The FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team and local Texas police officers deserve enormous gratitude for securing the safe release of four people taken hostage during a Jewish religious service at a Dallas-area synagogue.
But while we should praise these heroic actions, we should not overlook the politically-motivated claimed ignorance by senior FBI and Biden administration officials regarding the motive for this terrorist attack. This was a wake-up call for this administration to recognize, name, and prioritize America’s real enemies or similar attacks will follow.
While the FBI pledged to “continue working to find motive” for the synagogue attack, a very clear picture of the assailant’s motive has emerged from a livestream of the religious service that was being broadcast on Facebook when the takeover occurred. The hostage-taker was demanding the release of Aafia Siddiqui, also known as “Lady al Qaeda,” who was convicted and sentenced to 86 years in prison for attempted murder and serving as a financier and courier for the terrorist network.
Despite her sordid rap sheet, Siddiqui is the cause célèbre of various Islamist and progressive organizations. The Council on American-Islamic Relations organized 20 rallies in October, featuring speakers like Linda Sarsour demanding Siddiqui’s release. These demands echo efforts by ISIS, the Islamic State, and the government of Pakistan to broker an exchange of Siddiqui for Americans being held hostage abroad.
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