San Bernardino, Ca – One of two people accused of killing 14 in California apparently pledged allegiance to a leader of Islamic State militant group, two U.S. government sources said on Friday, as intelligence officials in her native Pakistan pressed the investigation overseas.
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Tashfeen Malik, 27, and her husband, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, were killed in a shootout with police hours after the Wednesday massacre at the Inland Regional Center social services agency in San Bernardino, about 60 miles (100 km) east of Los Angeles. The attack was the deadliest mass shooting the United States has experienced in three years.
U.S. investigators are evaluating evidence that Malik, a Pakistani native who had been living in Saudi Arabia when she married Farook, had pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, two U.S. officials told Reuters. They said the finding, if confirmed, could be a “game changer” in the investigation.
Pakistani intelligence officials have contacted Malik’s family in her homeland as part of the investigation, a family member said.
“I only found out about this tragedy today when some intelligence officials contacted me to ask me about my links with Tashfeen,” Malik’s uncle, Javed Rabbani, said in an interview. “I had heard in the news that this tragedy had taken place but I could never even imagine that it would be someone from my family. Of course, we are in shock.”
He said his brother, Malik’s father, had become considerably more conservative since moving with his family to Saudi Arabia a quarter century ago.
Tashfeen Malik had moved back to Pakistan five or six years ago to study pharmacy, Pakistani officials said.
Before going on their rampage on Wednesday, Malik and Farook had destroyed computer hard drives and other electronics, a U.S. government source said.
Investigators are looking into a report that Farook had engaged in an argument with a co-worker who denounced the “inherent dangers of Islam,” a U.S. government source said.
CNN reported on Friday that one U.S. official said Malik had pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi in a posting on Facebook made on Wednesday, the day of the attack, under an account that used a different name. The attack appeared to be inspired by, but not necessarily directed by Islamic State, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources.
It’s time the Obama administration wakes up and face reality !
“Shocking”…..said no one.
At this time we need a war president and the man in the white house is not qualified
I think he should do all Americans a favor and leave
Obama we are at WAR
Vos iz neias
Nice call, Mr. President. Sometimes I cannot help but feel your intelligence is lacking. With the tools at your disposal you could have not quickly recognized this for the terror attack that it was?
now what is Obama gonna say !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hillary says it’s a”spontaneous Video”
Kerry says it’s Israel’s fault
Obama says America needs to give Iran $150 BILLION DOLLARS to speed up uranium
Impossible that this article is true!
After all, if you read CNN, you will know that the president of the USA just said ISIS can’t and won’t strike in this country.
Sorry, you must all be mistaken.
Now where did I put my pincushion and thread?
I have an order to finish.
2 new suits for the emperor…
no its still “workplace violence” like in fort hood.
Why does the State Dept. grant a visa to someone, without thoroughly checking their background? The government is NOT protecting us, as long as it admits to these shores radicals from countries which are hostile to the USA!
None of this matters, it was a lone wolf attack, workplace violence….so says Obama and surely we must believe him.
gosh, a bunch of VIN readers who have more knowledge and experience than the FBI, and more political experience than John Kerry and Barack Obama. You might be getting your information from equally well-connected and informed Rush Limbaugh, who has a high school education and is a recovering drug addict. Impressive qualifications. I think there may be a future in law enforcement and politics for all of you. After all, why bother with an investigation when you can jump straight to the conclusion? Guessing is always 100% correct so there is absolutely no chance of missing important clues by pre-deciding the outcome. Even better, why not conduct international relations by attacking based on your guess? So you bomb some innocent people and attack the wrong country a few times. What could possibly go wrong with that? I’m psychic myself and predict that someone will respond by calling me a liberal idiot. I know this because I am familiar with the logic of infants.