The State Department announced a new $600,000 taxpayer-funded study that suggests “ideals of masculinity” in Kenya are contributing to terrorism.
The department’s Bureau of Counterterrorism is seeking a nonprofit group to “explore gender identities of boys and men in Kenya.” The grant proposal states that men being “tough, heterosexual, aggressive, unemotional, and achieving” can make them vulnerable to joining Islamic extremist groups.
“Gender is increasingly recognized as an essential aspect to understanding and countering violent extremism throughout the world,” the State Department said. “To date, research and interventions on gender in Kenya have predominantly focused on the role of women and girls in violent extremism. However, men and boys are disproportionately recruited by and join terrorist groups and carry out terrorist operations. In Kenya, there currently exists no CVE [countering violent extremism] programming dedicated to the role of gender of boys and men and vulnerability to violent extremism.”
To remedy this, the State Department will spend up to $592,500 on the “Masculinity and Violent Extremism” study, which will be awarded to an American nonprofit or nongovernmental organization later this year.
The study will “determine existing knowledge and gaps on male gender and violent extremism as well as explore gender identities of boys and men in Kenya.”
The grant proposal blames Kenya’s “patriarchal” society of “tough, heterosexual” men for problems facing the developing country.
“In Kenya, boys and men are disproportionately recruited by al-Shabaab and more likely to be both operators and victims of terrorist acts,” the State Department said. “Kenyan society, while diverse in its ethnic and cultural composition, is uniformly patriarchal and highly prescriptive of gender expressions and identities.”
“Kenyan males are expected to head the household as well as provide for, protect, and maintain the family,” the department continued. “Socially, males are expected to be tough, heterosexual, aggressive, unemotional, and achieving. The practical and social pressures to fulfill these expectations can be immense and create vulnerabilities that are exploited by violent extremist groups who appeal to these characteristics and offer the opportunity to fulfil [sic] these roles.”
The State Department added that the research would involve fathers and community leaders in Kenya in the hopes to “shape existing cultural narratives on masculinity, gender, and violent extremism.”
“Funds will support male-to-male dialogue and training on issues of gender and encourage stronger social and familial support structures,” the department said.
It’s About Damn Time We Cut Off These Terrorist Sponsors
Trump: ‘No More’ Aid to Pakistan, ‘They Have Given Us Nothing but Lies and Deceit’
President Donald Trump lashed out at Pakistan on Twitter just a few minutes past 7:00 a.m. Eastern time on New Year’s Day, expressing frustration at Islamabad’s inadequate efforts against terrorism and implying that U.S. foreign aid will be terminated as a result.

Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
The United States has foolishly given Pakistan more than 33 billion dollars in aid over the last 15 years, and they have given us nothing but lies & deceit, thinking of our leaders as fools. They give safe haven to the terrorists we hunt in Afghanistan, with little help. No more!
7:12 AM – Jan 1, 2018
* 18,41018,410 Replies 34,74034,740 Retweets 93,20393,203 likes
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It is not yet clear whether the “no more” exclamation means the complete or partial termination, or temporary suspension, of American aid to Pakistan.
If the complete termination of U.S. foreign aid does indeed become official policy, it would be a far more dramatic step than withholding all or part of America’s $255 million in military assistance to Pakistan, a measure reportedly under consideration by the administration over the past few days after Pakistan refused to allow U.S. interrogators access to a captured terrorist from the hostage-taking Haqqani network.
In August, President Trump said the “next pillar” of his strategy for battling terrorism would involve a “change in our approach to Pakistan.”
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Trump accused Pakistan of giving “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror.”
“We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond,” the president said. ”These killers need to know they have nowhere to hide – that no place is beyond the reach of American arms.
The Trump administration withheld $50 million in military aid to Pakistan over the summer because it felt Islamabad was not doing enough to bring down the Taliban and the Haqqani Network. There was some criticism at the time that despite his strong complaints about Pakistan refusing to help fight the Taliban or even actively colluding with it, Trump was dealing more harshly with Egypt over human rights violations by its government.
The Pakistani military rescued a Canadian-American family held hostage for years by the Haqqanis in October. Concerns have been raised that even this rescue might have been the result of a deal between the Pakistanis and the militant network, which has long been suspected of enjoying special favors and protection from elements of the Pakistani security apparatus. The prisoner Pakistan refused to allow the United States to interview was tied to the kidnapping of this Canadian-American family.
On Thursday, Pakistani military spokesman Major-General Asif Ghafoor warned the United States against taking “unilateral” military action on its soil and denied his country was not doing enough to fight the Taliban and its allies, promising that the results of Pakistan’s counterterrorism operations would be “seen in subsequent years and months.”
After making this declaration, Ghafoor implied Pakistan could actually do more, once its concerns about Afghan refugees are addressed. “If there are any facilitators and abetters inside Pakistan that can only be addressed if the 2.7 million Afghan refugees are sent back to Afghanistan,” he said.
According to the federal government, for fiscal year 2012, “The United States remained the world’s largest bilateral donor, obligating approximately $48.4 billion—$31.2 billion in economic assistance and $17.2 billion in military assistance.” However, “obligated” funds are not the same as “dispersed.”
The U.S. disbursed $33.2 billion—$19 billion in economic assistance to 184 countries and $14.2 billion in military assistance to 142 countries. Out of the top six U.S. foreign aid recipients, five of them were Muslim countries. And yet it seems the U.S. can’t buy good press in the Middle East.
The UN boasts 193 members, and the U.S. provided economic assistance to 184 of them, or 96% of the countries in the world. To be sure, the amount of assistance drops significantly after the top 10 countries or so, but still.… Of course, State Department officials might claim that some of that money is to help the poor. But China has the second largest economy in the world—and is a major buyer of U.S. debt. So we borrow money from China in order to give them financial assistance?
Former U.S. President Barack Obama’s administration “derailed” a DEA operation targeting Hezbollah’s multi-million-dollar drug trafficking activities in Latin America to secure approval of the controversial Iran nuclear deal, reports Politico.
Iran’s narco-terrorist proxy Hezbollah is involved in a plethora of criminal activities in Latin America, ranging from money laundering to massive drug trafficking.
“This was a policy decision, it was a systematic decision,” David Asher, a veteran Pentagon illicit finance expert deployed to combat the alleged Hezbollah criminal enterprise, told Politico, referring to the DEA operation, dubbed Project Cassandra. “They [Obama administration] serially ripped apart this entire effort that was very well supported and resourced, and it was done from the top down.”
For years, the U.S. military has been sounding the alarm on the threat against the United States posed by the presence of Iran and Hezbollah in America’s backyard — Latin America.
However, the Obama administration argued that Iran’s influence in the Western Hemisphere was “waning,” reported the Government Accountability Office (GAO), Congress’ watchdog arm, in late September 2014, months before world powers and Iran approved the nuclear deal in July 2015.
In its determination to secure a nuclear deal with Iran, the Obama administration derailed an ambitious law enforcement campaign targeting drug trafficking by the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah, even as it was funneling cocaine into the United States, according to a POLITICO investigation.
The campaign, dubbed Project Cassandra, was launched in 2008 after the Drug Enforcement Administration amassed evidence that Hezbollah had transformed itself from a Middle East-focused military and political organization into an international crime syndicate that some investigators believed was collecting $1 billion a year from drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering and other criminal activities.
Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC), the chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Terrorism and Unconventional Warfare, chastised the Obama administration for undermining the DEA operation.
In a statement, Pittenger, the vice chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing, declared:
The nexus between terrorists organizations, including Hezbollah, and Latin American drug cartels is a subversive alliance which provides hundreds of millions of dollars to global jihad. “The witnesses providing account of the Obama administration derailing and stonewalling the prosecution of this illicit funding investigation has resulted in the most serious consequences of the misguided and injudicious actions of President Obama and his team.”
In June 2016, Michael Braun, a former DEA agent, told lawmakers that Hezbollah is generating hundreds of millions from a “cocaine money laundering scheme” in Latin America that “provides a never-ending source of funding” for its terrorist operations in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Iran has deployed thousands of Hezbollah militants to fight on behalf of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, a move that has allowed the ruthless leader to remain in power.
Both the U.S. military and State Department have warned against the menace that Hezbollah and Iran’s presence in Latin America represents.
Politico reveals:
As Project Cassandra reached higher into the hierarchy of the conspiracy, Obama administration officials threw an increasingly insurmountable series of roadblocks in its way, according to interviews with dozens of participants who in many cases spoke for the first time about events shrouded in secrecy, and a review of government documents and court records. When Project Cassandra leaders sought approval for some significant investigations, prosecutions, arrests and financial sanctions, officials at the Justice and Treasury departments delayed, hindered or rejected their requests.
The Justice Department declined requests by Project Cassandra and other authorities to file criminal charges against major players such as Hezbollah’s high-profile envoy to Iran, a Lebanese bank that allegedly laundered billions in alleged drug profits, and a central player in a U.S.-based cell of the Iranian paramilitary Quds force. And the State Department rejected requests to lure high-value targets to countries where they could be arrested.
Soon after U.S.-led world powers and Iran approved the nuclear pact, Obama predicted that Iran would use sanction relief funds to boost its terrorist proxies, namely Hezbollah, saying in August 2015:
Let’s stipulate that some of that money will flow to activities that we object to … Iran supports terrorist organizations like Hezbollah. It supports proxy groups that threaten our interests and the interests of our allies — including proxy groups who killed our troops in Iraq.
A day after the deal’s approval, Obama also said:
Do we think that with the sanctions coming down, that Iran will have some additional resources for its military and for some of the activities in the region that are a threat to us and a threat to our allies? I think that is a likelihood that they’ve got some additional resources. Do I think it’s a game-changer for them? No.
They are currently supporting Hezbollah, and there is a ceiling — a pace at which they could support Hezbollah even more, particularly in the chaos that’s taking place in Syria. So can they potentially try to get more assistance there? Yes.
According to the Jerusalem Post, Iran has dramatically increased its financial support to Hezbollah from $200 million to $800 million per year, two years after the nuclear deal was signed by Iran and world powers.
In 2010, John Brennan, Obama’s top counterterrorism adviser and then CIA director, confirmed that former president’s administration was trying to build up “moderate elements” within Iran’s terror proxy Hezbollah.
“Hezbollah is a very interesting organization,” Brennan told a Washington conference, saying it had evolved from “purely a terrorist organization” to a militia and, ultimately, a prominent Shiite political party in Lebanon, reported Reuters.
REVEALED: La David Johnson Betrayed Fellow Soldiers in Niger Ambush
Washington, DC – The attack by Islamic militants in the central African country of Niger that left four American military members dead and triggered a public fight between President Donald Trump and Democratic Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, of Florida, is hiding a far more dark episode in our nation’s military. New evidence has emerged that reveals that Sgt. La David T. Johnson, the center of the fracas between President Trump and Rep. Wilson, had betrayed his own squad by helping to set up the ambush in Niger by Islamic militants that would ultimately lead to the death of three American soldiers as well as his own.
Where is Niger anyway?
Niger is a landlocked, west African country bordered by Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad. Since its independence from France in 1960, it has experienced military rule, countless coups and now a democratically elected government. The current president of Niger is Issoufou Mahamadou.
A map of Niger showing the precise location Niamey where the ambush of the American soldiers took place.
According to the CIA World Factbook, Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world. Food production isn’t keeping up with the population growth due to the arid climate, the lack of arable land and the high fertility rate.
Niger however is rich in natural resources and Islamic terrorists have targeted Niger in order to hurt its economy. Uranium mines, which are abundant in Niger, have been the target of recent terrorist attacks aimed at undermining the democratically elected government.
Why were U.S. troops in Niger and when did they get there?
U.S. troops started arriving in Niger in 2013. During this time, extremists were on the rise in northwest Africa. The French had intervened in Mali in 2012 when an al-Qaeda affiliated group and other tribal groups took control of the northern part of the country. In addition, Boko Haram continued its assault on Nigeria through bombings and killings.
Members of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram.
Former president Barack Obama deployed 40 U.S. military personnel to provide support to the French forces. This brought the total number of troops in Niger to 100 in 2013. However, the small troop numbers were grossly insufficient to deal with the complexity of the insurgency and Islamic terrorist activities. The number of U.S. troops in Niger has since ballooned to 800. In a letter to the House speaker at the time, Obama claimed,
“This deployment will provide support for intelligence collection and will also facilitate intelligence sharing with French forces conducting operations in Mali, and with other partners in the region.”
Currently, troops are assisting the U.S. Embassy in Niger’s capital of Niamey, while others are working on construction efforts at Air Base 201 in Agadez, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).
What does the White House want to say happened on October 4 in Niger?
On October 4, four soldiers died in Niger “as a result of hostile fire while on a reconnaissance patrol,” according to the Defense Department. According to the Pentagon, twelve American soldiers were attending a routine patrol in the area when they were ambushed by up to 100 Islamic militants who engaged in a fierce firefight with the patrol. Four American soldiers died that day and the first three identified were Army Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 35, Army Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 39 and Army Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 29.
The fourth soldier identified was Sgt. La David T. Johnson, 25 – the soldier whose widow President Donald Trump called and the source of the controversy between President Trump and Representative Frederica Wilson.
Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., has stood by her claim that President Donald Trump made insensitive remarks to Myeshia Johnson, the widow of a slain soldier.
Although Johnson is said to have died on October 4, his body was found over a mile away from the site of the Islamic militant’s ambush and it took a whole 48 hours to retrieve his body, according to the Defense Department.
According to a New York Times report, the Pentagon has been trying to determine whether American forces involved in the deadly ambush in Niger diverted from their routine patrol to embark on an unapproved mission, according to military officials.
American and Nigerien soldiers on the patrol have given conflicting accounts about whether they were simply ambushed or were attacked after trying to chase Islamic insurgents, according to military officials from both countries.
One of the main problems with the timeline in Niger is that the area which was alleged to have been patrolled by U.S. forces was familiar to the soldiers and had not been deemed to have required additional security. The area had been patrolled numerous times with no incident.
Defense Secretary James Mattis answers reporters’ questions about the American soldiers who were killed in Niger before a lunch meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman and other officials at the Pentagon on October 19, 2017 in Arlington, Virginia.
However, according to the survivors of the ambush, Johnson’s body was found a good mile away from the point at which Islamic militants launched their ambush. In response to media queries why it took so long to recover Johnson’s body, an irate Secretary of Defense, James Mattis said to the media,
“The U.S. military does not leave its troops behind, and I would just ask that you not question the actions of the troops who were caught in the firefight and question whether or not they did everything they could in order to bring everyone out at once.”.
John Kelly, President Trump’s chief of staff, said on October 19 that more was known about events than has been reported in the press but that he would not disclose it. That “more” is precisely what led to the controversy when President Trump called the widow of Johnson and said “he knew what he signed up for.”
What can’t the White House say?
According to a senior White House official who was privy to the discussions between the Pentagon and the Oval Office regarding the Niger ambush and requested anonymity, part of the reason that President Trump took four days before he could publicly comment on the death of the American soldiers is that Johnson was the one who had leaked the position of the patrol to Islamic militants who then launched the ambush, which killed three of Johnson’s fellow soldiers.
President Donald Trump speaks on the phone in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington., DC.
The White House was incredulous that a betrayal from an exemplary soldier was possible and they spent four long days trying to confirm what the Pentagon was claiming happened. The bigger question was whether to admit that Johnson had betrayed his squad – no matter how you spun this information – there would be no winners, only losers. Ultimately, the decision was taken to cover up the fact that Johnson had betrayed the position of his squad to Islamic terrorists. Understanding why Johnson, who was highly regarded by his military peers, would do such a thing was far more complex.
Who is La David Johnson?
La David T. Johnson was a husband and father to a 2-year-old son and a 6-year-old-daughter and was set to welcome his third child in January. According to MilitaryTimes.com, Johnson joined the Army in January 2014 and was assigned to the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne) at the Fort Bragg military base in North Carolina.
A screengrab of La David Johnson’s Facebook page showing a photo of him before he shipped out.
Highly regarded by his military peers, Staff Sgt. Dennis Bohler, a close friend of Johnson’s who was also Johnson’s supervisor at Fort Bragg, said Johnson rose through the ranks rapidly – from a private to a sergeant in less than three years. According to Bohler,
“He caught on quickly. You tell him once, and it’s complete, any task.”
“He was just that one soldier that always wanted to better himself every day. Every day, he wanted to do better than he did yesterday.”
Lt. Col. David Painter, commander of 2nd Battalion, 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne), said in a statement that,
“The Bush Hog formation (the Battalion nickname) was made better because of Johnson’s faithful service and we are focused on caring for the Johnson family during this difficult period.”
Bohler added,
“(Johnson) had some pretty good upbringing. He didn’t do any drinking. He didn’t do any smoking. He was a family-oriented soldier.”
However something changed for Johnson when Donald Trump was elected as President in November 2016. Fellow soldiers who were deployed with him in Niger and who spoke on condition of anonymity claim that Johnson went through a period of introspection shortly after Hillary Clinton lost the presidential election to Donald Trump in 2016. According to one soldier,
“There was a sense that Johnson didn’t feel like he knew what he was fighting for anymore.”
Johnson hated Donald Trump and thought that he was a white supremacist and a racist and made that clear in conversations with other soldiers. Whereas before, Johnson was more than happy to serve under former president Barrack Obama, the thought of serving under President Donald Trump was something that he had not prepared for.
Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem to protest police treatment of black suspects. Kaepernick has been found to have donated significant sums to a group which glorifies violence against police officers and celebrates the life of convicted cop-killer Assanta Shakur.
Then came Charlottesville and the Colin Kaepernick controversy flared up. According to another soldier deployed in Niger with Johnson and who also requested anonymity,
“There was Charlottesville and then there was the whole Colin Kaepernick thing and that really set David off.”
“He was furious that the president would speak in defense of white supremacists and he questioned what he was still doing out here instead of being with his family.”
However, there was no way for Johnson to request to return back to the U.S. As a special forces soldier, he was torn between his duty to fight alongside his squad and his desire to give up the fight. Which is when he decided to commit the ultimate betrayal, leak the position of his squad to Islamic terrorists in the hopes they would set up an ambush and use the opportunity to flee, and cite psychological trauma as a grounds to return back to the U.S.
What really happened on October 4 in Niger?
On October 4, Johnson’s squad had heard reports that a leader of a militant group had been coming from Mali to resupply on fuel and food at Tongo Tongo, whose villagers are seen as sympathetic to the extremists. The Americans were keen to follow up with the Tongo Tongo village chief when they saw motorbikes in the horizon – a sign of likely terrorist activity. Motorbikes are the vehicle of choice of insurgent groups operating in the area, allowing them to easily navigate the harsh terrain, especially now, the end of the muddy rainy season.
Sgt. La David T. Johnson was an exemplary soldier who lost focus on his mission and his loyalty to the flag, the country and the President.
Eventually, after talking to the village chief, the troops got into their vehicles to return to their base, a two-hour drive. But less than five minutes after they drove out of the village, the convoy was ambushed by a group that outnumbered them two to one.
According to a Nigerian official, about 100 armed insurgents, many of whom were on motorbikes – two or three people a bike – as well as others in about 10 sport utility vehicles, surrounded the Americans. They were armed with heavy weapons, including anti-aircraft weaponry as well as rocket-propelled grenades, and a firefight lasting about two to three hours ensued.
During this time, two or three vehicles in Johnson’s convoy were destroyed and part of the convoy became separated when at least one of the Land Cruisers became stuck in the mud. According to the New York Times, Johnson was in the vehicle that had gotten stuck, along with Nigerian soldiers who also died.
However, American forces who survived the fight described one Land Cruiser driving away from the ambush at high speed in the opposite direction of the convoy. That Land Cruiser was driven by Johnson and was the only Land Cruiser that contained Nigerian soldiers and no other French or American soldiers. According to one survivor who spoke on condition of anonymity as investigations are still ongoing,
“As we came under heavy fire, I looked up and saw Johnson jump into one of the Land Cruisers and speed off in the other direction. That Land Cruiser was manned by the Nigerian soldiers who were with us, so I thought it was weird that he would do that instead of providing covering fire.”
Nigerian officials shared intelligence with the American forces in Niger that the meeting with the Tongo Tongo village chief had been arranged by Johnson and that he had leaked the information of the size of the squad and the convoy that would be at the village that day. This gave the Tongo Tongo village chief ample opportunity to stall for time as the Islamic militants brought down overwhelming firepower on the unsuspecting American soldiers. Johnson, who had intended to flee all along would have succeeded if not for the fact that he was shot and killed by a member of his own convoy.
Islamic militants in Niger are heavily armed and fanatical, making them an enormous threat to American forces on the ground.
Which is why the American forces in Niger were extremely reluctant to return to pick up Johnson’s body. The bodies of the Nigerian soldiers in the Land Cruiser with Johnson were picked up on the day of the deadly firefight, but it took the Americans a whole 48 hours to reconcile Johnson’s betrayal before they decided to return and pick up his body.
When Johnson’s personal effects were gathered, a letter was found to Johnson’s wife, which spoke at length about how he no longer felt that it was justifiable to put himself in harm’s way for a “racist president” and that he would “find a way out, no matter what.”
President Trump’s phone call with Johnson’s widow
President Trump was well aware of Johnson’s betrayal, but decided ultimately that in the interest of keeping the nation united, it would be best to let Johnson’s betrayal go unmentioned, after all, his death was punishment enough – no need to go any further. However, true patriot that President Trump is, he struggled in the phone call to Myeshia Johnson – La David T. Johnson’s widow.
Myeshia Johnson at the funeral of her husband Sgt. La David T. Johnson, who will be remembered as a hero, despite evidence to the contrary.
During the call, President Trump told Myeshia Johnson that her husband “must have known what he signed up for,” according to an account from Wilson, who was riding in a limousine with the soldier’s family when the President called. What Representative Wilson did not know, was that President Trump was struggling with speaking kind words for a soldier who had committed the ultimate sin, betraying his fellow soldiers. According to a senior White House communications aide who asked not to be named and was standing next to the President during the phone call,
“The President really struggled.”
“He wanted to provide comfort to Johnson’s widow, but at the same time, the knowledge that he was saying kind words about a traitor, that was too much for the President, which is why he said Johnson ‘must have known what he signed up for’.”
Ultimately, Johnson’s betrayal and death are a mere reflection of the division that is tearing up this country. An unsettling trend is sweeping across the country, where vows are no longer sacred and symbols are no longer respected and it has reached such a point where it’s even undermining the integrity of our military. Johnson may have been a deserter, but he did not need to be a traitor and it was his traitorous act which resulted in the loss of three other loyal American soldiers who were in country to do their job – defend our freedoms.
As Johnson is buried today as a hero, the true heroes are the ones who chose to let him be remembered that way, because it is better he died as a symbol of unity, then that he expose the truth about the division which plagues our democracy.
FBI: Florida man sympathized with IS, wanted to bomb mall
MIAMI (AP) — A Florida man who described himself as a sympathizer of the Islamic State extremist group faces terrorism-related charges stemming from a purported plot to bomb a Miami-area shopping mall, according to court documents filed Monday.
Vicente Adolfo Solano, 53, appeared at a brief hearing Monday afternoon on a charge of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction at the Dolphin Mall west of Miami. Solano was arrested Friday after accepting a fake bomb provided by the FBI outside the mall, according to an FBI affidavit.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Chris McAliley said she will appoint a public defender to represent Solano, who is being held without bail. A bond hearing is set Thursday and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Gilbert said the government wants him kept behind bars until trial as a risk of flight and danger to the community.
Solano told the judge he works as a painter earning $13 an hour. No relatives appeared at the hearing. Court records show Solano has had only minor brushes with the law, most recently in 2014 and 2015 for driving with a suspended license. That document noted he had no prior felony record.
The FBI began investigating Solano in late September after a confidential informant tipped agents off about his plans, the affidavit said. Most of the subsequent conversations were recorded. Investigators also found three pro-Islamic State videos that Solano allegedly sent to the confidential informant.
“I am here because I like the way (Islamic State) confronts the United States and the countries of the coalition,” Solano allegedly said in one video, wearing a black mask and shirt and standing in front of black flag. “The United States is the most terrorist country of all. I am going to plant a bomb … that’s how it’s going to be done.”
In a second video, Solano said he is a “sympathizer of the Islamic group, ISIS” using another acronym for the Islamic State.
It’s not clear from the affidavit whether Solano had any links to any foreign terrorist groups. At one point, he told the confidential informant he had not discussed his plot with anyone else.
His plans started to come together in October when the confidential informant introduced Solano to an undercover FBI employee who could supposedly help build a bomb. Solano provided a sketch of the food court at the mall, which he thought would be most crowded, according to the FBI.
“It’s easy because look … I go in, I sit down, I leave it and goodbye. I leave it. I won’t have a problem with that,” Solano said in one conversation recorded by the FBI.
After buying screws and other materials to build the bomb, Solano met with the two undercover FBI men at a hotel to put it together. Then the three of them drove over to the mall, where “Solano took steps that he believed would arm the device and the timer to count down” on the fake bomb, the affidavit said.
Parsons Green explosion: Hunt for Tube bucket bomber – latest news
Parsons Green Tube explosion declared a terrorist incident
Attacker remains at large after home-made bomb detonated
Suspect ‘identified by security services from CCTV footage’
Most of 22 injured suffer flash burns from device ‘with timer’
Others trampled as they flee bucket bomb on District Line
Theresa May criticises Donald Trump over ‘unhelpful’ tweet
‘I heard a boom… then there were flames’: What witnesses saw
Everything we know so far about the Parsons Green attack
‘The kettle’s on’: Londoners’ very British response to bombing
A huge counter-terrorism investigation is under way after a bucket bomb was detonated on a packed London Underground train at Parsons Green.
Witnesses described scenes of terror and panic after the blast sent a “fireball” and a “wall of flame” through a District line service in west London. At least 22 people were injured, including a boy believed to be aged about 10.
A major manhunt for the bomber has been launched, with police working with MI5 as they forensically examine the device. No arrests have so far been made and the attacker remains at large, with an unconfirmed report that the security services have identified a suspect from CCTV.
After the attack during the Friday morning rush-hour, Britain’s most senior counter-terror officer Mark Rowley said: “We now assess this was a detonation of an improvised explosive device.”
A total of 22 people – including children – were injured in the explosion, with most of them suffering from “flash burns”.
Others were trampled and suffered crush injuries in the rush to escape the packed carriage, which was the last in the train.
Witnesses reported seeing people “covered in blood” after a “flash and a bang” from the device, but sent a “fireball” through the packed Tube train.
Pictures and video posted on social media showed a flaming bucket – which appeared to have wires coming from it – inside a Lidl carrier bag on the floor of a carriage.
The device is not believed to have fully detonated and it is reported that it could have been set off on a timer.
Emergency services including armed police rushed to the scene after being alerted at around 8.20am.
After chairing a meeting of the Government’s Cobra emergencies committee Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the “cowardly” attack – and confirmed the UK terror threat level remains unchanged at severe.
It comes with Britain on high alert after four terror attacks in 2017. The official threat level currently stands at severe – meaning an attack is seen as “highly likely”.
‘Police need more resources to boost safety’ – security experts
British Transport Police (BTP) should be given more resources to boost safety on London Underground, a security expert has said.
Deploying more officers should be prioritised over installing check points at Tube stations, according to Will Geddes, founder of private security firm International Corporate Protection.
Introducing airport-style barriers “is not necessarily going to be a solution” because of the huge number of passengers using the network.
“The terrorist is always going to look for the path of least resistance,” he said.
“If you’ve got additional checkpoints on the exterior of the airport or the Tube station, you create a choke point, you create a build-up of individuals which could be exploited.
“What will hopefully happen is BTP will be given more resources to continue initiatives they’re currently running, where they have periodic sweeps by plain-clothed covert officers who are carrying out hostile surveillance detection.
“They’re ideally picking up on individuals who might be planning to do something or are in the right position to be able to react as quickly as possible should something happen.”
Around 700 uniformed BTP personnel are deployed on the Tube and Docklands Light Railway, part of 3,000 across the capital’s transport network.
Mr Geddes said passengers play a “critical part” in combating terrorism.
“It couldn’t be more true, especially on the Underground,” he said.
“You’ve seen the posters, you’ve heard the announcements. If you see an unattended package, or something else suspicious, report it.
“It’s really, really key. The general public are the eyes and ears on the ground.”
A bomb blast tore through an underground train deep in St Petersburg, Russia, on April 3, killing 11 people.
About 100 people were killed when two bombs were detonated outside Ankara train station in Turkey in October 2015.
Locals offer tea and pizza to those caught up in attack
Free pizza, cups of tea and spare phone chargers were on offer around Parsons Green as well-meaning residents sprung into action following the outrage.
West Londoners fastened signs to their front doors telling anyone affected to come if they need anything from a beverage to a toilet break.
At the fringes of the police cordon, Teo Citino, the owner of nearby restaurant Il Pagliaccio, piled a fold-out table with free pizza for the emergency services.
The 52-year-old said: “One of the reasons I’m here is that my wife and daughter could have been on that train, I live next to the station. I rang my wife right away, they were evacuated from the house in pyjamas.
“I must admit, I have been very, very lucky because they usually get the train to go to my daughter’s school, she is 12 years old.
“My second reason is that it is a way to say thank you to those who provide services – the fire brigade, police and nurses – because I don’t believe they receive enough money.”
Other residents from near the site of the attack approached members of the Press and offered them access to phone chargers and a place to sit down inside.
Hammersmith and Fulham Council was also on hand, opening a local community centre as a rest place for those whose homes were within the police cordon.
Social media was similarly awash with people offering a comforting hot drink to those caught up in the aftermath.
Bucket bomb seen before in failed UK terror attacks
The improvised bucket bomb left on the Tube at Parsons Green bears the hallmarks of previous failed bombing attempts in the UK, according to experts.
Academics and chemical experts suggested that, while the device caused what witnesses described as a “fireball”, it failed to fully detonate.
Dr Lewis Herrington, a lecturer and terrorism expert at Loughborough University, said the use of a timer was “key”, as it distinguished it from the suicide attacks on July 7 2005 and at the Manchester Arena earlier this year.
He said: “A timing device is critical – if you look at all the other attacks, the Westminster attack, Khuram Butt, Salman Abedi, they all wanted to die.
“That’s not present and that really sends alarm bells. This guy really wanted to pack a punch.
“The initiator succeeded hence the reported fireball but clearly the explosive element failed.”
Dr Herrington said the attack instead bore echoes of the case of Damon Smith, 20, who was jailed for 15 years in May after leaving a home-made bomb in a rucksack containing ball bearing shrapnel on a Jubilee Line train.
Smith, who had autism and was not motivated by terrorism, created the bomb after finding a guide online.
Area around Parsons Green evacuated so ‘remnants of bomb’ can be secured
Scotland Yard said the area surrounding Parsons Green Tube station has been evacuated so specialist officers could “secure the remnants of the improvised device and ensure it is stable”.
A spokesman added: “A small number of residents will be affected by the evacuation, which encompasses an area approximately 50 metres in radius.” The Tube station remains closed.
Meanwhile, more than 50 residents evacuated following the attack are being looked after at the Lancaster Court community centre, reports Nicola Harley.
Council officers said they do not know how long people will be stuck here.
Donald Trump: ‘We have to be very, very tough’
Asked about the London terror attack by reporters outside the White House in Washington, US President Donald Trump said: “It’s a terrible thing. It just keeps going and going, and we have to be very smart, we have to be very, very tough. Perhaps we are not nearly tough enough.
“It’s just an absolutely terrible thing. In fact, I’m going to call the Prime Minister right now. We have to be tougher and we have to be smarter.”
Security services have ‘identified suspect from CCTV’ – report
The security services have identified a suspect in the Parsons Green bombing from CCTV footage, according to an unconfirmed report by Sky News.
Tube commuter: I thought I was going to die
Passenger Emma Stevie was in the Tube carriage when the device exploded. Here she describes the moment people were crushed as they tried to escape:
‘I’ve never had the feeling of, I’m about to die’: Parsons Green eyewitness recounts chaos
01:30
Theresa May condemns ‘cowardly’ attack – and rebukes Donald Trump over tweet
Theresa May has rebuked US President Donald Trump over his Parsons Green comments on Twitter, saying: “I never think it’s helpful for anybody to speculate on what is an ongoing investigation.”
The Prime Minister also condemned the “cowardly” attack, saying: “This was a device intended to cause significant harm.”She also confirmed that the UK terror threat level remains unchanged at severe and is not being raised to critical.
Mrs May was speaking following a meeting of the Government’s emergency Cobra committee.
Scotland Yard: Donald Trump’s Tube bomber comments ‘unhelpful and pure speculation’
Scotland Yard has dismissed a claim by Donald Trump that the Parsons Green Tube bombers had been “in the sights” of police as “pure speculation”.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the US president’s comments – which did not correspond with any information released by the UK authorities – were “unhelpful”.
Mr Trump made the provocative allegation in a trademark tweet as police launched a major manhunt to track down the perpetrators responsible for planting the device on a packed commuter train.
“Another attack in London by a loser terrorist,” he wrote. “These are sick and demented people who were in the sights of Scotland Yard. Must be proactive!”
His claim threatened to spark a fresh row over US-UK intelligence sharing arrangements which have already come under strain since he entered the White House.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: “The comments are unhelpful and pure speculation. If anyone has got any evidence or information, please contact the anti-terrorism hotline.”
‘They were shouting ‘stop, stop, stop”: Passenger describes crush chaos
Tube passenger Ryan Barnett said there was a crush of people on the stairs as commuters ran from the scene of the blast.
The 25-year-old, who works in politics and had been travelling to his office, said: “The stewards and other passengers, they are shouting ‘stop, stop, stop’, so I ended up squashed on the staircase, people were falling over, people fainting, crying, there were little kids clinging on to the back of me.
“It is absolute chaos, it was quite scary because at one stage we thought we might be trapped there – I heard a pregnant woman lost her shoes and had fallen over.”
Police forensics officers scour carriage where bomb was detonated
Here are the latest pictures reaching us from Parsons Green as police forensics officers continue to examine the device that partially exploded and the Tube train.
Meanwhile, other detectives are scouring CCTV footage and examining witness statements for potential leads.
Parsons Green bomb comes after four UK terror attacks so far this year
The blast comes with the UK on high alert following four terrorist attacks so far this year.
Authorities have foiled 19 plots since the middle of 2013 – including six since the Westminster atrocity in March.
The incident comes a day after figures revealed terror-related arrests in Britain have hit a new record high, with suspects held at a rate of more than one every day.
Police and MI5 are running 500 investigations involving 3,000 individuals at any one time, while there are also 20,000 former “subjects of interest” whose risk must be kept under review
‘There was a stampede and people started crushing each other’
Standing outside St Thomas and Guy’s Hospital, a woman who was on the Tube when the blast happened, told The Telegraph’s Harry Yorke: “I was stood at the opposite end of the Tube, in the front carriage. I was on my way to work.
“I didn’t hear anything, we just heard people screaming. We just ran to the exit, but there was a stampede and people started crushing each other.
“People were just scrambling and trying to get out through the entrance. My sister was in the carriage and was injured in the blast.”
The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said her sister had been taken to A&E and was currently being treated for burns.
Commuter in blast carriage tells of ‘flaming orange’ fireball
Tube passenger Lauren Hubbard, who was end in the end carriage of the train with her boyfriend, said she heard a loud bang and saw a “fireball” coming towards her, reports Laura Hughes.
The 24-year-old said: “It was hot and just came towards you, this flaming orange coming towards you. It smelt like burning.
“We hid behind cement boxes on the tube platform and were the last people to get off the platform.”
She said her first thought was: “Terrorist attack… I’m going to die.”
Another witness, who works next to the station, said he saw people pouring out the station looking “shellshocked” and “panicked”.
Another witness told the BBC: “I was walking towards the station and suddenly lots of people came running down the stairs shocked and tearful and saying that there had been an explosion.
“People were saying there had been a wall of flames coming down the Tube carriage. I turned around and came back from the Tube station with all of them.”
Police confirm no arrests so far as manhunt continues
Scotland Yard have confirmed that no arrests have so far been made.
A spokesman said: “Detectives from the Counter Terrorism Command, part of the national counter-terrorism police network, are making fast-time inquiries to establish who was responsible and are working closely with the security services. So far there have been no arrests.”
The passengers who fled along train tracks after blast
Passenger Jose Sarango was on a Tube train about to pull into Parsons Green as terrified commuters began along the tracks opposite to flee the device, reports Steve Bird.
“We had nearly reached Parsons Green at about 8.25am when our train from Victoria suddenly stopped. The driver announced that there was a problem with the train ahead.
“That was when we saw people, mainly adults and many wearing suits, filing nervously along the train tracks opposite away from the station towards Fulham.
“Many of them looked panicked as they tried to pass trains stacked up. Some of them were running and looking behind at the train they had just been on in the station. They were clearly very worried.”
Mr Sarango, a 52-year-old cleaner from Stockwell who was travelling to Parsons Green to have breakfast with his wife before work, said he was stuck on his train for an hour and watched as scores of passengers fled past his carriage.
“The driver then told the passengers to move to the back and we were let off to walk along the tracks,” he continued.
“I felt very nervous. No one knew exactly what was happening. People had begun looking at their phones and saw reports of people saying there had been some kind of explosion. That news meant we were even more worried.”
Mr Sarango and his fellow passengers were led down a back route along the tracks to Parsons Green.
“I was reassured to see lots of armed police, police cars and sniffer dogs. But, it was scarey.”
His wife, Cecelia Velez, had been waiting to have breakfast at Gail’s coffee shop on Fulham Road before their shift as cleaners at a local shop.
When she called him he warned her about the terror fears. Minutes later, police ordered her and staff at the restaurant to take cover downstairs.
“I suffer a blood pressure condition. And, I could feel my blood pressure drop,” she said. “We didn’t know what was going on, we were simply told that there had been an ‘incident’, but our phones told us otherwise.
“I still feel a little cold, but the staff here have given me coffee and sugar to help.”
Amber Rudd condemns ‘callous and indiscriminate’ attack
Home Secretary Amber Rudd has condemned the Parsons Green blast, saying: “Once more people going about their everyday lives have been targeted in a callous and indiscriminate way.
“My thoughts are with all those injured and affected. The police and emergency services were quickly on the scene and I would like to pay tribute again to their professionalism and tireless commitment.
“I am receiving regular updates on what is an ongoing and active investigation. I would urge Londoners to remain alert and assist the police and emergency services as much as they can.”
Sadiq Khan: An attempt by evil and cowardly… to disrupt our way of life
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has issued a statement in which he said: “This was an attempt by evil and cowardly individuals to kill and disrupt our way of life.”
Mr Khan told LBC: “There is a manhunt under way as we speak.”
Sadiq Khan: Blast shows threat facing London
Mayor says tube explosion shows risks facing global cities
01:37
Residents evacuated as police check for any other potential devices
Residents surrounding the Tube station have been evacuated from homes as police check for any other potential devices, reports Nicola Harley.
“There are searching homes, workmen told me they are checking for any other devices,” a witness said. “We don’t know when they will let us return.”
Witness Luke Warmsley was in the carriage where the device exploded.
“It was like a large match had gone off at the end of the carriage,” he told LBC radio.
“There was a plume of smoke that went off. I looked down the carriage and just saw more and more people running towards me.”
Another witness said she saw people with burns and medics were placing plastic over their injuries.
Council leader ‘outraged’ by explosion
Stephen Cowan, the leader of Hammersmith and Fulham Council, the area in which the attack took place, said he was “outraged” by the explosion. He said:
“Around 8.20 this morning a package exploded in the final carriage of a District Line train at Parsons Green station, it is being treated as a terrorist incident.
“What is extremely impressive was that the emergency services were on to the situation immediately, there is a completely co-ordinated effort and there is no reason to be overly concerned.
“I would stress that people should be reassured because this is being dealt with very effectively by everyone in the emergency services.
“I can’t tell you how angry I am, I am absolutely outraged that someone could do this – attacking innocent lives, putting those people at risk and causing fear and harm is not a way to express yourself.
“This kind of terrorism needs to be stamped out, but people need to recognise that in London we have one of the most amazing cities anywhere, they are not going to damage us, they are not going to beat us.”
Total number of those injured in Parsons Green rises to 22
In addition to the 18 victims taken to hospital by ambulance, four others took themselves to hospital, the NHS said. Here is where they are being treated:
Imperial – three patients
Chelsea and Westminster – eight
Guy’s and St Thomas’ – eight
Central London Community Healthcare Urgent Care Centre in Parsons Green – three
Jeremy Corbyn thanks emergency services for response
Writing on Twitter, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has thanked the emergency services for their response to the terror attack:
Donald Trump denounces attack by ‘loser terrorist’
US President Donald Trump has denounced the attack by a “loser terrorist”, suggesting that such attackers “were in the sights of Scotland Yard”:
Police: Blast caused by ‘detonation of improvised explosive device’
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said the Parsons Green explosion was caused by the “detonation of an improvised explosive device”.
Mr Rowley said it was understood that “most” of the 18 injured were suffering from “flash burns”.
He added that:
Hundreds of detectives are involved in the investigation – including scouring CCTV footage and speaking to witnesses
MI5 is supporting the police investigation
Londoners can expect to see an enhanced police presence on the capital’s transport network this weekend
‘Remain vigilant’: Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley warns the public
Commuters tell of ‘mass pile-up’ trying to flee Tube train
One witness told The Telegraph’s Laura Hughes: “It was extraordinary – just panic as everyone legged it off the train.
“I got stuck in a mass pile-up as everyone tried to get down the stairs. People were falling on top of each other trying to get out.”
A passenger on the train ahead, who gave his name only as Mike, told the Telegraph: “We were taken off the train at Fulham Broadway. The driver reported a mayday call had been received from Parsons Green.”