agree. I have had a few times to represent clients that I would have preferred to be prosecuting, but did my duty. The other parties, for the most part, understand the rules and accept that they must be followed.
I never stop being impressed that Adolf Eichman was provided the best defense and fairest trial possible in an Israeli court. Every effort was made to assure he had a competent and zealous defense; but with the evidence, it was a matter of affording his rights so that the outcome should be above question.
A valid conviction that will survive appeal cannot be obtained without a competent defense.
somehistory says
The New York Times
“As Domestic Terrorists Outpace Jihadists, New U.S. Law Is Debated ”
whether the United States needs a new law to specifically criminalize domestic terrorism, or whether such a statute would threaten basic First Amendment rights.
Proponents argue that a domestic terrorism law would streamline and clarify the patchwork of charges now used against homegrown extremists, charges that often avoid even mentioning terrorism.
Opponents counter that a new law amounts to a worrisome expansion of government powers, and might face constitutional challenges on the grounds of impinging on free speech.
Yet the New Jersey report laid out what is at stake in stark terms. “Some white supremacist extremists argue that participating in mass attacks or creating other forms of chaos will accelerate the imminent and necessary collapse of society in order to build a racially pure nation,” it said.
… the Justice Department’s counsel for domestic terrorism. “This confuses people. It leads to this pervasive but false narrative that somehow the government is paying more attention to the Islamic extremist threat than to the domestic threat.”…
The F.B.I. director, Christopher Wray, ….described “racially motivated violent extremism” as a “national threat priority” equal to the threat from the Islamic State. The F.B.I. has also created the Domestic Terrorism-Hate Crimes Fusion Cell to buttress its efforts, he said, stressing that the focus is “not about the ideology, it’s about the violence.”
Misgivings about a new law are also bipartisan.
African-American and Muslim organizations harbor deep concerns that a new law could actually be used against minority groups —
Critics of federal counterterrorism measures, and even some senior law enforcement officials, believe that the intense focus on the jihadist threat since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks slowed efforts to counter white supremacists.
…
There is more to the article than what is posted here.
Just Venting says
Phil Haney would most likely be able to answer all those questions posted in the above article. Unfortunately, he was most likely removed because he could answer those questions and probably still had the info secreted somewhere or knew that it was still retrievable by someone that knows the DHS info systems and their capabilities.
It seems to me that in a previous article, it was pointed out that this self appointed holy warrior was discharged from the military right after boot camp. It is well known that various criminals, gangsters, and others with less than honorable intentions join the military to get the training they need to use against us.
I suspect that this less than sharp tool was soon identified as being a danger to us more than to any enemy and was shown the door.
elee says
Has it occurred to anyone to investigate his imam(s) and audit any and all charities hes had contact with?
gravenimage says
This should *always* be done, elee–but I think it rarely is.
sidney penny says
“Generally media reports about jihad plotters tell us that they were “radicalized on the Internet.” ”
“These reports never explain why the supposedly peaceful Islam that these Muslims presumably learned at the local mosque was unable to withstand the appeal of the allegedly twisted and hijacked online version.”
Why can’t anybody answer your questions?
Another one is poverty causes “radicalization”
This time is Dr Ann Aly ‘s Internet Iman Google who is causing the radicalization.
Giacomo Latta says
If Hester, via his public defender, is to be believed (cough), the sight of ISIS members dying totally put him off his rocker, then he should be forced like Malcolm of Clockwork Orange to sit in front of Sesame Street videos until cured. You’re welcome, mortimer. Of course, it does seem funny that violence generated by Western forces was the flash point and not that of ISIS. I guess: drones bad, knives good.
Frank Anderson says
G.L. NOBODY says that a defendant’s claim should be believed anymore than it should be automatically rejected. The defense lawyer’s duty is to force the state to prove its case and that includes presenting any LAWFUL claim that could reduce or defend the charge against his client. This is where the Nix v. Whiteside case is so helpful in understanding. The client wanted the lawyer to present testimony the lawyer KNEW to be false. The lawyer refused. The client was convicted and appealed, for, you guessed it, Ineffective Assistance of Counsel because the lawyer refused to present false testimony. The conviction was upheld.
The judge and jury have the final decision on what is to be believed and what is false. Generally nonsense does not go well for liars.
In law school, lawyers are taught how to deal with clients who insist on giving false testimony. Put them on the stand, ask their name and sit down. That tells everyone the next thing spoken is false and the lawyer disclaims it. I have had to do that at least once in the nearly 40 years I have been licensed. “A lawyer’s duty of zealous advocacy of his client’s interest is limited by an equally solemn duty to uphold the law and standards of professional conduct,” Nix v. Whiteside.
Please consult a currently licensed attorney practicing in your jurisdiction for any legal advice.
Tim Carlo says
Actions speak louder then words, and the time is coming….
OLD GUY says
Boy Islam sure brings out the best in people, especially the new followers who want to prove they belong. Funny how these young men have to kill to show they will be good islamics, kind of like gang membership rules. Our legal system and laws are capable of dealing with these criminals, we just need to get the media, and politician out of the way.
don carlos says
As a resident of Columbia, MO from 2003 – 2012 I often wondered what was actually being promoted in the local mosque. I would estimate that this young man was an adolescent during my years in Columbia. A very real possibility exists that the seeds of radicalization of this miscreant were actually implanted at the mosque in Columbia. While unclear by recall, a ‘respectable’ member of this mosque was indicted and convicted of providing financial support to terrorist organizations. In 2016, an irate relative and lecturer at the University dragged a female student by the hair out of a local high school for not wearing her hijab. While I never heard how this case was resolved, I suspect this ‘respectable’ member of the M.U. faculty suffered no consequences whatsoever for this clear case of assault and battery…..I thought I had left all this behind when I moved to western Colorado but, alas, you can run but you can’t hide. I recently substituted for a 9th grade social studies class in which the students were tasked with developing a solution to ‘terrorism’ that involved neither killing or imprisonment — good luck with that!! Later, I ran into the regular teacher while out on a walk and asked if the H.S. library even had a copy of the Koran so interested students could ‘go directly to the source text’. Apparently not, as he admitted that it is a ‘touchy’ subject. While some of my most memorable substitute assignments have entailed ‘telling the truth’ about Islam, I find that discretion is the better part of brutal honesty. At the end of the day, I would be reduced to existing on ramen noodles and canned pet food were I too lose my substitute teaching job. A sad commentary on the current state of ‘liberal’ education in western Colorado and the largesse offered to Islamic ‘refugees’ but denied to American citizens who diligently paid into Social Security all their working life.
Frank Anderson says
D.C., I wonder why there was not also a charge of kidnapping? Taking a person against her will and with violence?
elee says
Applause for your post, see mine above. And so we dont have to always close the barn door after the horse has run…….why not require surveilance audio in all mosques?
gravenimage says
Very disturbing, don. Did anyone call the police?
Firefox says
What strikes me most about this article is how Islam appears attractive to mentally challenged individuals. 1400 years of practiced inbreeding and expansion among a population whose main focus was strict adherence to the submissive, oppressive, absurd, and hateful teachings of Islam. It does not belong anywhere in the free civilized world.
Geof Barrington says
I dislike the word terrorist when talking about and muslum attack …its not terrorism is muslum …or islamic .
gravenimage says
Much Jihad is indeed terrorism–but you are right that this term is often used generically, to deflect against its being Jihad terrorism in the name of Islam.
Geoffrey Jellineck says
Just diggin’ the cornrows and dirt-beard. Looks like a guy with a bright future ahead of him.
IslamKills says
Liars again. This “man” is not Muslim.