Omar Mateen

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Two years before Omar Mateen opened fire on an Orlando nightclub, a Muslim friend warned the FBI about concerns that Mateen was becoming self-radicalized.

“The fact that this person was a Muslim, and also that he was a Muslim from my community and somebody that I knew — very, very, very disturbing,” Mohammad Mailk told CBS News.

The two met a decade ago and attended the same mosque.

Malik said he became concerned and called the FBI after Mateen confided that he was inspired by radical Islamic cleric Anwar al-Awlaki’s videos.

“He told me they were very powerful,” he recalled. “That raised the red flag even higher for me.”

The FBI investigated Mateen for the second time in two years, but decided Mateen wasn’t a clear threat. Malik said the FBI never asked him again about Mateen.

“These people that have committed these acts have radicalized on their own — not through the mosque,” Malik said.

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

A Homeland Security employee with top-secret clearance tried to enter the agency’s Washington headquarters with a gun, knife, pepper spray, handcuffs and an infrared camera.

Now federal prosecutors are trying to determine whether Jonathan Wienke, an analyst in the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, was planning an attack when he entered the building on June 9, the Associated Press reports. 

Court records indicate the federal government believes there’s probable cause that Wienke “was conspiring with another to commit workplace violence, and more particularly may have been conspiring or planning to commit violence against senior DHS officials in the building.”

Wienke has been charged with carrying a pistol without a license and has since been released. He’s on administrative leave while the investigation proceeds.

Other Stories of Interest

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• Secret Service Veterans Denounce Anti-Clinton Tell-All Book
• FBI: Indiana Teen Wanted to Join ISIS, Researched Terror Targets
• Justice Department Sends $1M to Florida Police After Nightclub Shooting
• FBI Seeks Help in Locating FLDS Leader Lyle Jeffs

Omar Mateen

By Editorial Board
Newsday

The FBI blundered badly Monday in its attempt to withhold portions of a transcript of the four 911 calls by Orlando nightclub assassin Omar Mateen.

Eventually, the decision to redact some of Mateen’s words was reversed, and the nation learned that the shooter had professed his loyalty to the Islamic State and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, when he called the emergency number during the June 12 attack. The FBI’s rationale for its decision was to protect the victims’ families and “to prevent future attacks.” We doubt that knowing Mateen sympathized with ISIS really increased the suffering of the grieving families burying their dead.

And since eyewitnesses, local police and the FBI said from the start that this psychopath mentioned ISIS, how exactly would blacking out those words from the 911 transcript protect us from terror attacks? Attorney General Loretta Lynch put it this way: “What we’re not going to do is further proclaim this man’s pledges of allegiance to terrorist groups and further his propaganda.” Trying to shield Americans from the truth, and undermining their confidence in what the federal government is telling them, might be a more dangerous action. In reversing the decision to redact, the FBI and Justice Department said they wanted to avoid unnecessary distractions.

That’s missing the point.

To read more click here. 

Lazer

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

At just 4 years old, Lazer helped apprehend 93 suspects and locate missing people.

The 4-year-old Border Patrol K-9 made his last attempt to locate a group of injured and abandoned people when he died Monday from heat exhaustion near Falfurrias, Texas, the Monitor reports.

Lazer’s handler tried to cool down the dog before taking him to the vet, but it was too late.

Lazer worked with his Border Patrol handler for a year and 10 months.

“Our sector suffered a great loss, as these loyal companions have given their lives to ensure their handlers, fellow agents and our community members stay safe,” Chief Patrol Agent Manuel Padilla Jr. said.

Vice President Joe Biden

By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com

Vice President Joe Biden said the FBI should be larger so it can focus on the growing threats of terrorism.

“It always needs more resources in terms of personnel,” Biden said in an interview with Charlie Rose. “I mean, we could use a larger FBI.”

Biden said the FBI has done all it can to prevent gun violence, but the bureau just isn’t big enough.

Biden’s comments were in response to the Orlando nightclub shooter, who was investigated twice by the FBI but never arrested.

The vice president, however, did not say there were concrete plans to increase the number of agents at the FBI.