Tag Archives: Threat

L.A. Schools Cancel Classes Due To Threat

The Los Angeles Unified School District cancelled all classes and closed all schools on Tuesday after receiving an unspecified threat.

Congressman Adam Schiff (D-California), who serves on the House Intelligence Committee, said that the threat now appears to be a hoax.

“The investigation into LAUSD threat is still ongoing,” Schiff wrote on his verified Twitter profile. “Preliminary assessment is it was a hoax to disrupt school districts in large cities.”

Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday morning, the district’s superintendent, Ramon Cortines, told reporters that the threat was made against “not one school, but many schools in this school district.”

The district’s Twitter account said the schools received a “credible threat,” but did not elaborate.

Cortines told reporters the threat involved “backpacks and other packages,” and he decided to close every school in the district, the second-largest in the nation, as a precautionary measure.

“I think it is important that I take the precaution based on what has happened recently and what has happened in the past,” Cortines said at the news conference.

The announcement came about two weeks after the Dec. 2 mass shooting in nearby San Bernardino in which 14 people were killed. The shooting has been called an act of terrorism.

According to its website, the Los Angeles Unified School District has more than 900 schools and more than 640,000 students.

Cortines said he wanted every school in the district to be searched by the end of the day.

New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton told reporters in New York that the city’s schools received a similar threat Tuesday, but determined it was not credible.

ISIS Threatens New York City in Latest Video; World Report Says Boko Haram Deadlier Than ISIS

The latest propaganda video that ISIS has posted online warns of an impending attack on New York City.

According to CNN, the video mentions Time Square and shows an explosive device being built and a bomber putting on a jacket over a suicide belt. CBS News adds that the video featured clips of French President Francois Hollande speaking after the attacks on Paris while the terrorists make remarks in the video.

Additional members of the NYPD’s newest anti-terrorism squad have been deployed throughout the Big Apple as a precaution.

“While some of the video footage is not new, the video reaffirms the message that New York City remains a top terrorist target,” a statement of the NYPD read. “While there is no current or specific threat to the city at this time, we will remain at a heightened state of vigilance and will continue to work with the FBI, the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the entire intelligence community to keep the city of New York safe.”

However, Mayor Bill de Blasio urged citizens to continue going about their normal business and not to give into fear.

“The people of New York City will not be intimidated,” he said late Wednesday, according to CNN. “We understand it is the goal of terrorists to intimidate and disrupt our democratic society. We will not submit to their wishes.”

Police officials stated that this video was nothing new as ISIS released a similar video back in April. They realize that New York City continues to be a target for terrorist organizations. However, they assured news agencies that they are taking note of the video.

Along with the latest video, Reuters reports that ISIS also released a photo on Wednesday, showing in their official magazine how they brought down the Russian airliner over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula last month, killing all 224 people on board. The photo shows a Schweppes soft drink along with a detonator and other bomb components.

In other ISIS related news, a world report by the Institute for Economics and Peace stated that Boko Haram is a deadlier terrorist organization than ISIS, according to multiple news agencies including NPR and the Huffington Post. Out of the 32,000 people killed by terrorism in 2014, Boko Haram was responsible for 6,644 of those deaths, more than any other terrorist group. The Islamic State killed around 6,000 people in 2014. Together, the two organizations are responsible for 51% of all claimed terrorist attacks in 2014, and the majority of deaths came from the few nations of Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Syria. Nigeria experienced a 300% increase in terrorist attacks in 2014. In the past, Boko Haram has claimed to be a branch of ISIS.

ISIS Threatens Paris-style Attack on Washington D.C. and Other Countries

The Islamic State recently posted a video on one of their websites, claiming that more attacks like the one carried out in Paris would be executed in other countries contributing to strikes against ISIS in Syria, including the United States.

In fact, the Washington Post reports that ISIS specifically threatened to carry out an attack on Washington D.C. in the 11 minute video after showing new clips of the carnage in Paris.

“We say to the states that take part in the crusader campaign that, by God, you will have a day, God willing, like France’s and by God, as we struck France in the center of its abode in Paris, then we swear that we will strike America at its center in Washington,” the man says, according to a translation from Reuters.

Another member of ISIS also threatened other European nations in the video.

“I say to the European countries that we are coming — coming with booby traps and explosives, coming with explosive belts and [gun] silencers and you will be unable to stop us because today we are much stronger than before,” he said.

Reuters added that it was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the video.

ISIS Branch in Sinai Peninsula Threatens to Attack Israel in Latest Video

One of the Islamic State’s branches located on Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula released a video on Wednesday, threatening to attack Israel.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the 14-minute video was titled “And Then They Will Be Vanquished.” It features one masked member of ISIS, demanding that Egyptian soldiers repent or be killed for attacking the Sinai jihadis.

“Indeed, this apostate army has failed to carry out the mission it was tasked with, and was embarrassed in front of the public and in front of its masters,” the speaker declares.

The terrorist continued by saying that ISIS would raise its flag over a famous Cairo landmark, the Cairo Tower.

Director of Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor of the Middle East Media Research Institute, Rafael Green, told Fox News that the video focuses on the fighting going on in Egypt, but the threat against Israel comes at the end of the video.

The gunman quoted the well-known hadith: “Judgment Day will not come until you fight the Jews and kill them. The Jews will hide behind stones and trees, and the stones and trees will call, ‘O Muslim, o servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him – except for the gharqad tree, which is the tree of the Jews.’”

“The video is focused on the war against the Egyptian military. The threat to Israel comes at the end, where he says that they will reach the Jews,” Green said.

According to the Jerusalem Post, the speaker could be heard delivering his message while footage showed the Egyptian military allegedly killing civilians and blowing up tanks. Then, images of dead Egyptian soldiers were shown.

And while this same branch of ISIS claimed they brought down the Russian plane that crashed in the Sinai Peninsula recently, the new video made no reference to the crash.

ISIS Threatens “Mass Slaughter of Christians” in Israel

Islamic militants claiming connection to ISIS are warning that they will “cleanse” Israel of all Christians and “non-believers” by the end of Ramadan unless they leave the country.

“Those who work with the Zionists also encourage Muslims to leave their religion and become more secular and open, and they spread evil,” Arabic-language leaflets warns, according to The Jerusalem Post. “They take these Muslims away from us. … We know where they are, but we need help to find them all — all those Christian collaborators.”

“ISIS soldiers will work to kill these people so this country is clean of them and … will clean this country and the Muslim Quarter from these Christians during this holy Ramadan.”

The Jerusalem Post said that no Arabic Christians who received the note would talk to them but their neighbors said the messages have rattled the community.

“They’re fearful for their lives and don’t want to go to the police because they feel that the police won’t be responsive,” an Israeli man told the Post, requesting anonymity.

“What’s most problematic is that in this case individuals aren’t being targeted but an entire group, which is pretty darn serious.  If leaflets with swastikas and similar threats were sent to Jewish neighborhoods, people would be outraged. I hope and pray it amounts to nothing at all.”

ISIS has called for terror attacks during Ramadan and has taken responsibility for attacks last week in France, Tunisia and Kuwait.

California Airports Increased Security Over ISIS Threat

A number of California airports increased security measures over the weekend after intelligence officials intercepted messages about a possible terror plot against the United States.

The Department of Homeland Security did not release details of the threat other than saying they had intercepted chatter and other information that raised concerns.  They also confirmed the chatter was connected to ISIS.

“Over the last few months, we have made a number of security adjustments, including enhanced screening at select overseas airports and increasing random searches of passengers and carry-on luggage on flights inbound to the U.S., reflecting an evolving threat picture,” a spokesman with the department told CNN.

In addition to the airport security upgrades, DHS confirmed they had been increasing security at federal installations since February.

“The department has conducted significant outreach efforts … with state and local law enforcement partners regarding these trends and engaging in a series of meetings and events with local community leaders across the country to counter violent extremism,” the spokesman stated.

The TSA alerted local law enforcement that the airlines might not be the target but rather an individual actor focusing on uniformed personnel at various locations.

The increase in DHS actions and security comes after the head of the FBI admitted they have intelligence of people in all 50 states with sympathy toward the terrorist organization ISIS.

“Those people exist in every state” Comey said at a law enforcement event. “I have homegrown violent extremist investigations in every single state. Until a few weeks ago there was 49 states. Alaska had none, which I couldn’t quite figure out. But Alaska has now joined the group, so we have investigations of people in various stages of radicalizing in all 50 states.”

ISIS Ramps Up Social Media Campaign

ISIS is using social media video to campaign for youth to join their terrorist organization.

The theme of the videos is “What are you waiting for?”

A video posted last week called “Blow Up France 2” features a young jihadist waving an assault weapon telling Muslims they need to continue their attacks on France.

“Don’t give up and particularly don’t lower your weapons, don’t surrender — kill. Today, it’s our darwa — kill them. You now have more than 4 million targets,” the jihadist said in French.

Just hours after the release of the video, Islamist Moussa Coulibaly stabbed three French soldiers patrolling near a Jewish Community Center in Nice.  While the attacker shares the same last name as the gunman who killed four a Jewish supermarket in the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo killings, police could not confirm if they were related.

“ISIS did not want this exclusively for a French audience,” said Ryan Mauro, security analyst for the Clarion Project, an educational group focused on Islamist extremism. “The group wanted to send a message to Americans, as well.”

One of the young Jihadists in the video is believed to be the widow of one of the men who carried out the murderous rampage at Charlie Hebdo. Hayat Moumeddiene is labeled as France’s “Most Wanted Woman” by security authorities.

NYPD Finds Arsenal After Capturing Man Who Talked Of Killing Police

A Queens, New York man was arrested after he was overheard talking about killing police.  A witness called the NYPD after hearing 38-year-old Elvin Payamps talking in a TD Bank line about having guns at his house to commit the crime.

“I’m going to kill another cop. We should do it before Christmas. The cop should have been white that was killed. I always have a gun on me,” the witness said Payamps told a friend on a phone call.

The witness called 911 but Payamps left before police arrived at the bank.  He was found getting into a car near the bank.  After finding marijuana in the car, he was arrested.

“They should have killed two white cops instead of the Hispanic and Asian if the guy really wanted to send a message,” Payamps allegedly told police after his arrest.

At Payamps home, officers found a 9mm pistol and a 12-gauge shotgun with serial numbers scratched off them.  He also had two bulletproof vests and a set of brass knuckles.

He is being held on $500,000 bail.

Police praised the witness for reporting the threat.  They called on all New Yorkers to take seriously anyone who talks about killing police officers in the wake of the murder of two officers by someone seeking retribution for Eric Garner and the events of Ferguson, MO.

Second Oklahoma Muslim Man Arrested For Threatening Beheading

A second Muslim in Oklahoma has been arrested after threatening to behead a co-worker.

Jacob Mugambi Muriithi was taken into custody on Friday after he threatened a woman at Bellevue Nursing Home in Oklahoma City with beheading.  The 30-year-old reportedly had a blade that he used to make the threat.

“The victim said Jacob asked her what time she got off work and she replied by asking him in a joking manner if he was going to kill her,” a police report outlines. “Jacob told the victim, ‘Yes,’ he was going to cut her head off. The victim asked Jacob what he was going to cut her head off with and he said, ‘A blade,’ then told her after he did it he was going to post it on Facebook.”

Muriithi is behing held on one million dollars bail.

The arrest comes on the heels of a Muslim man entering his former employer and beheading a woman while chanting “Allahu Akbar” and other Islamic phrases.

ISIS Threatening To Assassinate Pope Francis

Pope Francis is standing up to the terrorist group Islamic State by heading to Albania for weekend services despite clear warnings the group intends to kill him.

He will be the first sitting Pope since 1933 to visit Albania when he arrives Saturday.

Iraq’s Ambassador to the Holy See has told the Vatican and local newspapers that ISIS had made it clear they want to kill him.

“What has been declared by the self-declared Islamic State is clear – they want to kill the pope. The threats against the Pope are credible,” Habeeb Al Sadr said. “I believe they could try to kill him during one of his overseas trips or even in Rome. There are members of ISIL who are not Arabs but Canadian, American, French, British, also Italians. ISIL could engage any of these to commit a terrorist attack in Europe.”

Al Sadr said when the Pope condemned the terrorists for their killings of innocents he basically put a target on himself.  While the Vatican downplayed the threat, Al Sadr said it’s a very real danger.

“This band of criminals does not just issue threats,” Al Sadr said. “In Iraq, they have already violated and destroyed some of the most sacred sites of the Shiite faith. They have struck at Yazidi and Christian places of worship. They have declared that whoever is not with them, is against them. Either convert or be killed. And they are doing it it is a genocide.”

The Pope released a simple statement on the matter.

“I decided to visit this country because it has suffered greatly as a result of a terrible atheist regime and is now realizing the peaceful co-existence of its various religious components,” Pope Francis said.