Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee today, FBI Director James Comey said the bureau is investigating whether the courtship of San Bernardino terror shooters Syed Farook and Tashfeen Malik was arranged by jihad-touting terrorist matchmakers.
Asked by Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) if the marriage was “arranged by a terrorist organization,” Comey said: “I don’t know the answer to that yet.
“Our investigation to date shows that they were radicalized before they started courting or dating each other online, and as early as the end of 2013 were talking to each other about jihad and martyrdom before they became engaged and married and were living in the US,” he said.
“We also believe they were inspired by foreign terrorist organizations. We’re working very to understand exactly their association and the source of their inspiration,” he added.
The couple — who lived with their 6-month-old daughter and Farook’s mother — killed 14 people and wounded 21 Dec. 2 at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif. The jihadists were later killed in a shoot-out with police.
A terror group such as ISIL may have arranged the marriage in a bid to infiltrate the U.S. using the K-1 fiancée visa system.
Comey also said the bureau is “still sorting out” whether ISIS masterminded the San Bernardino attack, but the FBI believes they self-radicalized.
Comey told the Senate panel he “doesn’t have reason to believe” that ISIS has already set up terrorist cells in the U.S.
“They are trying to do two things: They are trying to motivate people already in the United States to become killers on their behalf. They would very much like to as they aspire to be the leader in the global jihad, send people here to conduct attacks. It’s that second piece that we have not seen yet.”
