Pence: ‘Frustrating’ Rahami not on terrorist watch list
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence on Tuesday commended law enforcement for their work following the bombings in New York and New Jersey, but questioned why the suspect had not been put on a terrorist watch list before the bombings.
{mosads}”I give law enforcement a lot of credit for less than 24 hours, apprehending Mr. Rahami,” Pence said Tuesday on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor.”
“But to find out his father had reported him to the FBI several years ago that he thought his son was a terrorist, and his son was apparently not put on a terrorist watch list and not given more additional attention — is really frustrating.”
Ahmad Khan Rahami was charged Tuesday in connection with the bombings that took place this weekend in New York and New Jersey. His charges included the use of weapons of mass destruction and bombing a place of public use, according to The New York Times.
Rahami’s father in the past reportedly told police he thought his son might be involved in terrorism. His claim prompted a review by the FBI.
“Two years ago I go to the FBI because my son was doing really bad, OK?” Mohammad Rahami said, according to The Times.
“But they check almost two months, they say, ‘He’s OK, he’s clean, he’s not a terrorist.’ I say OK.”
“Now they say he is a terrorist. I say OK.”
The FBI said in a statement it “initiated an assessment of Ahmad Rahami based upon comments made by his father after a domestic dispute that were subsequently reported to authorities.”
“The F.B.I. conducted internal database reviews, interagency checks, and multiple interviews, none of which revealed ties to terrorism,” the statement said.
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