By Katie Pavlich

The much-anticipated White House summit on combating generic extremism is over, and outside of a handful of feel-good statements and speeches, little was accomplished.

A number of activists from various organizations were present for discussion, but one person was noticeably absent from the summit: FBI Director James Comey.

The FBI is one of first lines of defense in combating extremism — Islamic terror in particular — and keeping Americans at home and abroad safe. FBI input about root causes of terrorism at the White House summit would have been beneficial not only to its mission, but to ultimately defeating the enemy we face.
“It’s our top priority — protecting the U.S. from terrorist attacks,” the FBI website states. “Working closely with a range of partners, we use our growing suite of investigative and intelligence capabilities to neutralize terrorist cells and operatives here in the U.S., to help dismantle extremist networks worldwide, and to cut off financing and other forms of support provided by terrorist sympathizers.”

Comey wasn’t at the White House last week because he wasn’t invited. The reason why can be found by taking a look at the summit guest list, which included a variety of groups whose members have urged Muslims in America to shut the FBI out of their communities and to be non-cooperative with terrorism investigations.

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By Steve Neavling

The FBI on Wednesday arrested three Brooklyn men accused of planning to join ISIS and commit acts of terrorism, the bureau announced Wednesday.

If their plans with ISIS didn’t work out, two of them intended to launch terror attacks in New York, the federal government alleged in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn.

The suspects were identified as Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, Akhror Saidakhmetov, and Abror Habibov. Saidakhmetov is a citizen of Kazakhstan, while the others are citizens of Uzbekistan.

“The flow of foreign fighters to Syria represents an evolving threat to our country and to our allies,” U.S. Attorney Lynch said in a statement. “As alleged in the complaint, two of the defendants in this case sought to travel to Syria to join ISIL but were also prepared to wage violent jihad here in the United States. A third defendant allegedly provided financial assistance and encouragement. We will vigorously prosecute those who attempt to travel to Syria to wage violent jihad on behalf of ISIL and those who support them. Anyone who threatens our citizens and our allies, here or abroad, will face the full force of American justice.”

The FBI on Wednesday arrested three Brooklyn men accused of planning to join ISIS and commit acts of terrorism, the bureau announced Wednesday.

If their plans with ISIS didn’t work out, two of them intended to launch terror attacks in New York, the federal government alleged in a complaint unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn.

The suspects were identified as Abdurasul Hasanovich Juraboev, Akhror Saidakhmetov, and Abror Habibov. Saidakhmetov is a citizen of Kazakhstan, while the others are citizens of Uzbekistan.

“The flow of foreign fighters to Syria represents an evolving threat to our country and to our allies,” U.S. Attorney Lynch said in a statement. “As alleged in the complaint, two of the defendants in this case sought to travel to Syria to join ISIL but were also prepared to wage violent jihad here in the United States. A third defendant allegedly provided financial assistance and encouragement. We will vigorously prosecute those who attempt to travel to Syria to wage violent jihad on behalf of ISIL and those who support them. Anyone who threatens our citizens and our allies, here or abroad, will face the full force of American justice.”

By Steve Neavling

The FBI is offering some serious cash for information leading to the arrest of the bureau’s most wanted cyber criminal.

Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, 31, is accused of hacking 1 million computers in the U.S. and internationally.

Newsweek reports that the FBI is offering $3 million for information on capturing Bogachev, who is accused of collecting personal and bank information by installing a malware onto victims’ computers.

A Pennsylvania court indicted Bogachev on charges of conspiracy, computer fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud and money laundering in May 2014. Authorities said his last known location was the Russian town of Anapa on the north coast of the Black Sea.

Mohammed Emwazi is shown here before the beheading of American war reporter James Wright Foley.

His face covered in a black balaclava, “Jihadi John” is the menacing figure seen in Islamic State videos beheading several foreign hostages.

The New York Times reports this morning that the man has been identified as British resident Mohammed Emwazi, a graduate of the University of Westminster with a degree in computer programming.

Emwazi first appeared on an ISIS video in August, when it appears he beheads American journalist James Foley.

He also showed up in videos of the beheadings of American journalist Steven J. Sotloff; the British aid worker David Cawthorne Haines; the British taxi driver Alan Henning; and the American aid worker Peter Kassig.

Authorities believe Emwazi was born in Kuwait and traveled in Syria in 2012.