Like After 9/11, Saudi Suspects Vanish After Pensacola (Terrorist) Attack -The iPINIONS Journal

The FBI is reportedly hunting for several Saudi students from Navy Station Pensacola, after they vanished in the wake of Friday’s mass shooting at the base.

Fellow Saudi Mohammed Saeed al-Shamrani, 21, killed three and wounded 12 others in the attack before he was shot dead by police.

According to AP, investigators have now detained 10 Saudi military students from the base – a number revised up from six – but several others remain unaccounted for.

(The Daily Mail, December 7, 2019)

The Bush family courted a very cozy relationship with the Saudi royal family. Nothing betrayed this quite like pictures of President George W. Bush walking hand-in-hand with King Abdullah. (They always looked like a promo for interfaith, man-boy relationships – what the Pashtun Afghans call “bacha bazi.”)

This is why conspiracy theorists were convinced the Bush administration orchestrated the flight from justice of so many Saudi suspects in the wake of 9/11.

The Trump family are courting a very transactional relationship with the Saudi royal family (think borrower and lender, respectively). Nothing betrays this quite like the mercenary way President Trump absolved Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) of any guilt in the butchering of journalist Jamal Khashoggi of The Washington Post.

This is why even reputable pundits can be forgiven suspicions that the Trump administration orchestrated this flight of Saudis “unaccounted” for.

Of course, the character of the Bushes was/is such that nobody in his right mind believes they would orchestrate any such flight. By contrast, the character of the Trumps is such that it’s all too reasonable to believe they would.

What’s more, Bush was sensible enough to keep his mouth shut and let law-enforcement officials spin investigative findings to preserve his plausible deniability. By contrast, Trump is foolishly playing blood-money negotiator for the king — just as he played defense attorney and PR flak for MBS.

‘The king will be involved in taking care of families and loved ones,’ Trump said after speaking to Saudi Arabia’s King Salman by phone. ‘He feels very strongly. He’s very, very devastated by what happened and what took place. Likewise the Crown Prince [MBS].’

(Fox News, December 7, 2019)

In truth, the only consolation is that King Salman accepted responsibility, immediately and publicly. Because this means that the families affected in this terrorist attack will be compensated not only soon but with millions more than their 9/11 compatriots.

On the other hand, Trump has convinced his supporters that radical Islamic terrorists will never carry out any attack on US soil on his watch. This, just as he has convinced them that North Korea will never test fire any nuclear missile.

Except that North Korea has launched more missiles during the first three years of Trump’s presidency than that of any other president. Sadly, his supporters continually show a cult-like willingness to believe anything their dear leader says – whether he’s telling them up is down or black is white.

Even more troubling, though, is that government officials show a similar willingness to say whatever they know Trump wants to hear – whether they believe it or not. This explains why officials are twisting themselves into pretzels to avoid declaring this shooting in Pensacola a radical Islamic terrorist attack.

Investigators have found no apparent ties between the Saudi Arabian military officer … and terrorist groups, according to a senior administration official and a law enforcement source.

There have been some concerning statements and online materials discovered, but the investigation is still young, the administration official said.

(CNN, December 7, 2019)

And don’t get me started on the hypocrisy inherent in Trump refusing to call this Islamic terrorist attack by its name; that is, given this:

Is President Obama going to finally mention the words radical Islamic terrorism? If he doesn’t he should immediately resign in disgrace!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 12, 2016

Hell, never mind just mentioning the words, this “useful idiot” can’t even call a radical Islamic terrorist attack by its name. Of course, Trump has the Justice Department peddling the “big lie” that it was Ukraine and not Russia that interfered in the 2016 presidential election.

Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that he has the FBI pretending that this radical Islamic terrorist attack might be just another garden-variety mass shooting in gun-crazy USA. That, mind you, despite the shooter’s clear and convincing adherence to al-Qaeda jihadism:

A Saudi military student reportedly condemned America as a ‘nation of evil’ in an online manifesto prior to opening fire Friday at a US naval base, killing three people before being shot dead by police. …

I’m not against you for just being American, I don’t hate you because your freedoms, I hate you because every day you supporting, funding and committing crimes not only against Muslims but also humanity,’ he wrote.

(France24, December 7, 2019)

Terrorist is as terrorist writes, says … and does.

But I’d wager good money that you’ll never find the words “radical Islamic terrorism” in relation to this attack in the rabbit hole that is Trump’s Twitter feed. This, even though it’s only a matter of time before the media force law-enforcement officials to acknowledge this obvious fact.

Meanwhile, one of the more vexing features of America’s never-ending War on Terrorism is the spectre of foreign soldiers killing the US soldiers who are training them to help fight it. I have been decrying such “green-on-blue” attacks for years in commentaries like “Afghanistan: How Many More US Soldiers Must Die for a Mistake,” September 19, 2012.

No doubt it’s unnerving enough to fear this happening on military bases overseas. The spectre of it recurring on military bases even at home must be demoralizing beyond words.