Saudi Air-Force officer kills three people at a US naval base in Pensacola, Florida

[MenInG]

The gunman who killed three people at a US naval base in Pensacola, Florida, was a Saudi student, officials say.

He has been named as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani - a Saudi military member in training at the site. He was shot dead by officials.

The local sheriff's office confirmed eight others were injured in the attack including two officers. The shooter used a handgun.

It is the second shooting to take place at a US military base this week.

A US sailor shot dead two workers at the Pearl Harbor military base in Hawaii on Wednesday.

Authorities were alerted to the shooting at the base on the waterfront southwest of Pensacola at 06:51 (12:51 GMT).

Spoiler

"Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie," said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.

Two officers were shot in the limbs but are expected to recover.

According to its website the naval airbase, which is still in lockdown, employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

What's the reaction been?
"There's obviously going to be a lot of questions about this individual being a foreign national, being a part of the Saudi air force and then to be here training on our soil," said the governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis.

"Obviously the government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims and I think they're going to owe a debt here, given that this was one of their individuals," he added.

President Donald Trump said that King Salman of Saudi Arabia had called to "express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed".

Mr Trump said the Saudi King told him that "this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people".

Timothy Kinsella, the base commanding officer, said he was "absolutely in awe of the response" to the attack.

"There was some real heroism today," he said. "I'm devastated. We are in shock. This is surreal, but I couldn't be prouder to wear the uniform that I wear because of my brothers and sisters in uniform, civilian or otherwise, that did what they did today to save lives."

An investigation was taking place and names of victims would not be released until next of kin had been notified, the US Navy said in a statement.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50692597

 

[MenInG]

Saudi Arabia's King Salman condemned a gun attack at a US naval base by a Saudi student as "barbaric", President Donald Trump said.

He tweeted that the monarch had called him to offer "sincere condolences".

The gunman, an aviation student, killed three people and injured at least eight at the base in Pensacola, Florida, before being shot dead.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the Saudi government was "going to owe a debt" to the victims.

The attacker has been named by US media as Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani. He used a handgun during the shooting.

Spoiler

The FBI are yet to declare a motive but are believed to be investigating for links to terrorism.

"There are many reports circulating, but the FBI deals only in facts," special agent Rachel Rojas told a news conference on Friday night.

Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in the Middle East and the two countries have longstanding military exchange programmes. The shooting has already prompted questions about the vetting of foreign military personnel sent to the US for training.

It is the second shooting to take place at a US military base this week.

A US sailor shot dead two workers at the Pearl Harbor military base in Hawaii on Wednesday.

What has Saudi Arabia said?
"King Salman of Saudi Arabia just called to express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed and wounded in the attack," President Trump tweeted.

"The King said that the Saudi people are greatly angered by the barbaric actions of the shooter, and that this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people."

In a separate statement, the Saudi foreign ministry called the attack "horrific" and said it would provide "full support" to the investigation.

President Trump has maintained close relations with Saudi leaders despite the killing of prominent Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who wrote a column for the Washington Post newspaper, in the country's consulate in Turkey in October 2018.

Saudi officials have said Khashoggi, a high-profile critic of the government in Riyadh, was killed in a "rogue operation" by a team of agents. But many critics believe otherwise and a UN expert concluded that the death was an "extrajudicial execution".

How did the attack in Pensacola unfold?
Authorities were alerted to the shooting in a classroom at the base on the waterfront south-west of Pensacola at 06:51 local time (12:51 GMT) on Friday.

The assault ended when a sheriff's deputy shot dead the attacker. Two officers were shot in the limbs but are expected to recover.

"Walking through the crime scene was like being on the set of a movie," said Escambia County Sheriff David Morgan.

According to its website, Naval Air Station Pensacola employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

Who was the attacker?
Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force in training at the site, US officials say. There are reports that he posted an online manifesto before the attack but this is yet to be confirmed.

Several Saudi nationals were detained near the scene of the shooting, the New York Times reported, citing unnamed sources.

According to the US Navy, there had in recent weeks been 18 Saudi naval aviators and two aircrew members training at Pensacola.

An investigation was taking place and names of victims would not be released until next of kin had been notified, it said in a statement.

What has the reaction been?
"There's obviously going to be a lot of questions about this individual being a foreign national, being a part of the Saudi air force and then to be here training on our soil," said Gov DeSantis.

"Obviously the government of Saudi Arabia needs to make things better for these victims and I think they're going to owe a debt here, given that this was one of their individuals," he added.

Senator Rick Scott, the ex-governor of Florida, called for a review of training programmes for foreign military personnel on US soil.

"We shouldn't be providing military training to people who wish us harm," he said.

The US defence secretary, Mark Esper, said he wanted to make sure that vetting was adequate.

"I want to make sure that we're doing our due diligence to understand: What are our procedures? Is it sufficient?" he told reporters.

Meanwhile Saudi officials have continued to condemn the attack, including vice-minister of defence, Khalid bin Salman, who said he trained at a US base like many others in the Saudi military.

Timothy Kinsella, the base commanding officer, earlier said he was "absolutely in awe" of the response to the attack.

"There was some real heroism today," he said. "I'm devastated. We are in shock. This is surreal, but I couldn't be prouder to wear the uniform that I wear because of my brothers and sisters in uniform, civilian or otherwise, that did what they did today to save lives."

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50695797

 

[MenInG]

The Saudi gunman who attacked a Florida navy base on Friday played videos of mass shootings at a dinner beforehand, US media reports say.

Mohammed Alshamrani - who was training at the Pensacola base - killed three sailors before being shot dead.

The US Navy said the sailors "showed exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil".

Spoiler

They were named as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, and Cameron Scott Walters, 21.

Several Saudi trainees have reportedly been held for questioning.

Authorities have not alleged that they were involved in the attack, which took place across two floors in a classroom on Friday morning.

The gunman played the mass-shooting videos to others at a dinner earlier in the week, several US media outlets report, quoting an anonymous official briefed on the investigation.

A Twitter user appearing to match Alshamrani's identity had also made a series of anti-US posts before the shooting, an online monitoring group says.

But US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said on Saturday that he would not label the incident "terrorism" at this point.

Speaking at the Reagan National Defense Forum in California, he said investigators must be allowed to do their work.

President Donald Trump later pledged to review foreign military training programmes in the US. More than 850 Saudi nationals are reported to currently to be in the country for such activities.

The Florida attack was the second shooting to take place at a US military base last week. Two days earlier, a US sailor shot dead two workers at the Pearl Harbor military base in Hawaii.

What happened on Friday?
Authorities were alerted to the shooting at the Pensacola base at 06:51 (12:51 GMT).

It took place across two floors of a classroom building and ended when a sheriff's deputy killed Alshamrani.

Eight people were also injured in the shooting, including two officers, who are expected to recover.

Family members of Joshua Kaleb Watson said he was shot several times but made it out of the building to alert first responders.

On Facebook, his brother Adam Watson wrote: "He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled."

Capt Tim Kinsella, the base's commanding officer, said of the three sailors killed: "When confronted, they didn't run from danger; they ran towards it and saved lives."

Why were Saudis at the US base?
The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military.

Saudi pilots started training at the Pensacola base in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

Cpt Kinsella Jnr said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force.

What has the reaction been?
Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in the Middle East and President Trump said the Saudi king called him after the attack to "express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed".

Mr Trump said King Salman told him that "this person in no way shape or form represents the feelings of the Saudi people who love the American people".

The US president later said the Saudi leaders were "devastated" after the attack, adding: "I think they are going to help out the families very greatly."

Earlier, in the aftermath of the attack, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saudi Arabia owed "a debt here, given that this was one of their individuals".

"There's obviously going to be a lot of questions about this individual being a foreign national, being a part of the Saudi air force and then to be here training on our soil," he said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50701665

 

[MenInG]

US Defence Secretary Mark Esper has ordered a review of the screening process for foreign military in the US after a Saudi soldier launched a deadly attack at a Florida navy base.

The gunman - who was training at the Pensacola site - killed three sailors on Friday.

Mr Esper told Fox News Sunday he had instructed top defence officials to look into security measures at bases.

President Donald Trump has also pledged to review foreign military programmes.

The victims of the attack have been named as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, and Cameron Scott Walters, 21.

The US Navy said the sailors "showed exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil".

Spoiler

Who has been detained?
Several Saudi trainees have reportedly been held for questioning, though so far there has been no claim that they were involved in the attack.

The gunman, Mohammed Alshamrani, was shot dead at the scene.

Alshamrani had played mass-shooting videos to others at a dinner earlier in the week, several US media outlets report, quoting an anonymous official briefed on the investigation.

A Twitter user appearing to match Alshamrani's identity had also made a series of anti-US posts before the shooting, an online monitoring group says.

Speaking to Fox News Sunday, Mr Esper confirmed reports that one or two of the detained Saudis filmed the attack. "What is unclear is - were they filming it before it began or was it something where they picked up their phones once they saw it unfolding?" he said.

He previously said he would not label the incident "terrorism" while the investigation was in its early stages.

Why were Saudis at the US base?
The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military forces.

Saudi pilots started training there in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

Cpt Kinsella Jnr said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force.

What happened on Friday?
Authorities were alerted to the shooting at the Pensacola base at 06:51 (11:51 GMT).

It took place across two floors of a classroom building and ended when a sheriff's deputy killed Alshamrani.

Eight people were also injured in the shooting, including two officers, who are expected to recover.

Family members of Joshua Kaleb Watson said he was shot several times but made it out of the building to alert first responders.

On Facebook, his brother Adam Watson wrote: "He died a hero and we are beyond proud but there is a hole in our hearts that can never be filled."

Capt Tim Kinsella, the base's commanding officer, said of the three sailors killed: "When confronted, they didn't run from danger; they ran towards it and saved lives."

Saudi Arabia is a key US ally in the Middle East and President Trump said the Saudi king called him after the attack to "express his sincere condolences and give his sympathies to the families and friends of the warriors who were killed".

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50706835

 

[chacha kashmiri]

Lots of similarities to the ford hoot shooting
Although Pensacola has lots of Spanish history

 

[sweep_shot]

This type of attack is not good for images of Muslims in USA. It is counter-productive.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pensacola attack is presumed terrorism - FBI

Spoiler

The FBI says it is treating Friday's deadly attack on a Florida navy base as a presumed terrorist attack.

The Saudi gunman - who was training at the Pensacola site - killed three sailors before he was shot dead.

Special agent Rachel Rojas said the FBI was trying to determine if he had acted alone or had connections to a group.

She said other Saudi students had had been questioned but not arrested. They were reportedly confined to the base and co-operating with investigators.

The victims of the attack have been named as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, and Cameron Scott Walters, 21.

The US Navy said the sailors "showed exceptional heroism and bravery in the face of evil".

In Sunday's press conference, Ms Rojas gave almost no details of the investigation's findings so far.

However, she did say that the gunman, 21-year-old Mohammed Alshamrani, bought his weapon legally in the US. It was a 9mm handgun.

It has been reported in US media that Alshamrani played mass-shooting videos to others at a dinner earlier in the week, according to an anonymous official briefed on the investigation.

A Twitter user appearing to match Alshamrani's identity also made a series of anti-US posts before the shooting, an online monitoring group says.

At a separate press conference on Sunday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said the gunman had "a major social media trail" and called for more stringent security measures.

"This guy was somebody who just had a deep-seated hatred for the United States and that was pretty clear from that," he said. "My view is that... for us to be bringing in these foreign nationals, you have to take precautions to protect the country."

Why were Saudis at the US base?
The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military forces.

Saudi pilots started training there in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

Cpt Kinsella Jnr said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

Alshamrani was a second lieutenant in the Saudi Air Force.

Earlier US Defence Secretary Mark Esper ordered a review of the screening process for foreign military in the US.

Mr Esper told Fox News Sunday he had instructed top defence officials to look into security measures at bases.

President Donald Trump has also pledged to review foreign military programmes.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50706835.

 

[Birdman]

This happened at right in my backyard, literally. I live right around the base and was at work when this happened. Pensacola is conservative part of the state because of the base and lot of ex military people retire here. Generally, older people here are skeptical of Muslims and buy into Trump's and Fox news narrative.
The other day, I noticed an interaction between a Muslim family and few people at the local sea food market. This was a family of 4, the husband was buying something at the coffee shop inside the market and the wife was wearing a burka and had a toddler and a baby in a baby carrier. People were really nice to this family and women were saying how cute this baby was and were engaging this lady in a conversation. Hope it remains that way and things don't change. There are also crazy people here, there was a vendor at a local flea market that had a sign that read "will not work on items from Pakistan." I don't know why he had that sign or what made him make that sign.

I also heard in the local news that Mohammed Alshamrani had made a complaint about his instructor that he was making fun of his mustache and was calling it pornstache. Some people here try to be funny at the expense of people's accent and their looks and they do carry some stereotypes. Only way to stop that is by it giving back.

 

[sweep_shot]

Pensacola attack: US grounds Saudi aviation students after navy base shooting

Spoiler

The US has grounded hundreds of Saudi military aviation students at bases across the country in the wake of Friday's deadly shooting in Florida.

All flying will be paused, though classroom studies will continue.

It comes after Defence Secretary Mark Esper ordered a review following the shooting of three sailors at a navy base by a Saudi Air Force lieutenant.

The FBI said it was trying to determine the motive of the attacker, who was shot dead by police.

Investigators say they are working on the assumption that it was an act of terrorism.

The shooting at Pensacola has placed the long-standing US-Saudi relationship under scrutiny.

Ties have already been strained by the Saudi military offensive in Yemen and the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi last year.

What has the US said?
"A safety stand-down and operational pause commenced Monday for Saudi Arabian aviation students," Navy Lt Commander Megan Isaac told the BBC.

She said the no-fly rule affects 303 Saudi students at three Florida Naval Air Stations: Pensacola, Whiting Field and Mayport.

Pentagon civilian spokesman Chuck Prichard told the BBC that the no-fly rule covered Saudi aviation students US-wide.

He said the operational pause affects 852 Saudi students enrolled in all military programmes at "various locations" across the US, though classroom training continues for all.

A senior Pentagon official told the BBC's US partner, CBS News, that the training pause will last at least five to 10 days.

The officials said the defence department is conducting a review of vetting for all 5,000 foreign military students training in the US.

Mr Esper told Fox News on Sunday he had instructed top defence officials to look into security measures at bases.

President Donald Trump has also pledged to review foreign military programmes.

How did the shooting happen?
The victims of last Friday's attack at the Pensacola base have been named as Joshua Kaleb Watson, 23, Mohammed Sameh Haitham, 19, and Cameron Scott Walters, 21.

It took place across two floors of a classroom building and ended when a sheriff's deputy killed the gunman - named by the FBI as 21-year-old Mohammed Alshamrani.

Eight people were also injured in the shooting, including two officers, who are expected to recover.

The FBI said Alshamrani bought his weapon - a 9mm handgun - legally in the US.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-50737561.

 

[MenInG]

This sort of element in Muslim Armed Forces represents a big threat to the images of the countries - even though they may be a small minority, the damage they can do to reputation is huge

 

[MenInG]

Twenty-one members of the Saudi military are being expelled from the US after a cadet carried out a mass shooting at a air base last month.

The servicemen are not accused of aiding the 21-year old Saudi Air Force lieutenant.

But US Attorney General William Barr said the cadets were found to have had jihadist material and indecent images of children in their possession.

Three sailors were killed and eight wounded in the 6 December attack.

Training for Saudi servicemen was put on hold in the US after the attack.

Mr Barr told a news conference on Monday that the shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola had been an "act of terrorism".

He said he had asked Apple to unlock two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, who was killed by police in the attack. The gunman fired a bullet into one phone in an effort to destroy it, Mr Barr said, but FBI investigators were able to restore the device.

"We have asked Apple for their help in unlocking the shooter's iPhones," Mr Barr said." So far Apple has not given us any substantive assistance."

Apple had given the FBI iCloud data from the attacker's online account, the New York Times reported, but refused to unlock the phone, saying it would undermine their own encryption software.

The tech firm has clashed previously with the FBI over requests to unlock iPhones belonging to terror suspects. A similar 2016 clash was resolved when the FBI found a way to unlock a phone belonging to a mass shooter in California without help from Apple.

Mr Barr said that initial reports that other Saudi cadets had filmed the attack as it unfolded were inaccurate. The gunman had arrived at the scene of the shooting alone, he said.

The attorney general said 17 of the expelled cadets were found to have possessed online terrorist material. Fifteen, including some of the 17 who possessed online terrorist material, had indecent images of children, he added.

"While one of individuals had a significant number of images, all the rest had one of two images, in most cases posted in a chat room by some other person or received over social media," said Mr Barr.

He said the 21 cadets were being disenrolled and returned home on Monday. The Saudi cadets, he said, had fully co-operated with FBI investigation.

Mr Barr also said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had given "complete and total" support to the inquiry. Saudi officials had determined the cadets' conduct was "unbecoming an officer in the Saudi Royal Air Force and Royal Navy", said the attorney general.

He added that the expelled cadets had not been charged with any crime in the US, but might face prosecution back home. There are more than 850 Saudi military cadets conducting training in the US.

Investigators say the attacker, Second Lt Mohammed Alshamrani, had shown videos of violence to his colleagues at a dinner party before the attack. The 9mm handgun he used was purchased lawfully.

Asked about the planned expulsions on Sunday, White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien told Fox News the Pentagon had decided to expel the Saudi cadets.

"Obviously Pensacola showed that there had been errors in the way that we vetted," said Mr O'Brien.

"And I think out of an abundance of caution Secretary [of Defence Mark] Esper's taking these actions to protect our service men and women."

The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military forces. Saudi pilots started training there in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

After last month's attack, the base's commanding officer said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51095771

 

[cric_man]

Twenty-one members of the Saudi military are being expelled from the US after a cadet carried out a mass shooting at a air base last month.

The servicemen are not accused of aiding the 21-year old Saudi Air Force lieutenant.

But US Attorney General William Barr said the cadets were found to have had jihadist material and indecent images of children in their possession.

Three sailors were killed and eight wounded in the 6 December attack.

Training for Saudi servicemen was put on hold in the US after the attack.

Mr Barr told a news conference on Monday that the shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola had been an "act of terrorism".

He said he had asked Apple to unlock two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, who was killed by police in the attack. The gunman fired a bullet into one phone in an effort to destroy it, Mr Barr said, but FBI investigators were able to restore the device.

"We have asked Apple for their help in unlocking the shooter's iPhones," Mr Barr said." So far Apple has not given us any substantive assistance."

Apple had given the FBI iCloud data from the attacker's online account, the New York Times reported, but refused to unlock the phone, saying it would undermine their own encryption software.

The tech firm has clashed previously with the FBI over requests to unlock iPhones belonging to terror suspects. A similar 2016 clash was resolved when the FBI found a way to unlock a phone belonging to a mass shooter in California without help from Apple.

Mr Barr said that initial reports that other Saudi cadets had filmed the attack as it unfolded were inaccurate. The gunman had arrived at the scene of the shooting alone, he said.

The attorney general said 17 of the expelled cadets were found to have possessed online terrorist material. Fifteen, including some of the 17 who possessed online terrorist material, had indecent images of children, he added.

"While one of individuals had a significant number of images, all the rest had one of two images, in most cases posted in a chat room by some other person or received over social media," said Mr Barr.

He said the 21 cadets were being disenrolled and returned home on Monday. The Saudi cadets, he said, had fully co-operated with FBI investigation.

Mr Barr also said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had given "complete and total" support to the inquiry. Saudi officials had determined the cadets' conduct was "unbecoming an officer in the Saudi Royal Air Force and Royal Navy", said the attorney general.

He added that the expelled cadets had not been charged with any crime in the US, but might face prosecution back home. There are more than 850 Saudi military cadets conducting training in the US.

Investigators say the attacker, Second Lt Mohammed Alshamrani, had shown videos of violence to his colleagues at a dinner party before the attack. The 9mm handgun he used was purchased lawfully.

Asked about the planned expulsions on Sunday, White House National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien told Fox News the Pentagon had decided to expel the Saudi cadets.

"Obviously Pensacola showed that there had been errors in the way that we vetted," said Mr O'Brien.

"And I think out of an abundance of caution Secretary [of Defence Mark] Esper's taking these actions to protect our service men and women."

The Pensacola base has long offered aviation training to foreign military forces. Saudi pilots started training there in 1995, alongside other personnel from Italy, Singapore and Germany.

After last month's attack, the base's commanding officer said that about 200 international students were enrolled in programmes there. According to its website, the base employs more than 16,000 military and 7,400 civilian personnel.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-51095771

Bunch of confused lot... Jihadi material & child porn?

 

[Ronaldo7]

Bunch of confused lot... Jihadi material & child porn?

How do we know he's not lying?
You can't trust these Yanks with anything

 

[cric_man]

How do we know he's not lying?
You can't trust these Yanks with anything

This is a statement from the Saudi Embassy. Apparently they are stating that it is the Saudi's that determined 21 as bad apples.

Statement Following the Conclusion of Pensacola Naval Air Station Attack Investigation
January 13, 2020
Following the conclusion of the investigation by US law enforcement authorities into the shooting incident at Pensacola Naval Air Station on December 6, 2019 involving a Royal Saudi Air Force cadet, the official spokesperson of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Washington would like to stress the following points:

The disturbed and radicalized individual who carried out this terrible attack acted alone. He does not represent the hundreds of thousands of Saudis who have lived, studied and trained in the United States over the past several decades, nor does his heinous act represent the values of Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia has fully cooperated with American investigators looking into the motivations of the attacker. Saudi Arabia will continue to cooperate with US authorities should they require additional information. In addition, the Kingdom has determined that 21 cadets have demonstrated conduct unbecoming of an officer in the Saudi Royal Air Force or Royal Navy and therefore have been unenrolled from their training program in the U.S. military. They will be returning to the Kingdom.

It is worth noting that the military training that the US provides to Saudi military personnel has enabled Saudi soldiers, pilots and sailors to fight along their American counterparts and against our common foes. The close cooperation between the two nations on intelligence matters and issues related to counter terrorism has saved the lives of many in the US, Saudi Arabia and elsewhere and has made the world a safer place. Approximately 28,000 Saudis have undergone military training in the US over the course of several decades without incident.

Saudi Arabia has been at the forefront of the international community’s effort to counter terrorist groups for many years. The kingdom has used every means at its disposal to counter the men, mindset and money that allow Al Qaeda, ISIS and other terrorist groups to recruit followers and to threaten communities and even entire nations. In addition, the terrorists who have struck the US and many other nations have also targeted Saudi Arabia’s people, leadership, military personnel and even our holiest religious institutions in Mecca and Medina on multiple occasions. Violent extremists continue to pose a serious challenge to the security of the United States, Saudi Arabia and most countries around the world. Terror groups have recruited thousands of people from dozens of countries. The kingdom has worked closely with the US to counter this global threat.

Finally, close to a million Saudis have come to the US for their education, training and other reasons over several decades. The overwhelming majority of them are law-abiding citizens who view themselves as unofficial ambassadors of the kingdom. Many consider the United States as a second home and treat their American colleagues, classmates and neighbors as an extended part of their family. Thousands of them took to social media to condemn the attacker and to extend their condolences to Americans, as did our leadership and our ambassador to the United States.

https://www.saudiembassy.net/news/statement-following-conclusion-pensacola-naval-air-station-attack-investigation

 

[minamino]

Saudi have great relations with US. Don't understand why some idiot would do something like this?

 

[msaaim89]

Saudi have great relations with US. Don't understand why some idiot would do something like this?

The leadership may have a lovey dovey relationship, not the ordinary population.

 

[MenInG]

The FBI has found mobile phone evidence linking al-Qaeda to the December 6, 2019, shooting at a US naval base in Florida in which three people were killed, a federal law enforcement source said on Monday.

The attacker, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, 21, had been a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force. He was on the base as part of a US Navy training program designed to foster links with foreign allies, and was killed by law enforcement officers during the attack.

Attorney General William Barr and FBI Director Chris Wray are scheduled to hold a news conference on Monday to announce new developments in the case.

The Justice Department had previously asked Apple to help extract data from two iPhones that belonged to the gunman, including one that authorities say Alshamrani damaged with a bullet after being confronted by law enforcement. It was not immediately clear how the FBI and Justice Department were able to ultimately access the phone.

Law enforcement officials left no doubt that Alshamrani was motivated by anti-Ameican ideology, saying he visited a New York City memorial to the attacks of September 11, 2001, over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend and posted anti-American and anti-Israeli messages on social media just two hours before the shooting.

Separately, al-Qaeda's branch in Yemen, released a video claiming the attack. The branch, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has long been considered the global network's most dangerous branch and has attempted to carry out attacks on the US mainland.

In January, US officials announced that they were sending home 21 Saudi military students after an investigation revealed that they had posted anti-American sentiments on social media pages or had "contact with child pornography".

Barr said at the time that Saudi Arabia had agreed to review the conduct of all 21 to see if they should face military discipline and to send back anyone the US later determines should face charges.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ida-military-base-attack-200518140727194.html

 

[MenInG]

The FBI has accessed two iPhones used by the perpetrator of a terrorist attack, claiming the devices reveal al Qaeda had directed the plot.

It is the latest development in a long-running debate about the degree to which technology companies should be obliged to change their products in order to assist law enforcement investigations.

Mohammed Alshamrani, a member of the Saudi air force who was training in the US, killed three people at the Pensacola navy air station in Florida on 6 December last year.

In an audio recording released in February, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed to have directed the shooting.

FBI officials now say they have obtained evidence the gunman had been in regular contact with al Qaeda, describing the attack as "the brutal culmination of years of planning and preparation".

US Attorney General William Barr told a press conference on Monday: "Thanks to the great work of the FBI - and no thanks to Apple - we were able to unlock Alshamrani's phones."

It is not clear how the FBI managed to access the iPhones, one of which Alshamrani shot.

NBC reported that the agency overcame Apple's technology preventing automated passcode guesses.

Apple said it responded to the FBI's first requests for information "just hours after the attack" and provided "every piece of information available to us, including iCloud backups, account information and transactional data for multiple accounts".

"The false claims made about our company are an excuse to weaken encryption and other security measures that protect millions of users and our national security," the company stated.

Mr Barr said a "trove of information" had been found on the phones due to the "FBI's ingenuity, some luck, and hours upon hours of time and resources", without which "this information would have remained undiscovered".

Alshamrani had been communicating with al Qaeda "using end-to-end encrypted apps, with warrant-proof encryption", Mr Barr added.

The terrorist had "been radicalised by 2015" and joined the Royal Saudi Air Force with the specific intention of carrying out a "special operation" according to the Department for Justice.

The complaint echoes the case of the San Bernadino terrorist attack in which the FBI attempted to force Apple to create software which would allow it to unlock one of the attacker's phones.

The FBI ultimately withdrew its legal request after managing to unlock the iPhone through a third party, which was paid $900,000 (£737,000) to break into it.

At the time some of Apple's biggest competitors, including Google and Microsoft, supported it in a joint legal brief appealing against a court decision forcing it to create a "back door" for law enforcement to access its devices.

"It is because we take our responsibility to national security so seriously that we do not believe in the creation of a back door," said Apple.

The company described the FBI's proposals as making "every device vulnerable to bad actors who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers".

"There is no such thing as a back door just for the good guys, and the American people do not have to choose between weakening encryption and effective investigations."

https://news.sky.com/story/fbi-unlo...ds-al-qaeda-links-no-thanks-to-apple-11990818

 

[MenInG]

A naval air station in Texas went on lockdown on Thursday morning after an active shooter was reported near one of the facility's gates.

Naval Air Station-Corpus Christi said on Facebook that the shooter was "neutralized" and all gates remained closed.

"Naval Security Forces at NAS Corpus Christi responded to an active shooter at approximately 6:15 a.m. [12:15 GMT] this morning," the base said on Facebook. "The shooter has been neutralized. All gates on the installation remain closed while first responders process the scene."

The US navy tweeted that it was aware of the reports and that more information would follow when available.

There were no immediate reports of what happened to the shooter or other injuries

The station had a similar lockdown last December.

In another incident at the base last year, a man pleaded guilty to destruction of US government property and possession of a stolen firearm for ramming his truck into a barricade at the Corpus Christi station.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...lockdown-reports-shooter-200521124000881.html

 

[MenInG]

A shooting at a Texas naval air station that wounded a sailor and left the gunman dead is being investigated as "terrorism-related", the FBI said Thursday.

The shooting began around 6:15am (11:15 GMT) on Thursday at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.

The attacker tried to speed through a gate at the base in a vehicle, but security personnel put up a barrier in time to stop the shooting, US officials told The Associated Press news agency. The man then got out of the car and opened fire, striking and wounding a Navy sailor who is a member of the security forces at the base. During the exchange of gunfire, the shooter was killed by security personnel, the officials said.

The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details about a continuing investigation.

The FBI is investigating the shooting as "terrorism-related", FBI Special Agent Leah Greeves said at a news conference Thursday afternoon, and investigators were working to determine whether a second person of interest was at large in the community.

"We have determined that the incident this morning at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi is terrorism-related," Greeves said. "We are working diligently with our state, local and federal partners on this investigation, which is fluid and evolving."

Greeves did not elaborate on a potential motive or specify what led investigators to believe the shooting is related to what she called "terrorism". Federal investigators also did not provide any information about the "potential second related person of interest at large in the community" or why they believe that is the case.

Officials were still working to process the crime scene, Greeves said.

The FBI's field office in Houston has taken the lead on the investigation, and neither investigators nor the Navy provided details on the shooter or a possible motive.

US Attorney General William Barr was briefed on the shooting, a Justice Department spokeswoman said.

The facility was on lockdown for about five hours Thursday morning, but that was lifted shortly before midday.

The station had a similar lockdown last December. In another incident at the base last year, a man pleaded guilty to destruction of US government property and possession of a stolen firearm for ramming his truck into a barricade at the Corpus Christi station.

The shooting also comes months after a Saudi Air Force officer who was training at a Navy base in Pensacola, Florida killed three US sailors and wounded eight other people in a shooting that US officials described as an "act of terrorism". The country's top federal law enforcement officials said this week that the gunman in December's attack, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, had been in touch with al-Qaeda operatives about planning and tactics in the months before the shooting. Alshamrani was killed by a sheriff's deputy.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020...ooting-terrorism-related-200521211619145.html