North Carolina Man Arrested At JFK For Trying To Join ISIS
A 44-year-old North Carolina man was arrested and ordered held without bail in New York after trying to join the terrorist group ISIS. Donald Ray Morgan was arrested by the FBI as he arrived at John F. Kennedy International airport from Germany on August 2nd.
FBI agents took Morgan, an ex-convict from North Carolina, into custody when he returned to the United States after an eight-month stay in Lebanon, where his wife lives, according to the Daily News.
Morgan was wanted in Rowan County on federal weapon charges.
Officials say Morgan had been posting on Twitter under the alias “Abu Omar al Amreeki.”
Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Nadia Moore presented examples of the evidence to Magistrate Ramon Reyes at a bail hearing last week to support her argument that the alleged gun trafficker was too dangerous to return to North Carolina on his own, according to the Daily News.
“It’s possible that he traffics in guns to people in this organization (ISIS),” Moore said.
Besides pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, his tweets suggested he may have been preparing for jihad in Syria, Iraq or possibly the states, law enforcement officials said.
He also referred to himself as a jihad fighter.
Federal defender Peter Kirchheimer argued that there was no evidence Morgan is a member of ISIS or had provided material support.
The judge said his tweets, “clearly implied to me that he is trying to go to Syria or Iraq as the next step and trying to be actively engaged.”
H/T: My BFF @ComgenKDT with thanks.
Image: Daily News.
R.J. Carter August 11th, 2014 at 1:51 pm
“It’s not a crime to call up al Qaeda, is it?” — Chris Matthews
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Did he say that? He’s an idiot.
R.J. Carter August 11th, 2014 at 1:52 pm
http://www.mrctv.org/public/checker.aspx?v=Gd6UZukUVr
I know about the source URL, but this is just video. About the 45 second mark.
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 1:59 pm
I stopped watching him when he got a thrill running up his leg, after Obama won the election. That just creeped me out.
Bunya August 11th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Hey! I like Chris Matthews! Since I’m not on your “favorites” list, I can’t overlook your criticism my man Matthews. A pox on all your houses!
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
You’re not on my “favorites” list? Where is this list anyway?;-)
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 5:18 pm
It’s on the menu bar on IE:)
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 5:38 pm
Sneaky!
M D Reese August 11th, 2014 at 5:20 pm
I’ve got the list of Chris Matthews Likers right here in my pocket. They’ve infiltrated every level! If they don’t watch out, I’ll hand it over to Ted McCarthy–er–Cruz! (snark)
M D Reese August 11th, 2014 at 5:21 pm
He’s like a hyperactive 4 year old. I hate the way he talks over everybody else at the table.
Candide Thirtythree August 13th, 2014 at 5:08 am
Makes me glad that I don’t watch TV.
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 5:17 pm
It was comment made in Nov 2009 Hardball about Fort Hood shootings by Major Nidal Malik Hasan
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/33828501/ns/msnbc-hardball_with_chris_matthews/t/hardball-chris-matthews-monday-november/#.U-kxiekg8yU
“See, we have a problem; how did we know when someone like Hasan is going to make his move, and do we know he’s an Islamist until he has made his move?
He makes a phone call, whatever-according to Reuters right now, he apparently tried to contact al Qaeda. Is that the point at which you say, this guy is dangerous? That’s not a crime to call up al Qaeda, is it? Is it? Where do you stop the guy?”
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Hmmm…I’d say calling Al Qaeda should put someone on the radar.
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 5:46 pm
I would think so too, just sourcing Matthews comment.
Although I’m not fond of Robert Spencer, he did coin an apropos phrase “sudden Jihad syndrome” to describe some Muslims that go from normal to fanatics in a very short period of time.
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 6:03 pm
Any sort of religious fanatics scare me. It doesn’t matter which religion. They lean toward violent alternatives in their God’s name. Thanks for the info!
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 6:40 pm
Conveniently enough, their god always seems to want what they want and hate who they hate.
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 7:09 pm
Isn’t that the truth! One would think Buddhists would be above that, considering that whole Karma thing, but they have extremists, too, and they’re pretty frightening.
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 10:00 pm
Many ideologies, religious or otherwise lend themselves to the us vs them, our side is always right, my god/leader is bigger/better than your god/leader nonsense that gets people maimed and killed.
“Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” Steven Weinberg
This also applies to ideologies like communism and fascism.
Anomaly 100 August 11th, 2014 at 10:15 pm
I identify myself as a Christian, just not “religious.” I consider myself to be spiritual though. A lot of people don’t understand what I mean by that. I have a feeling that you get it.
Red Mann August 11th, 2014 at 10:52 pm
I was raised a Baptist and was immersed in religion throughout my childhood. I am now an atheist, having found no reason to believe in anything supernatural, nor do I believe in any outside spiritual force or higher power. The universe is awesome enough for me and humans are fascinating and fantastic in and of themselves.
raincheck1956 August 12th, 2014 at 7:07 am
I get it…. I’m the same way
Anomaly 100 August 12th, 2014 at 7:49 am
Herb Sarge Phelps August 11th, 2014 at 3:08 pm
I stopped watching Matthews. He is a reactionary, egotistical nitwit that MSNBC would do well to let him go so he can move over to a network that he is more suited to like CNN. He is rude, talks over his guest even if they are ask a question by him, before they answer he starts demanding an answer. He is useless.
BanditBasheert August 11th, 2014 at 4:42 pm
And he pees on himself so he can fill a tingle down his leg.
M D Reese August 11th, 2014 at 5:13 pm
No doubt he’s in the running for the Meet the Press gig…
R.J. Carter August 11th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
Apropos of the accompanying image — why do we still have court sketch artists? Aren’t cameras much quieter and less intrusive than they were 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 years ago?
Larry Schmitt August 11th, 2014 at 2:11 pm
Cameras are still prohibited in federal courts. There is a three year pilot program going on now, but each previous time a change was attempted, it was denied.
R.J. Carter August 11th, 2014 at 2:17 pm
Well, I knew there had to be a “good” reason. :/ Thanks!
Jeff Allen August 11th, 2014 at 7:01 pm
The whole camera prohibition needs to be revisited. Then we wouldn’t be left looking at pictures like this wondering why Rosie Perez was in court with Eliot Spitzer, Mr. Whipple, and Gerard Butler.
raincheck1956 August 12th, 2014 at 9:26 am
Excellent question…
ChrisVosburg August 11th, 2014 at 3:16 pm
North Carolina Man Arrested At JFK For Trying To Join ISIS
See, when i first read this headline, I thought wow, ISIS has a recruitment kiosk set up at JFK?
Jeff Allen August 11th, 2014 at 4:19 pm
I think there may have been some confusion as to which “Isis” he was attempting to join. Was there a ComicCon at his destination city?
fancypants August 11th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
I know what you mean
The green hornet and kato took care of the problem while they drove him around in Lebanon Now he’s going to talk to judge wapner about his excellent adventure
Its all a Hollywood thing