Yet another convert to Islam somehow gets the crazy idea that his new, peaceful religion requires him to commit treason and mass murder. Authorities remain completely uninterested in this recurring phenomenon. If numerous converts to Christianity plotted to kill people in the name of their new religion, would law enforcement and intelligence officials be so blasé?
“Man faces 20 years for terrorist plot in Kansas City in support of ISIS,” by Pat Pratt, Columbia Daily Tribune, February 19, 2020:
A 20-year sentence and lifetime supervision will deter Robert Lorenzo Hester, Jr. and others like him from from the “clarion call” of the Islamic State, federal prosecutors wrote in a memorandum seeking the maximum penalty for a Columbia man who pleaded guilty to aiding terrorists.
In opposition to the long sentence, defense attorneys for the 28-year-old who plotted to attack transportation services in Kansas City and other acts over the course of several months argue mental health issues combined with a mockery of his race and intellect by fellow soldiers led him to extremists ideologies.
Hester pleaded guilty in September before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays and will be sentenced March 4 in Kansas City. Discharged from the U.S. Army shortly after basic training in 2013, Hester over the next several years turned to Islamic extremism, eventually preparing to wage war against the United States.
Assistant U.S. attorneys Brian Casey and David Raskin wrote in a sentencing memorandum filed Tuesday that the risk of violence Hester created should not be underestimated.
“Hester repeatedly glorified violence, and proclaimed his excitement to help ISIS carry out a terrorist attack,” prosecutors wrote. “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.”
Federal public defender Troy Stabenow is seeking a 15-year sentence for Hester. He writes in his motion for sentencing that a combination of societal factors drew Hester to ISIS….
Following an abusive childhood and drug use at an early age, he wanted to feel accepted and do something to make others proud, so he joined the Armed Forces, Stabenow writes….
When “several young men who suggested that Islam was a religion that valued men like him,” Hester began to listen, Stabenow wrote.
“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,” Stabenow writes. “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.”
His social media posts drew the attention of the FBI. Undercover agents reached out to him to establish if he was a threat, but before they could establish a rapport, he was arrested in Columbia for throwing a knife through a window at a Hy-Vee and threatening management with a firearm….
The sentencing memorandum filed by prosecutors states that after agents were able to make contact with Hester, he told them the government should be overthrown and he sought others who felt the same. He touched on his knowledge of military tactics and firearms and even suggested an attack on an undisclosed military base because he knew how to enter it.
“Hester wanted to hurt the economy ‘by hitting oil pipelines’ or ‘computer systems,’” the memorandum states. “Throughout their conversations, the undercover employee provided Hester a number of opportunities to dissociate with no questions asked, but Hester repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to their plot.”…
The staged plot came to a head in the spring of 2017, culminating in a plan to attack buses, trains and a train station on President’s Day 2017 in Kansas City. Weeks before the planned attack Hester purchased nine-volt batteries, duct tape and roofing nails. On Feb. 17, 2017, three days before the planned attack the undercover agents picked Hester up under the guise of seeking out storage sheds to store weaponry….
“During one of their final in-person meetings, the undercover employee showed Hester a number of firearms and purported bombs that the undercover employee stated would be used for an attack,” federal prosecutors wrote, “This excited Hester, who adamantly approved. Hester understood that the plan was to cause mass casualties, and he was excited to assist.”
Stanton Lore says
Poor misguided soul. Not his fault. The religion of peace is the Army of peace!
mortimer says
Islam is a lethal death cult and no responsible person should ever say otherwise.
William Yates says
Google search..muhhamed taught holy lies.islam says its holy to decieve folks to convert them to Islam.by lying.muhhamed must b role model.for holy deception.if muhhammed tells the truth to live for islam.he is hypocrite.he must b role model.for holy deception.ephesians ch4v15 speaking the truth n Love.Bible vs islam.
Lion heart says
Mortimer: yeah true ! Plus , that idiot convert to Islam was convinced that USA were deliberately killing innocent people in Iraq while it’s all nonsense and big fat lies because I am a Canadian Christian guy originally from Iraq and we saw how Muslims themselves in Iraq were killing each other ( Sunnis and Shiites ) and they were also killing Christians and yet they blamed on USA and if USA killed any Iraq there , then I am sure they ether kills them because those Iraq Muslims were terrorists or they killed them by mistake and not deliberately as Muslims lie about it
John Lloyd Scharf says
#QuarantineMuhammadanism
#BanCrimesAgainstHumanity
#BanMuhammadanLaw
#BanIraq #BanIran
#BanSaudiArabia
Lion heart says
Stanton lore : as a Canadian Christian guy myself originally from Iraq , I wanna say that western converts to Islam are far more DANGEROUS than Muslims by birth and that’s why the westerners need to educate the young generation of the westerners about the evil of Islam and how Islam turns a peaceful person into a monstrous terrorist !!!
DazzleMe says
I agree from all I read the new recruits are definitely more dangerous! Thank you lionheart!
Mike says
Too bad a firing squad isn’t an option.
mortimer says
Robert Lorenzo Hester has shot himself in the foot. He ruined his life. He can redeem himself by leaving Islam and helping others to leave it and avoid going into it.
gravenimage says
I won’t be holding my breath for that one, Mortimer.
oldschool says
Or hanging.
DazzleMe says
Love ❤️ it, oldschool!
DazzleMe says
Yes indeed Mike!!
Wellington says
Being brought up a Roman Catholic (actually a pre-Vatican II altar boy which introduced me to the greatness of the Latin language which Vatican II {1962-1965} effectively destroyed as it destroyed so much—really, if by now any Catholic does not grasp how much harm Vatican II did then that Catholic is, effectively, an ignoramus; the current Pope comes foremost to mind here), I was regularly instructed by my Catholic parents, our parish priest, many nuns (you know, the old-fashion nuns who taught things like math and grammar exceedingly well but who are, sadly, effectively no more), et al. that converts to Catholicism made some of the best Catholics because, unlike Catholics from birth who often never bothered to scrutinize Catholic doctrine, converts most certainly did and thus knew Catholicism better than a person who was a Catholic right out of the womb.
Ditto for converts to Islam, the HUGE difference being that Islam is evil and Roman Catholicism is not (and I have no time for ignorant Protestants, fortunately not that many, who think such rot). One only needs to look at the amount of violence in the name of the convert, Muslim v. Catholic, for confirmation here. And I would add here that I am and have been for many decades a totally non-religious person—but I know this: the world would be far better off if all converts to Islam had been converts instead to Catholicism (or any other Christian sect for that matter).
The iniquity of Islam never ceases. Adult converts to this warped creed prove this thesis again and again and again.
Infidel says
However, this conversion to Islam by American citizens who then plot jihad is one vector none of our laws can address. We can have the travel ban and filter out a huge chunk of Mohammedans. We can go after foreign jihadists who have either visas or green cards and impound them. But when our own citizens convert to islam and start plotting against us, we have nowhere to deport them!
Does the military still have firing squad executions? B’cos this is what this loser deserves!
Wellington says
No doubt, Infidel, that Islam is very well positioned to take advantage of a free society like America. But our laws, IF ENFORCED, are very well established to deal with an evil religion whose belief system is wicked but should be allowed while many of its dictated actions, when carried out, should be prosecuted to the max.
Right now, the real problem is what I call the Great Pretend Game (GPG), whereby Islam, though putrid in sundry respects, is stupidly, cowardly and ignorantly accorded respect. It deserves none.
Solution: Allow Islam freedom as a religious belief system but don’t waver at all on its malevolence. Were this to occur, the rest, including sanity by the judiciary, would follow in a conducive manner for a free nation to tolerate freedom-hating ideologies like Islam, Nazism and Marxism but never allowing these foul creeds, one religious the other two secular, to use freedom to destroy freedom.
In short, proper characterization is key and not the banning of any belief system or, even worse, fallaciously assuming that a religion must be good in order to be a religion.
James Lincoln says
Wellington says
“…Allow Islam freedom as a religious belief system but don’t waver at all on its malevolence. Were this to occur, the rest, including sanity by the judiciary, would follow in a conducive manner for a free nation to tolerate freedom-hating ideologies like Islam, Nazism and Marxism but never allowing these foul creeds, one religious the other two secular, to use freedom to destroy freedom.”
Theoretically, I believe the you are correct. In a practical sense, however, there are some problems…
The biggest problem is for the entire general citizenship of the United States needs to understand the evil that is islam at, say, the level of the average Jihad Watch reader. The general citizenship includes people from all walks of life; blue-collar workers, white-collar workers, politicians, professionals, journalists, producers of media, judges, etc.
If they knew the truth about islam, islam wouldn’t stand a chance.
But that’s a mighty big “if” – and therein lies the problem.
Infidel says
Wellington
A religion is always considered good in this country, which is why, for instance, waivers are granted against immunization programs on religious grounds even when it’s otherwise mandatory by any legal entity – federal, state or local. Given the pedestal that religion enjoys, it’s hard to see how Islam won’t get a pass as long as it’s recognized as a religion. Technically, even Nazism and Communism are ‘religions’ in the sense that they are belief systems, and approximate that. But when people hear ‘Islam’, they mentally bunch it w/ Christianity, Buddhism or Judaism rather than Communism or Nazism.
That’s why even jails allow all sorts of weird religious customs. Like years ago, on talk radio, I heard one instance of a prisoner who successfully got the prison to supply him w/
chateaubriand daily b’cos his religion required it. (Obviously, it was an invented religion, but he got away w/ it)
mortimer says
Response to Wellington: Excellent. I am delighted to read legal minds analysing the issue of freedom of religion in the matter of Islam. In fact, can we say whether ALL religions may be legalized and upon what basis?
Question 1: do we permit the AZTEC RELIGION with the central role of human sacrifice?
Question 2: do we permit the Islamic religion with its central doctrine of JIHAD WARFARE AGAINST DISBELIEVERS? And its suppression of human rights?
Question 3: since jihad is central to Islamic practice, how do you reform Islam so it becomes compatible with human rights codes.
Question 4: upon what legal basis could Islam be banned? Germany has banned Scientology because it contains a doctrine similar to the Nazi master race theory.
Question 5: Islam is clearly incompatible with most modern human rights codes. Could Islam be banned on that basis? No Islamic country scores high on human rights of minorities or basic freedoms.
Wellington says
Thanks to James Lincoln, Infidel and mortimer for their replies.
No question about it, Islam needs to be seen as highly injurious to basic human rights, including free speech, equality under the law, women’s rights and freedom of religion. Now, the question must be asked is it necessary to disallow Islam the status of a religion to do this? Personally and legally speaking I do not think so if what I call the Great Pretend Game (GPG), whereby Islam is looked upon as a positive, ceases to be played. There have been other religions in the past looked upon as evil, some mentioned in the Bible, the Carthaginian religion and Aztec religion which each required human sacrifice, etc. There is also the little practiced Satanism which has religious status per the First Amendment and there are non-wicked but very goofy religions like Scientology and Wiccanism that also enjoy First Amendment protection.
So, proper characterization is key, not status. Besides, as difficult as it admittedly will be to have Islam seen as an evil religion I would contend it will be even more difficult to have it seen as not a religion at all—legally, constitutionally, historically, socially, intellectually and psychologically.
No doubt about it, Islam still has Western societies by their collective balls but, to end this on a note of optimism, just ponder for a moment how many people in Western nations who did not think ill of Islam just a generation ago do so now because 1) Islam has awakened from its centuries long slumber and thus can’t help revealing its many horribly troubling features as it presents itself worldwide more and more with each passing year; and 2) many who knew next to nothing about Islam 10, 20, 30 years ago have read about it, studied it and have seen it in “action.” This would of course include many who post regularly here at Jihad Watch and such people now have an entirely negative view of Islam—and this percentage of people I predict will never diminish but will continue getting larger.
Much work still to be done but I do not think or believe that pursuing the “Islam is not a religion route” is the most efficacious approach to take. And even should this route succeed (I predict it won’t), Islam would still be a protected belief system the same way Nazism, anarchism, Marxism, Syndicalism et al. are. One thing for sure, Islam is a curse to mankind however you view it.
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
An excellent and thought-provoking post, my compliments.
I was also brought up as a pre-Vatican II Roman Catholic. I was not an altar boy, but I did attend Catholic Mass with my parents and siblings on a regular basis.
Your point is well taken about the Latin language. I studied it in high school and went on to take two years of it in college. As an aside, a background in the Latin was a big help for me with the medical terminology involved in med school.
And you’re certainly correct regarding the destruction caused by Vatican II. Our current Pope is the end result.
I attended public schools and went to catechism class on Saturdays. You’re certainly right about the nuns, they were very well educated, although I probably did not appreciate them as much as I should have at the time. As you well know, public schools were much better back then. The curriculum was pretty fair and balanced. And in my early school years, we even said the Lord’s prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance every morning. And we had wonderful Christmas parties.
You mentioned that you have been a nonreligious person for many decades. As of said before, any “nonreligious person” who lives by the Golden rule, etc. is always fine with me – and I have several agnostic and atheist friends. I myself am a devout Christian, and happy to talk with anyone about it, but I never push it on anyone.
Your points are well taken about converts to Christianity versus converts to islam. I can’t imagine the pain that a parent would go through if one of their children decided to convert to islam.
Best wishes to you and yours!
James Lincoln says
According to the feature article, Hester:
“Discharged from the U.S. Army shortly after basic training in 2013…”
Former military members who are discharged right after basic training are judged “not fit for military service.” Although a small percentage are discharged due to injuries suffered during basic training, most are discharged due to disciplinary problems, personality disorders, or the “needs of the military, etc.”
And from the link below:
“The five types of military discharge include:
1. Honorable Discharge
2. General Discharge
3. Other Than Honorable Discharge
4. Bad Conduct Discharge
5. Dishonorable Discharge
The first three are administrative, even though they may be the result of some misstep on the part of the service member.
The last two are punitive, meaning that they are the result of misconduct, criminal behavior, or even felony behavior on the part of the service member.”
https://www.operationmilitarykids.org/types-of-military-discharge/
It would be interesting to know what type of discharge Hester had received…
Wellington says
Thanks for that information, James. And yes, what kind of discharge did this less-than-nothing get?
James Lincoln says
Wellington,
Yes, what kind of discharge indeed. I’ll try to dig and find out.
By the way, totally off topic…
I found Yuengling Lager, on draft, at “Tavern in the Square”, South Station , Boston Massachusetts.
I’ll definitely try some the next time I’m in Boston…
gravenimage says
All good points, James. As there is no mention of his being injured during basic training–if he had been, no doubt he would be dragging it up to use in his defense–he was likely deemed unfit for service. Now this is sometimes just due to something like drug use or inability to follow orders, but in his case it may well have been something a lot more alarming.
Ordinary Joe says
I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but sheeesh!
somehistory says
Compare his photo to that of the young creep in Florida who murdered a child with a knife.
They could be siblings.
islam destroys the soul and one can see that by looking at the eyes of these two “converts.”
The attorney tried to mitigate the seriousness of what this guy wanted to do by telling of his unhappy childhood, but there are thousands…millions…of people who had that kind of life and didn’t turn to the evils of islam in order to murder others.
The “cover” of a book can tell a lot about what’s inside.
Donovan Nuera says
He looks like Calibos from the 1981 ‘Clash of the Titans’ movie…. it’s uncanny!
Mike Stevens says
It’s interesting to read this article about ‘converts’ plotting murder and mayhem when just today, in Britain, a Muslim convert (female) was convicted of plotting to blow herself up on an attack on St Paul’s in London. It seems it matters little whether it’s young or old, male or female, the depth of hatred of these ‘religious’ maniacs is beyond belief. No other ‘religion’ inspires its followers to spend every waking moment consumed by thoughts of violence, death and destruction.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51583815
Donovan Nuera says
she looks like the East End of a West Ender!
Richard says
“Yet another convert to Islam somehow gets the crazy idea that his new, peaceful religion requires him to commit treason and mass murder. Authorities remain completely uninterested in this recurring phenomenon. If numerous converts to Christianity plotted to kill people in the name of their new religion, would law enforcement and intelligence officials be so blasé?”
Here’s another one https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-51583815
“A supporter of the banned Islamic State terror group has admitted plotting to blow herself up in a bomb attack on St Paul’s Cathedral.
Muslim convert Safiyya Shaikh went on a reconnaissance trip to scope out the London landmark and a hotel.
The 36-year-old, born Michelle Ramsden, was arrested after asking an undercover police officer to supply bombs.
“I want to kill a lot,” she told the officer. “I would like to do church… a day like Christmas or Easter good, kill more.
“I always send threats. But I want to make threats real.”
She sent a picture of St Paul’s Cathedral to the officer and wrote: “I would like to do this place for sure.
“I would like bomb and shoot ’til death… I really would love to destroy that place and the kaffir there.”
Look at her eyes and those of the American convert – they could be twins. Mindless, brainless, fanaticism.
I wonder what the woman was hoping for? 72 virgins? Maybe she’s a lesbian. However nothing particular is promised to women in Islam, unlike the goodies for men.
Donovan Nuera says
Gourmet cupcakes and glitter??
gravenimage says
Kansas City: Former Armed Forces trainee converts to Islam, plots jihad massacre at military base
………………
Gee–why does this keep happening?
Just glad he was stopped in time.
Mark Spahn (West Seneca, NY) says
This Robert Hester is “a Columbia man”, but it is unclear whether he is from Columbia the university or Columbia the country. In either case, what we have here is a failure of assimilation to the culture of Kansas City. Hester has now been branded with the Scarlet Letter of a would-be murderer. What a shame. He could have been a exemplary citizen of Kansas City, like
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBeXnzjvMrk
gravenimage says
The nation is Colombia.
Bob Thompson says
+1
No Muzzies Here says
What is this conversion mania? How can someone who enjoys the liberty and rights given to them by the US Constitution throw away all that, and join a violent group that believes impossible things and kills anyone who wants to leave?
Goofy says
The CEO of Ryanair just went out advocating profiling of young, single Muslims for airport security. He was of course immediately blamed for being a racist Islamophobe. This story clearly shows that the problem has nothing to do with race and everything to do with Islam. The blame for phobia is ill placed as almost all terror is committed in the name of Allah! So are we going to ban the truth or Islam?
AP says
Islamaphobia, joke word of the day!
Giacomo Latta says
” a mockery of his race and intellect by fellow soldiers led him to extremists ideologies”
And which race would that be? He looks pretty bland and vanilla to me, Or did he tell his fellow soldiers that he was black? If the Army should train someone then find he is substandard and a bit off-kilter perhaps they should form a paintball division where these recruits can fight an enemy arranged by the regular army thereby keeping them off the streets.
gravenimage says
Good points.
Bob Thompson says
Completely new thought here.
What if these guys are demonstrating,without knowing it, what Osama bin Laden said?
‘People prefer the strong horse.’
They notice that our society and culture seems incapable of stopping Islam and because they have been unsuccessful at everything else in life, they see that joining Islam is a quick and easy way to become associated with a winner.
A winner which is able to stymie the system that has rejected them
And if they die in their first and only act of allegiance to their newfound virile ideology, it beats killing themselves for nothing or because they were ineffectual, unsuccessful or impotent members of American society.
OLD GUY says
Bob I think you have something there that they are joining Islam to see themselves as becoming important and powerful.
Bob Thompson says
Thanks,sometimes I come up with insights that make more sense than other insights.
This one seems to be one of those.
Think of how the character of Travis Bickle might be written today. Think of Wile E.Coyote if we saw him portrayed in real life human society today.
Imagine someone for whom none of our measures of success applied or even seemed a viable option to him. Someone who grew resentful of those who fit in well and found their place but not him. And even the lowest on the success ladder – people who, themselves, might uncharitably be called,:”losers,” had they not found their own niche – called him a loser.
And his response to the society that looked down on him was to find solace and encouragement in the ever present America bashing in our media.
It became his own secret drummer when all others seemed discordant.
And it opened him up to others who felt that same way or who reached out or spoke to him because they were TROLLING FOR HIM (as fishermen troll) fishing for unsuccessful young recruits who dont fit into our society.
somehistory says
It certainly sounds reasonable in the case of many. islam is filled with psychopaths, just as prisons are.
The person who is a “loser,” with psychopathic personality, would be easy prey for those who want more active murderers of the rest of us. The older, born-to-islam males don’t really want to die for islam, so they seek the young guys who are easily manipulated and preach jihad to them endlessly until the time is ripe for killing.
If the young recruit for satan dies in the attempt, so much the better for the old guys as they can preach to the next young one how “glorious” it was for their former pupil. So much better than going to prison for the “cause.”
Stephen says
No matter how much democrats despise the comment, it is not a coincidence the muslims in this country support the DNC or people who end up wanting to join ISIS are democrats.
Wesley Dale Franklin says
England/U.K. is now just realizing the power of brainwashing and how useless it is to attempt any form of reform of the JIHADI. Longer prision sentences have failed.