Terror tied to overseas battlefields may have just crept onto American soil.
What unfolded at Los Angeles International Airport wasn’t just another arrest. Federal agents moved in on a 44-year-old Iranian national, Shamim Mafi, just as she was preparing to board a flight out of the country. Prosecutors say this wasn’t about travel plans going sideways. They allege it was the takedown of someone operating in the middle of a high-dollar weapons pipeline tied to Iran.
According to a newly unsealed federal complaint, Mafi is accused of brokering deals involving Iranian-made military equipment, including drones, bombs, and specialized components used in explosives. Investigators say the scope of the operation wasn’t small. Some of the alleged transactions reached into the tens of millions of rounds of ammunition, with multiple deals in motion at once.
One of the more striking claims centers on a proposed agreement valued at more than $70 million tied to armed drone systems known as Mohajer-6. Prosecutors say those drones were intended for Sudan’s Ministry of Defense. Alongside that, authorities allege she worked to arrange the transfer of tens of thousands of bomb fuses and helped facilitate ammunition shipments that included at least 10 million rounds, with even larger quantities discussed in separate negotiations.
What makes this case stand out is where prosecutors say all of this was being coordinated from. Mafi has been living in the United States for years as a lawful permanent resident after being granted that status in 2016. Authorities say she maintained a home in Woodland Hills, California, while traveling frequently to countries like Iran, Turkey, and Oman. Investigators believe those international connections were key to how the operation functioned.
According to the complaint, she allegedly used an Oman-based business to help move deals forward and routed payments through countries like Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. Prosecutors say that structure was designed to dodge U.S. sanctions and avoid detection.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Last night, Shamim Mafi, 44, of Woodland Hills, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport for trafficking arms on behalf of the government of Iran. She is charged with a violation of 50 U.S.C. § 1705 for brokering the sale of drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and millions of… <a href="https://t.co/l39Gf1WVed">pic.twitter.com/l39Gf1WVed</a>
— F.A. United States Attorney Bill Essayli (@USAttyEssayli) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2045856496945439096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Federal investigators also claim she was in contact with individuals tied to Iran’s intelligence apparatus. Court documents allege repeated communication with an officer connected to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security over a period of years, including dozens of contacts captured through phone records. In interviews, she allegedly acknowledged those connections and at one point suggested she was more valuable to them in Iran than in the United States.
Agents stepped in before she could leave the country, taking her into custody at LAX as she prepared to fly to Turkey. Authorities said they believed key evidence tied to the alleged operation could be found on her or at her residence.
She now faces federal charges tied to violating U.S. sanctions laws, including brokering weapons deals involving Iranian-made military equipment without the required licenses. If convicted, she could face up to 20 years in prison. As with any criminal case, she is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
For now, the case centers on the allegations laid out by prosecutors. But it’s already raising bigger questions. It highlights how complex international networks can operate across multiple countries while maintaining a presence inside the United States. It also underscores the ongoing challenge federal authorities face in tracking and stopping these kinds of operations before they move from behind-the-scenes deals into real-world consequences.

Terror suspect

Terror On Homegrown Soil As Overseas War Pipeline Quietly Ran Through U.S. Home

Iran

Iran war

terror

Terrorism

With an April 30 deadline now looming, Capitol Hill is locked in a high-stakes standoff over the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). What began in 2008 as a tool to close intelligence gaps has transformed into a digital-age lightning rod, pitting the urgent demands of national security against a growing, bipartisan demand for Fourth Amendment privacy.
On Friday, the House and Senate <a href="https://www.nextgov.com/policy/2026/04/house-passes-10-day-fisa-extension-after-prospects-long-term-deal-collapse/412933/">passed</a> a 10-day extension of the program via unanimous consent after broader reauthorization efforts collapsed amid GOP divisions. This temporary measure, which moves the expiration date from April 20 to April 30, grants lawmakers a narrow window to negotiate as the Trump administration continues its push for a renewal without a warrant requirement.
At the heart of the &#8220;warrant debate&#8221; is whether the FBI should be required to get a judge&#8217;s permission before searching a database of intercepted foreign communications for information belonging to Americans. The Trump administration initially sought a &#8220;clean&#8221; 18-month extension of the law, which would exclude warrant reforms entirely. This bid, along with a separate five-year proposal that included FBI limits but no warrant requirement, unraveled in the House due to opposition from Democrats and GOP hardliners.
The intelligence community&#8217;s defense relies on several pillars:
<ul data-path-to-node="4">
<li>
Proven Results: In 2023, Section 702 provided 97% of the FBI’s raw technical reporting on cyber threats and assisted in military operations.
</li>
<li>
Operational Speed: Gen. Josh Rudd (NSA/Cyber Command) and the White House argue a warrant requirement acts as a &#8220;de facto ban,&#8221; slowing investigations into fast-moving threats from actors like Iran.
</li>
<li>
Compliance: Officials point to a 90% drop in U.S. person queries between 2021 and 2022, with a FISA Court-calculated compliance rate of over 98%.
</li>
</ul>
Conversely, a coalition of &#8220;privacy hawks&#8221; argues the system allows for &#8220;backdoor&#8221; searches. This debate has taken on a civil rights dimension, particularly regarding ethnic profiling. Statistics from the FBI’s 2023 transparency report indicate that while queries have dropped, &#8220;U.S. person&#8221; queries still numbered 119,383 in 2022. Additionally, AAPI organizations have highlighted that the lack of safeguards disproportionately affects minority communities; for instance, historical data has shown that Asian Americans are roughly twice as likely to be charged under the Economic Espionage Act than those of other backgrounds, fueling fears that FISA tools could amplify such disparities.
The current fight is more complex than the 2024 renewal. Three major &#8220;wildcards&#8221; are shaping the April 30 deadline:
<ol style="font-weight: 400;">
<li data-path-to-node="13,0,0">The Data Broker Loophole: Lawmakers are pushing the Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act, which would stop agencies from simply buying sensitive data — like location history — from private brokers to bypass the warrant process.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="13,1,0">Transatlantic Trade: The European Union has repeatedly threatened to curtail data flows, citing Section 702 as a violation of EU privacy standards. The $1.3 billion fine levied against Meta in 2023 highlighted how U.S. surveillance laws could directly <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/reforming-section-702-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-digital-landscape#:~:text=These%20privacy%20standards%20are%20lower,immediate%20threats%20of%20mass%20violence">threaten</a> $1.3 trillion in annual bilateral trade.</li>
<li data-path-to-node="13,2,0">The &#8220;Spy&#8221; Provision: Critics are still fighting to repeal a 2024 expansion that widened the definition of &#8220;electronic communication service providers,&#8221; which some fear could force a broader range of U.S. businesses to assist in state surveillance.</li>
</ol>
The Trump administration has already notified Congress that the FISA Court renewed program certifications for another year, but without Congressional authorization, tech companies may still challenge their obligation to comply. As the clock ticks toward April 30, Republican leaders must now decide whether to revise legislation to satisfy the House Freedom Caucus or lean on holdouts to align with the White House’s wishes.

Cyber intelligence team of experts in a governmental hacking room

A Quiet Deadline Could Leave America Blind To Terror And Cyber Threats

Congress

Cybersecurity

FISA

U.S.

Two teenagers who pledged support for ISIS pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to terrorism and weapons charges tied to an alleged plot to carry out a bombing outside of Gracie Mansion in New York City.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, are accused of planting improvised explosive devices, sometimes referred to as the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrorists-have-killed-hundreds-with-mother-of-satan-bomb-used-in-nyc-attack">Mother of Satan</a>,&#8221; on a street near the mayor&#8217;s residence during an anti-Islam demonstration led by far-Right activist Jake Lang in March. Balat and Kayumi pleaded not guilty in a federal courtroom, appearing in handcuffs and wearing tan jumpsuits, Gothamist <a href="https://gothamist.com/news/teens-plead-not-guilty-to-islamic-state-inspired-plot-near-gracie-mansion">reported</a>.
According to the indictment, investigators obtained dashcam footage from the vehicle that Balat and Kayumi drove from their suburban Pennsylvania home to New York City.
“Just can’t wait for that bomb to go off and his [i.e., Individual-1’s] freaking head, his body to get split in half, bro, dead,” Balat is heard saying on the recording, according to the indictment. Prosecutors indicated the remark was likely directed at Lang. Balat also allegedly discussed targeting both government officials and civilians.
“All I know is I want to start terror, bro,” Kayumi allegedly told Balat, according to court documents.
If convicted, both Balat and Kayumi face life in prison.
Federal prosecutors told the judge on Wednesday that they are preparing &#8220;voluminous&#8221; discovery materials. The two teens are scheduled to appear in court again on May 16.
The demonstration outside of Gracie Mansion in early March drew more than 100 protesters and counterprotesters. Authorities say Balat threw a bomb toward the far-Right protesters, but it did not detonate. He allegedly attempted to deploy a second bomb before dropping it and fleeing the scene. An NYPD officer was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hero-nypd-chief-seen-chasing-isis-terror-suspects-relives-his-split-second-decision">hailed</a> for quickly jumping into action to chase down Balat and apprehend him.
Authorities later recovered a third improvised device from a nearby car, which contained traces of triacetone triperoxide, a highly volatile explosive compound commonly referred to as the &#8220;Mother of Satan.&#8221;
Investigators allege Balat pledged allegiance to ISIS during interrogations, while Kayumi told authorities he had watched ISIS propaganda, CBS News reported. The two had also recently spent time in Turkey, and Kayumi flew to Saudi Arabia in 2024, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/08/us-news/self-radicalized-isis-supporters-used-explosive-called-mother-of-satan-inside-bombs-thrown-at-gracie-mansion-protest-sources/">according</a> to the New York Post.
&#8220;This was a planned attack motivated by extremist ideology and inspired by a violent, foreign terrorist organization,&#8221; NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said in March.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the attempted bombing &#8220;reprehensible,&#8221; but not before he condemned the far-Right protesters for demonstrating.
&#8220;White supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are,&#8221; Mamdani <a href="https://www.nyc.gov/mayors-office/news/2026/03/statement-from-mayor-zohran-kwame-mamdani-on-protests-outside-of">said</a> one day after the attempted attack. &#8220;What followed was even more disturbing. Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.&#8221;

Emir Balat, 18, is arrested after throwing an alleged

Teens Accused Of ISIS-Inspired Terror Plot Against NYC Protesters Enter Their Official Pleas

ISIS

New York City

Hatem Fariz has quite a rap sheet.
He served roughly three years in prison after pleading guilty to a conspiracy to provide material support to Iranian terror proxy Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and for additional counts in a separate case involving a reported $1.4 million food stamp <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14416473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scam</a>. He once bragged about assaulting a child he believed was “cooperating with the Jews” and laughed off a deadly bombing in Israel while helping raise funds for terror groups in the Middle East, <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/06/07/among-usf-gaza-protesters-past-supporter-palestinian-islamic-jihad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Tampa Bay Times.
But Fariz appears to have undergone a reinvention. Now he’s best known as a pillar of Florida’s Muslim community.
Fariz landed in Florida after his release from a federal prison in 2010, according to the Tampa Bay Times. While serving as the director of the Islamic Community of Tampa — also known as the Al-Qassam Mosque — Fariz has organized pro-Palestinian protests and become a prominent community member. The local police chief, Kenneth Albano, even called him &#8220;a force for reason within the Muslim community,” the Tampa Bay Times reported in 2024.
At the time, he was also characterized by his former attorney as the &#8220;worker bee&#8221; of another man convicted of supporting the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) in the same case, Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor, the local news outlet <a href="https://www.tampabay.com/news/education/2024/06/07/among-usf-gaza-protesters-past-supporter-palestinian-islamic-jihad/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The Tampa mosque run by Fariz was registered in Al-Arian’s name in 1992, <a href="https://search.sunbiz.org/Inquiry/CorporationSearch/ConvertTiffToPDF?storagePath=COR%5C1607%5C0119%5CAR007229.tif&amp;documentNumber=N50793&amp;__cf_chl_rt_tk=cS_4PQbBuE4SpccV7XaeKWsRii7jhChEr4sqPKTepcU-1775848730-1.0.1.1-fbYKMu5z54qPMwhiyLcgP.Ws65p4AcSo051StYnxa1I" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to state records.
Al-Arian has since been <a href="https://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2015/02/al-arian-saga-ends-with-deportation-202233" target="_blank" rel="noopener">deported</a> to Turkey. But thanks to Fariz, he still appears to have a footprint in Florida.
A new <a href="https://networkcontagion.us/reports/from-tehran-to-tampa-iranian-proxy-networks-operating-through-floridas-501c3-sector/">report</a> from the Network Contagion Research Institute (NCRI) says that figures like Fariz are just a small part of a seemingly benign “network of nonprofit, religious, and advocacy organizations operating in and connected to Florida that show repeated documented overlap with individuals convicted of terrorism-related offenses, designated under U.S. sanctions authorities, or publicly associated with Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and broader Iran-aligned influence ecosystems.”
The report says that the Iran-aligned influence network is gaining a foothold in Florida, and the claims have caught the attention of Florida lawmakers. Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins told The Daily Wire he’s “100% serious” about addressing the allegations made in NCRI’s report.
Collins shared his concern that the “deceptive and slow insidious method” of radical groups that entails “embedding in communities and changing people&#8217;s mindsets.”
“We better understand that we have to get ahead of this now so this doesn&#8217;t become a problem,” said Collins, a candidate for Florida governor.
Florida&#8217;s current governor, Ron DeSantis, has already taken action on the issue. Just last week, DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/red-state-slams-door-on-sharia-law-ramps-up-fight-against-domestic-terrorism?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Red+State+Slams+Door+On+Sharia+Law%2C+Ramps+Up+Fight+Against+Domestic+Terrorism" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed a law</a> that would allow state authorities to designate groups as terrorist organizations and even expel students attending local universities who support them.
Florida has also zeroed in on the influence of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) in the state. In December, DeSantis signed an order designating CAIR as a foreign terrorist organization. CAIR has denied any connection to terrorism and has filed a lawsuit regarding the order.
The designation was based on the group’s alleged ties to the Muslim Brotherhood, which Florida also designated as a foreign terrorist organization.
“CAIR was founded by persons connected to the Muslim Brotherhood and was created, in the words of persons affiliated with CAIR, as ‘an official U.S. cover representing the Islamic community’ to conceal ties to Islamic extremist groups,” the state’s order on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-joins-texas-in-designating-cair-and-muslim-brotherhood-as-terrorist-organizations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">designation</a> read.
Last month, the designation was blocked by a federal judge after CAIR&#8217;s lawsuit.
CAIR’s Florida chapter has promoted both Al-Arian and Fariz, casting them as victims of political prosecution. Both have been close allies of CAIR in the state.
Fariz solicited donations for CAIR’s galas in 2018 and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100000732120533/posts/2824374567596920/?rdid=4wVlW22xDydq7EZe#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019</a>, highlighting its &#8220;great work.&#8221;
“Please donate generously for the great work that CAIR is doing and continue to do. Our goal through this post is $10k,” Fariz <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2185617568139293&amp;id=100000732120533&amp;rdid=147NTcrMXRTIofpH#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> in one of the posts.
CAIR’s Florida branch <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/xBS09KpfWm4?t=1160s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> Fariz&#8217;s Islamic Community of Tampa as “a leading sponsor” of its 2021 gala. The Islamic Community of Tampa was also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=5241359602565059&amp;id=100000732120533&amp;http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc2NTU3MTkyMTAwMCwiciI6IiJ9&amp;_rdr" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> as a co-sponsor of a community fundraiser advertised for March 2022. Fariz was listed as a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CyghF6QAUWU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">contact</a> for CAIR Florida’s “Week of Action” in October 2023.
The organization’s Tampa chapter organized a <a href="https://www.cair.com/cair_in_the_news/cair-fl-1200-turn-out-for-al-arian-doc-premier/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">showing</a> of Al-Arian’s documentary in 2007. CAIR Florida <a href="https://www.cair.com/cair_in_the_news/cair-fl-al-arian-film-takes-familys-perspective/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the film focused on “post-Sept. 11 hysteria and the persecution of a Muslim, as well as the emotionally grinding devastation the prosecution brought to the Al-Arian family.”
CAIR Florida <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CDuYqJYgeQW/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">featured</a> Al-Arian in a 2020 webinar on the experiences of “political prisoners.”
That same year, the group promoted Fariz’s story during a webinar on “persecution in the United States.” He was also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100064587523594/posts/4449023131779167/?rdid=jX5ffBVuBejNV9gX#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nominated</a> for a CAIR Florida “Protect Award” at the time.
A CAIR Florida 2021 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDA4uyvYy8U">fundraising video</a> featured Fariz hailing the organization for having “provided … relief” during his case.
He also spoke at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/xBS09KpfWm4?t=1932s">CAIR Florida’s 2021 gala</a>, where he characterized his terrorism case as “baseless.”
The Islamic Community of Tampa mosque received a $9,000 grant in 2021 from another organization tied to the pair of figures, the Coalition for Civil Freedoms, <a href="https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/451653796/202201369349305635/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a financial disclosure statement.
While behind bars, Al-Arian &#8220;spent much of his time in prison drafting a vision for an organization that would support political prisoners and their families,&#8221; which eventually became the Coalition for Civil Freedoms, <a href="https://www.civilfreedoms.org/page/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the organization&#8217;s website.
The organization pays stipends to Muslim prisoners accused of terrorism and provides the &#8220;most vulnerable prisoners $100 each month,&#8221; <a href="https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-give-relief-to-muslim-political-prisoners" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to its donation page.
Fariz is now listed as the chairman of the board, development director, and treasurer for the Coalition for Civil Freedoms. The group also has a branch registered in Florida under Fariz’s name, according to state records.
In the Coalition for Civil Freedoms&#8217; latest annual <a href="https://www.civilfreedoms.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/Annual%20Report%20-%202024%20%20.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>, CAIR’s Florida chapter is listed as a member organization. Fariz also appears to have close connections with the group.
Al-Arian currently serves as the director of the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA) at Istanbul Zaim University in Turkey, <a href="https://www.izu.edu.tr/en/ciga/about-us/director's-message" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to his bio on the school’s website.
CIGA has previously hosted terror-tied individuals.
In 2024, the center hosted Hamas official <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-815165" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Osama Hamdan</a>, who is sanctioned by the United States government. He was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/live/l1nHOUBhJ7Y?t=5931s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">billed</a> as a speaker on “Palestinian resistance.” During his remarks, Hamdan advocated for “a new map” of the Middle East that excludes Israel.
In February 2025, CIGA <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9VhaA2vfI0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hosted</a> Majed Al-Zeer for a seminar on his book months after he was <a href="https://sanctionssearch.ofac.treas.gov/Details.aspx?id=48631" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sanctioned</a> by the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
That May, Al-Arian <a href="https://www.facebook.com/cigaistanbul/posts/join-us-for-a-powerful-conversation-on-al-daymuma-the-permanence-of-the-struggle/1242329581236105/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moderated</a> an event for CIGA featuring Al-Zeer to discuss another one of his books on keeping “the Palestinian cause alive.”
Neither Al-Arian nor Fariz responded to requests for comment. CAIR also didn’t respond to a request for comment.

How Terror-Linked Figures Built A U.S. Community And Operated In Plain Sight

Florida

Ron DeSantis

Hasan Piker, the leftist streamer who once said that America &#8220;deserved 9/11&#8221; and has sympathized with Hezbollah and Hamas, was defended on the pages of The New York Times on Sunday after he campaigned with a Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Michigan.
In a 2,000-word <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/hasan-piker-democrats.html">article</a> that was originally titled &#8220;Hasan Piker is not the Enemy,&#8221; New York Times opinion columnist Ezra Klein acknowledged some of Piker&#8217;s controversial comments, including his support for designated terrorist groups, but argued that &#8220;to focus only on those comments is to miss much else that Piker has said and believes.&#8221; Klein also suggested that Democrats would be unwise to brush Piker off and refuse to appear on his show because of his large social media following and his appeal among the younger and more radical segments of the Left.
The streamer has also gained national attention for expressing support for radical Islamic terrorists while calling Republicans &#8220;the biggest terrorists&#8221; in the world.
&#8220;I would vote for Hamas over Israel every single time,&#8221; Piker said during a recent appearance on the popular leftist podcast &#8220;Pod Save America.&#8221; At another point of the podcast, Piker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/popular-leftist-claimed-america-deserved-9-11-his-latest-comments-pour-gas-on-the-fire">said</a>, &#8220;The biggest terrorists, the biggest domestic terrorist in this country, the biggest terrorist internationally is the Republican Party.&#8221;
According to Klein, statements like these shouldn&#8217;t scare Democrats away from Piker. The New York Times columnist also argued that just because Piker has voiced support for terrorist groups like Hamas and Hezbollah doesn&#8217;t mean he&#8217;s a &#8220;Jew hater.&#8221;
&#8220;I have deep disagreements with Piker, but he isn’t a &#8216;Jew hater.&#8217; He’s an anti-Zionist. And here, I think, the real stakes of this fight come into view,&#8221; Klein wrote before going into a long defense of Piker&#8217;s anti-Israel views.
&#8220;Israel, as it is behaving today, and as it is constructing itself for tomorrow, is incompatible with any normal understanding of liberal values,&#8221; Klein continued.
The New York Times columnist did not say if Piker&#8217;s cheering for designated terror groups is in line with liberal values. Instead, Klein touted Piker&#8217;s support for Jewish Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA).
On Monday, the Times changed the headline on Klein&#8217;s opinion article from &#8220;Hasan Piker is not the Enemy&#8221; to &#8220;This is Why There&#8217;s No Liberal Joe Rogan.&#8221;
Much of Klein&#8217;s defense of Piker focuses on how the Democratic Party pushed cancel culture to its own detriment. Klein points out that most Democrats either condemned or ignored podcaster Joe Rogan in the lead-up to and during the 2024 presidential election cycle, paving the way for Republicans to capitalize on Rogan&#8217;s massive audience with very little counter-messaging.
&#8220;In avoiding those spaces, Democrats avoided contact with the kinds of voters they otherwise claimed to represent,&#8221; Klein wrote. &#8220;This is the mistake Democrats often make when they talk about what they did wrong in 2024. They realize, now, that they should try to talk to the people who listen to these shows; they are less likely to realize that they should listen to the people who talk on these shows.&#8221;
Klein then argued that Piker represents another opportunity for Democrats to reach voters, and he questioned the reasoning of Democrats, such as Michigan Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Arizona Sen. Ruben Gallego, who have declined invitations to appear on Piker&#8217;s show.
&#8220;When you’re dealing with podcasters or streamers who talk, unstructured and unrehearsed, for hours each week, if not every day, there’s going to be so much said that it’s almost inevitable that a dossier of dumb statements can be compiled,&#8221; Klein wrote. &#8220;To write those people out of acceptable political discourse is to back yourself into a shrinking, sanitized corner of the public sphere.&#8221;
Democrats who are approaching Piker correctly in Klein&#8217;s view are Sen. Sanders, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who have all either appeared on Piker&#8217;s show or collaborated with Piker in some form. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has also said he is open to appearing on Piker&#8217;s show.
Most recently, Piker campaigned with U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan as El-Sayed hopes to win a competitive Democratic primary.
&#8220;There&#8217;s a battle brewing,&#8221; Piker <a href="https://x.com/JessicaCostescu/status/2041678014715400629">said</a> at a campaign event with El-Sayed. &#8220;A battle brewing not only against the corrupt fascist forces of the Republican Party, but also against do-nothing Democrats.&#8221;

Hasan/Hamas

New York Times Runs Cover For Terrorist-Sympathizing Streamer Cozying Up With Democrats

Democrats

Hasan Piker

The New York Times

A Pakistani national charged with plotting an ISIS-inspired terrorist attack on a Jewish center in New York City pleaded guilty on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said.
Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a 21-year-old Pakistani citizen living in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Khan was arrested while attempting to illegally enter the United States through the northern border. He &#8220;planned to inflict significant casualties,&#8221; <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pakistani-national-pleads-guilty-attempting-commit-isis-inspired-attack-jewish-center-new">according to the Department of Justice.</a>
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg said.
Khan considered Brooklyn&#8217;s large Jewish population as the &#8220;perfect&#8221; venue for his attack, authorities said, and claimed his plan could have resulted in the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil since September 11.
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A Pakistani Muslim migrant named Muhammad Shahzeb Khan has been extradited to the U.S. from Canada after he was indicted for allegedly planning an ISIS mass shooting targeting a Jewish community center in New York City. <a href="https://t.co/GVhAGuC8Q0">pic.twitter.com/GVhAGuC8Q0</a>
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) <a href="https://twitter.com/MrAndyNgo/status/1932834242582495251?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Investigators began tracking Khan in November 2023 after he posted ISIS propaganda videos on social media and openly expressed support for the terror group, according to authorities.
Prosecutors said Khan began plotting terrorist attacks in the United States, sharing specific details with two individuals he didn&#8217;t know were undercover law enforcement officers. During those exchanges, Khan told an undercover officer he had a U.S.-based associate and planned to use AR-style assault rifles in an unidentified city to “target Israeli Jewish chabads,&#8221; prosecutors said.
About a year later, authorities say Khan shifted his focus to a Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, hoping to carry out his attack around the first anniversary of the Hamas-led October 7 terror attacks against Israel.
On social media, Khan encouraged what he believed were co-conspirators to acquire AR-style rifles and hunting knives to <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pakistani-national-pleads-guilty-attempting-commit-isis-inspired-attack-jewish-center-new">“slit their throats.&#8221;</a>
A month before the planned attack, Khan attempted to cross the U.S.-Canada border with the help of a human smuggler. Authorities arrested Khan near Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the border.
Khan is set to be sentenced on August 12.

New York City Increases Security At Jewish Religious Sites On Shavuot After Attack In Boulder, Colorado

Inspired By ISIS To Attack A NYC Jewish Center, A Pakistani National Just Entered A Surprising Plea

Crime

Jewish

British police arrested a fourth person in connection with an arson attack on Jewish community ambulances, with the detention happening at a London court where three males already charged in the case were appearing, prosecutors said on Saturday.
Hamza Iqbal, 20, Rehan Khan, 19, and a 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of torching four ambulances belonging to the Jewish volunteer emergency service Hatzola on March 23 while they were parked near a synagogue in the Golders Green area of north London.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the incident at the time as a &#8220;deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack.&#8221;
The SITE Intelligence ​website has said an Iran-aligned multinational militant collective called Islamic ​Movement of ⁠the People of the Right Hand had claimed responsibility for the incident.
It said the group had been behind similar fires in Europe.
Counter-terrorism officers are heading the investigation in Britain, but as yet the incident is not being treated as terrorism.
A prosecutor from the Crown Prosecution Service said police believe four people were involved in carrying out the attack itself, with a fourth individual being arrested on Saturday morning as part of an ongoing investigation.
The Metropolitan Police said the fourth suspect was a 19-year-old man who had been arrested by officers at the court while attending the hearing, after officers recognised him as being linked to the attack. He was arrested on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life and taken into custody.
Three men have been charged with arson with intent to damage property and being reckless as to whether life would be endangered. Two are British nationals, while the third holds dual British‑Pakistani citizenship.
All three were remanded in custody, with the 17‑year‑old ordered to be held in youth detention accommodation.
Hatzola is a not-for-profit volunteer emergency service that works alongside Britain&#8217;s National Health Service and primarily serves the Orthodox Jewish community.
The London Fire Brigade said explosions from cylinders on the vehicles shattered nearby windows, but no one was injured.
Attacks on Jewish people and Jewish targets have risen in Britain since the October 2023 Hamas assault on Israel that triggered the war in Gaza, according to police and community groups.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti; Editing by Joe Bavier and Toby Chopra)

U.K. Police Arrest Fourth Suspect Over Attack On Jewish Ambulances

Anti-Semitism

Radical Islam

U.K.

World

In a <a href="https://ww3.ca2.uscourts.gov/decisions/isysquery/baa0424e-af11-42ac-8a8b-f72be5af4251/1/doc/15-3135_4_opn.pdf">landmark decision</a>, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit has reinstated a $655.5 million jury verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA), marking the end of a decade-long jurisdictional tug-of-war.
The ruling in Sokolow v. Palestine Liberation Organization requires the defendants to pay damages for their role in terrorist attacks that injured or killed American citizens in Israel between 2002 and 2004.
In 2002, the height of the Second Intifada saw 47 suicide bombings in Israel, prompting the launch of Operation Defensive Shield. Major attacks that year included the Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs&#8217; Brigades&#8217; March 2nd bombing in Jerusalem&#8217;s Beit Yisrael neighborhood (11 fatalities) and an April 12th bombing at Mahane Yehuda Market (6 fatalities). Hamas carried out several devastating strikes: the March 9th Café Moment bombing (11 fatalities), the March 27th Passover Massacre at the Park Hotel in Netanya (30 fatalities), the March 31st Matza Restaurant bombing in Haifa (15 fatalities), a May 7th pool hall bombing in Rishon Lezion (16 fatalities), the June 18th attack on Jerusalem bus #32A (19 fatalities), and the July 31st bombing at the Hebrew University cafeteria (9 fatalities). Additionally, Islamic Jihad targeted public transport with car bombs on June 5th in Megiddo (17 fatalities) and October 21st in Karkur (14 fatalities).
Throughout 2003 and 2004, violence continued despite increased security and the construction of the West Bank barrier. In 2003, Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs&#8217; Brigades launched a double suicide bombing at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station on January 5th (23 fatalities), while Hamas struck Haifa bus #37 on March 5th (17 fatalities), Mike’s Place pub on April 30th (3 fatalities), Jerusalem bus #14A on June 11th (17 fatalities), the Shmuel HaNavi bus massacre on August 19th (23 fatalities), and Café Hillel on September 9th (7 fatalities). Islamic Jihad also bombed the Maxim Restaurant on October 4th (21 fatalities). In 2004, attacks shifted toward transport hubs, including Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs&#8217; Brigades&#8217; bombings of Jerusalem buses #19 and #14 on January 29th and February 22nd (11 and 8 fatalities, respectively). Joint Hamas and Fatah operations hit the Ashdod Port on March 14th (10 fatalities), followed by Hamas&#8217;s twin bus bombings in Beersheba on August 31st (16 fatalities) and a PFLP bombing at the Carmel Market on November 1st (3 fatalities).
The case was originally filed in 2004 under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) by victims and their families. After a seven-week trial in 2015, a jury found the PLO and PA liable and awarded the plaintiffs hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
However, the legal victory was short-lived. The Second Circuit later vacated that judgment in 2016, ruling that U.S. courts lacked personal jurisdiction over the defendants. For years, the victims remained in legal limbo as Congress scrambled to fix the jurisdictional gap.
In 2019, Congress passed the Promoting Security and Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act (PSJVTA), whose lead sponsor was Oklahoma GOP senator James Lankford. This statute created a &#8220;deemed consent&#8221; framework, which established that certain activities, including &#8220;martyr payments&#8221; to the families of terrorists, could be treated as consent to U.S. jurisdiction.
Initially, the Second Circuit struck down this law too, claiming it violated the Fifth Amendment&#8217;s Due Process Clause. However, the Supreme Court intervened in 2025 (Fuld v. PLO), reversing the Second Circuit. The High Court ruled that the Fifth Amendment — which governs the federal government — allows for more jurisdictional flexibility than the Fourteenth Amendment when national security and foreign policy are at stake.
The court exercised its &#8220;extraordinary&#8221; power to recall its 2016 mandate that had dismissed the case. It cited the PSJVTA as a &#8220;supervening change in governing law.&#8221; The court noted that the political branches (Congress and the president) clearly intended for this law to apply to this specific case to provide relief to victims of terror.
The defendants argued that because the court lacked jurisdiction in 2015, the original judgment was &#8220;absolutely void&#8221; and could never be revived. The court rejected this argument. They explained that a legal mistake about whether a court has power over someone (jurisdiction) can be corrected later by new laws or by a person&#8217;s conduct after a trial.
Because the defendants continued making &#8220;martyr payments&#8221; even after a new law (the PSJVTA) was passed, they effectively gave the court the green light to proceed with the case. By continuing to make those payments, they made the earlier court decision against them legally binding.
In a final attempt to avoid payment, the PLO and PA argued for a new trial, claiming the district court allowed &#8220;improper&#8221; expert testimony regarding their internal structure and support for terrorism. The Second Circuit dismissed this, ruling that:
<ul>
<li>Experts are allowed to explain the hierarchy and practices of terrorist organizations.</li>
<li>The jury was properly instructed to weigh the experts&#8217; testimony against their own common sense.</li>
<li>The district court did not commit &#8220;manifest error&#8221; in its gatekeeping role.</li>
</ul>
The Second Circuit emphasized that after 21 years of litigation, the interests of justice, judicial economy, and finality outweighed the defendants&#8217; procedural complaints. Many of the original plaintiffs have since passed away or are too ill to travel for a new trial.
By affirming the original $655.5 million judgment, the court has sent a clear message: the legislative and executive branches have the authority to hold foreign entities accountable for terrorism involving American nationals, and those entities cannot use &#8220;due process&#8221; as a shield when their own post-enactment conduct invites federal jurisdiction.
Thus, the PLO and PA are officially held to account.

Israeli Relatives Of Suicide Attack Victims Attend Public Hearing At The Hague

$655M Terror Case Revived As One Move Could Finally Make Killers Pay

Israel

The man who targeted the largest Jewish Reform synagogue in Michigan earlier this month was directed by Iranian-backed Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and had watched footage of an Iranian fatwa for &#8220;total jihad against the U.S. military&#8221; shortly before carrying out his attack, the Department of Justice said on Monday.
Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41-year-old Lebanese national, purposefully targeted the Jewish community when he drove his vehicle into Michigan&#8217;s largest synagogue and opened fire on March 12. The Department of Justice said at a press conference on Monday that Ghazali was directed by Hezbollah, which was confirmed by an investigation into his electronic devices and online activity.
&#8220;This man acted under Hezbollah&#8217;s direction and control,&#8221; said Jerome Gorgon, Jr., the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan. &#8220;I&#8217;ve seen some odd attempts to explain away or even lessen this terrorist attack by claiming that he was an isolated lone wolf, but that is misleading. Terrorist propaganda is designed to activate the so-called lone wolf to act on behalf of the terrorist organization, and it makes no legal difference if the current leader of Hezbollah himself, Naim Qassem, called this man and told him to attack Temple Israel, or whether he simply heeded Hezbollah&#8217;s call to kill Jews, and in his words, &#8216;burn there world.'&#8221;
Ghazali was killed after exchanging gunfire with security guards at Temple Israel. If Ghazali had survived, Gorgon said he is confident a jury would convict the terrorist of providing material support to Hezbollah.
The FBI said that Ghazali drove his through the doors of Temple Israel &#8220;at a high rate of speed&#8221; and continued 200 feet down the hallway before he appeared to set off fireworks that were inside his vehicle. A photo shared by the FBI at the press conference show the attacker&#8217;s vehicle come to stop just a few feet from a baby stroller. Temple Israel houses a daycare and dozens of small children were present when Ghazali carried out his attack.
<div id="attachment_1069035" style="width: 701px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1069035" class="wp-image-1069035 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-30T160055.242-691x576.jpg" alt="" width="691" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-30T160055.242-691x576.jpg 691w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-30T160055.242-300x250.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-30T160055.242-768x640.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/Untitled-design-2026-03-30T160055.242.jpg 1200w" sizes=" (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px" />FBI</div>
&#8220;This evidence shows that the attacker meant to cause a significant amount of harm to the members and the children of Temple Israel,&#8221; FBI Detroit Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan said.
One of the security guards was injured after he was struck by Ghazli&#8217;s vehicle, but no one else was harmed in the attack.
While the terrorist sat in his vehicle in the parking lot of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, before carrying out his attack, he sent numerous videos and posts to his sister in Lebanon that the FBI said reaffirmed his commitment to carry out a terrorist attack on behalf of Hezbollah. Some of the posts referenced martyrdom and his desire to carry out an attack on &#8220;the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan.&#8221; One of the posts Ghazali sent to his sister stated that &#8220;jihad is the gateway to heaven.&#8221;
Ghazali also mentioned his family members who were recently killed in an Israeli strike on Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the Israel Defense Forces, Ghazali&#8217;s brother was a Hezbollah commander, and President Donald Trump&#8217;s Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard <a href="https://x.com/KassyAkiva/status/2034278249958940838">confirmed</a> earlier this month that the synagogue attacker had &#8220;familial ties to a Hezbollah leader.&#8221;
The FBI said on Monday that even before some of Ghazali&#8217;s family members were killed in Lebanon, he was consuming Hezbollah propaganda. The attacker had searched pro-Hezbollah content online since January of this year, including following breaking news and statements from Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem. Ghazali also recently watched an Iranian fatwa for &#8220;total jihad against the U.S. military,&#8221; according to Runyan.
On March 9, three days before he attacked Temple Israel in West Bloomfield, Michigan, Ghazali began viewing websites of synagogues in his area. Ghazali worked and lived in Dearborn, a majority-Muslim city in Michigan. Later on March 9, the terrorist attempted to purchase weapons from two different people, but they eventually turned him down. Ghazali then went to a gun store in Dearborn Heights, where he purchased an AR-style rifle, 10 magazines, and around 300 rounds of ammunition.
&#8220;Throughout the night of March 9, the assailant began visiting numerous different web pages of Jewish cultural, educational, and religious centers all throughout the Detroit-metro area,&#8221; Runyan said. &#8220;And even viewed multiple pages of upcoming events at Temple Israel.&#8221;
Over the next few days, Ghazali searched online for &#8220;the largest gathering of Israelis in Michigan,&#8221; &#8220;orthodox synagogues,&#8221; &#8220;Israelis near me,&#8221; and &#8220;what time is the Trump rally in Michigan.&#8221; The FBI said that the terrorist tried to delete his online searches, but authorities &#8220;were able to recover them.&#8221;
Ghazali went to a gun range to practice firing with his new weapon two days before the shooting and purchased around $2,200 worth of fireworks from a local vendor.

US-SHOOTING-SYNAGOGUE-MICHIGAN

Michigan Synagogue Terrorist Attack Was Directed By Hezbollah, DOJ Says

Michigan

WASHINGTON—A large portion of the Department of Homeland Security staff who investigate terrorism are not being paid due to the ongoing, partial government shutdown, The Daily Wire can first report.
Eighty percent of the Office of Intelligence &amp; Analysis is working without pay while they defend the United States on the home front, a Homeland Security spokesman told The Daily Wire. That department is the primary office tracking terrorism and threats, and specializes in sharing intelligence and analysis to &#8220;identify and mitigate threats to the homeland.&#8221;
“Democrats are shamelessly playing politics with national security,&#8221; the spokesman said.
President Trump on Monday responded to The Daily Wire&#8217;s reporting, saying, &#8220;The Democrats aren&#8217;t paying. &#8230; The Democrats are terrible. It&#8217;d be nice to get along, but for years, this has been going on. Not just with me. &#8230; We&#8217;re fighting big battles with a very tough enemy, and winning nicely — and we&#8217;re not allowed to have security in our country. &#8230; These are not people that love our country.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MaryMargOlohan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MaryMargOlohan</a> gets President Trump&#8217;s reaction to exclusive Daily Wire reporting that revealed 80% of DHS terrorism investigators are working without pay:
&#8220;The Democrats are terrible&#8230;We&#8217;re fighting big battles with a very tough enemy&#8230;and we&#8217;re not allowed to have security… <a href="https://t.co/xMjJDIAoal">pic.twitter.com/xMjJDIAoal</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/2033652801608245319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Homeland Security&#8217;s terrorism prevention arm has taken on increased importance in recent weeks: there have been at least four attacks on Americans since the conflict in Iran began. Given the gravity of the threats to the United States at this time, the spokesman said, it is imperative that the agency be funded.
“DHS shares timely and actionable intelligence from the intelligence community to state and local governments to ensure they are aware of any emerging threats to keep their communities safe,&#8221; a spokesman explained. &#8220;With major events such as America 250 and the World Cup coming up, along with the numerous threats our nation must be prepared for, DHS needs to be fully funded as soon as possible to ensure the safety and security of the homeland.&#8221; 
The department has not been funded since February 14, about a month now, and the White House has slammed Democrats for shutting down the agency during a crucial time. TSA workers have gone without paychecks for weeks, causing staffing shortages and incredibly long security lines at airports across the nation. The shutdown also means that FEMA, the Coast Guard, and thousands of federal law enforcement officers are not being paid or given the resources they need, the White House says.
“The president has been clear — he wants the government to be open so it can best serve the American people,&#8221; White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said. &#8220;Regardless of the Democrats’ decision to play partisan games with homeland security funding, the Trump administration will not waver in our commitment to protect the American people.”
Last week, a gunman rammed his vehicle into Temple Israel in Michigan, the largest Reform Jewish congregation in the country, before opening fire. That gunman was 41-year-old Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, who entered the United States in 2011 on a visa for foreign-born spouses of citizens of the United States and then gained citizenship in 2016. Thankfully, no one was killed in this attack, except the shooter himself.
<div id="attachment_1060585" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-homeland-security-terrorism-investigators-are-going-without-pay/suspect-dead-in-apparent-attack-on-temple-israel-synagogue-in-west-bloomfield-michigan-3" rel="attachment wp-att-1060585"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1060585" class="wp-image-1060585 size-full" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265589233.jpg" alt="WEST BLOOMFIELD, MICHIGAN - MARCH 12: Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. According to authorities a suspect is dead after ramming a vehicle into the Detroit-area synagogue. Police continue to investigate as emergency personnel remained on the scene. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images)" width="1024" height="683" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265589233.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265589233-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265589233-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/GettyImages-2265589233-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>Law enforcement respond near Temple Israel following reports of an active shooter on March 12, 2026 in West Bloomfield, Michigan. (Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images)</div>
That attack closely followed a shooting at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, where a gunman identified by authorities as Mohamed Bailor Jalloh opened fire inside a university building, wounding two people and killing another. Jalloh, who was killed at the scene, is a former National Guard soldier who was previously convicted of supporting ISIS.
In New York City earlier this month, two men attempted to detonate explosive devices near Mayor Zohran Mamdani&#8217;s home, Gracie Mansion, during a protest in the area. The Justice Department charged both men with knowingly attempting to provide “material support or resources” to ISIS, calling them “alleged ISIS-inspired terrorists.&#8221; The suspects have admitted they were inspired by ISIS, according to the DOJ.
And on March 1, just as the conflict with Iran began, a shooter wearing a “Property of Allah” hoodie and a pro-Iran shirt opened fire on an Austin, Texas bar, killing three people and injuring more than a dozen others.
The Department of Homeland Security tells The Daily Wire that on the Saturday following the first strikes in Iran, its Office of Intelligence &amp; Analysis and the National Fusion Center Association co-hosted a call for over 1,450 state and local law enforcement officials, &#8220;providing threat updates and encouraging suspicious activity reporting.&#8221;
Experts who spoke with The Daily Wire&#8217;s Cameron Arcand warn of serious risks associated with the continued shutdown.
“We’re dealing with a heightened threat environment right now, and we need the federal government security capabilities to be firing on all cylinders,” said Nathan Sales, former special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Counter ISIS.
Sales warns that now is not the time to be &#8220;playing politics with national security, adding: “If you’re a Hezbollah operative and you want to carry out an attack in the United States, you have to cross the border, and that’s a DHS responsibility.&#8221;

Right-Wing Activists Protest Against New York Mayor Mamdani Outside Gracie Mansion

EXCLUSIVE: Homeland Security Terrorism Investigators Are Going Without Pay

A violent synagogue terror attack in Michigan is taking on an even darker dimension after new intelligence revealed a chilling connection: the attacker’s brother was a Hezbollah terrorist commander responsible for rocket attacks on Israeli civilians.
According to the official Israel Defense Forces social media account, Hezbollah commander Ibrahim Muhammad Ghazali oversaw weapons operations inside the group’s Badr Unit, a branch responsible for launching hundreds of rockets toward Israeli civilian areas during the war.
His brother, Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, carried out the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-respond-to-reports-of-active-shooter-as-michigan-synagogue-goes-up-in-smoke">terror attack </a>in Michigan on Thursday, where <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-trained-michigan-temple-how-to-stop-a-shooter-just-weeks-before-attack">armed synagogue security guards </a>exchanged gunfire with him during the confrontation. His body was later found burned inside the vehicle he rammed into the building.
Israeli forces reportedly eliminated Ibrahim Ghazali in an Israeli Air Force strike on a Hezbollah military structure, just days before the synagogue attack unfolded in the United States.
The newly revealed family connection is now prompting investigators to take a closer look at whether the Michigan attacker had deeper ties to the Iran-backed terror group.
Hezbollah is designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. The group has spent decades building global networks while carrying out attacks against Israeli and Western targets.
Authorities have not yet said whether the terrorist had direct operational ties to Hezbollah or whether the attack was carried out independently. But the discovery that his brother served as a weapons commander inside the group is likely to intensify scrutiny around the case.
The disturbing link comes as Operation Epic Fury — the ongoing U.S. military campaign targeting Iran’s military infrastructure and proxy networks — has intensified in recent days, with American and Israeli forces coordinating strikes aimed at weakening the regime’s military capabilities. The joint effort has targeted missile systems, military facilities, and infrastructure tied to Iran’s nuclear and weapons programs.
In a post on Truth Social, President Donald Trump said U.S. Central Command carried out one of the most powerful bombing raids in Middle East history, “totally obliterating” military targets on Kharg Island, which he described as Iran’s “crown jewel.” The island serves as a critical hub for the regime’s operations in the Persian Gulf. Trump said the strike deliberately spared the island’s oil infrastructure but warned that could change if Iran attempts to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

IDF_Michigan_montage

New Intel Reveals Killer Blood Tie To Hezbollah Behind Synagogue Terror Attack

Hezbollah

Operation Epic Fury

European authorities are investigating an overnight explosion that struck a Jewish school in Amsterdam, the latest in what officials say is a troubling string of Islamic attacks targeting Jewish communities across the West.
The blast struck the exterior wall of a Jewish school in the Buitenveldert neighborhood, widely regarded as the Dutch capital’s modern Jewish quarter and home to synagogues, kosher restaurants, and religious schools. Authorities said the explosion caused minor structural damage, charring part of the outer wall and damaging a rainpipe, but no injuries were reported.
Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jewish-school-amsterdam-attack-explosion/">condemned</a> the incident as a deliberate act of intimidation against the city’s Jewish population. “This is a cowardly act of aggression towards the Jewish community,” Halsema said, adding that additional security will be deployed around Jewish institutions throughout the city.
Dutch police say investigators have obtained images of the suspect believed to have detonated the device, though no arrests have been announced.
The incident comes amid a surge of antisemitic attacks in Europe. Earlier this week, an explosive device ignited a fire at a synagogue entrance in Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ second-largest city. <a href="https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2026/03/13/dutch-police-arrest-four-over-rotterdam-synagogue-fire_6751421_4.html#:~:text=On%20Monday%2C%20an%20explosion%20shook,potentially%20jihadist%20video%20claiming%20responsibility.">Police later arrested four teenage suspects</a> nearby after officers spotted a vehicle driving erratically near another synagogue.
In <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/belgium-liege-synagogue-antisemitic-attack/">Liège, Belgium</a>, a synagogue was also struck by an explosion earlier in the week, an attack local officials described as antisemitic.
Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten said the Amsterdam bombing would prompt renewed security consultations with Jewish leaders. “There must be no place for antisemitism in the Netherlands,” Jetten said in a post on <a href="https://x.com/MinPres/status/2032724208963186982">social media</a>. “I understand the anger and fear and will quickly engage in talks with the Jewish community. They must always feel safe in our country.”
The European incidents come as authorities in the United States are also grappling with a series of threats and attacks linked to extremist ideologies targeting Jewish institutions.
However, the trend of antisemitic and general Islamist violence was not contained to just Europe. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-respond-to-reports-of-active-shooter-as-michigan-synagogue-goes-up-in-smoke?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Police+Respond+To+Reports+Of+Active+Shooter+As+Michigan+Synagogue+Goes+Up+In+Smoke">In Michigan</a>, a gunman rammed a vehicle into Temple Israel, the largest Reform Jewish congregation in the United States, before opening fire. The attacker was killed in a shootout with armed security, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which described the incident as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community.
Authorities said the synagogue’s security team engaged the attacker after he drove a vehicle through the building’s entrance, sparking a fire and filling parts of the synagogue with smoke. No congregants were killed, though one security guard was injured after being struck by the attacker’s vehicle.
The Michigan attack came shortly after a separate act of terrorism at <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gunman-opens-fire-injures-two-at-old-dominion-university">Old Dominion University</a> in Norfolk, Virginia, where a gunman identified as Mohammad Bailor Jalloh opened fire inside an academic building. Three people were wounded and one later died from their injuries. Officials said Jalloh, a former National Guard soldier previously convicted of supporting the terror group Islamic State, was killed at the scene.
Then earlier in March, there was an attempted bombing in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-opens-terror-probe-after-homemade-bombs-in-nyc-linked-to-isis">New York City</a> in which two suspects deployed improvised explosive devices outside Gracie Mansion during competing protests. Authorities said the devices contained triacetone triperoxide, or TATP, an explosive compound frequently used in terrorist attacks.
According to investigators, the suspects allegedly admitted they were inspired by ISIS propaganda. The case has been taken over by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Security officials have <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2026/03/12/iran-war-fuels-further-threats-to-europes-jewish-communities-experts-warn">warned</a> that Jewish institutions remain frequent targets for extremists, particularly during periods of heightened geopolitical tension involving Israel and Iran. For Jewish communities in Amsterdam and beyond, the latest explosion underscores fears that synagogues, schools, and community centers remain symbolic targets for violent actors.
Authorities say the investigation into the Amsterdam attack remains ongoing.

Amsterdam Police

Amsterdam Jewish School Latest Target In A Week Of Antisemitic And Islamist Violence

Amsterdam

Netherlands

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