Federal authorities searched the home of the brother of San Bernardino Islamic terrorist Syed Farook on Thursday.
Syed Raheel Farook is the brother of the terrorist, Syed Rizwan Farook, who with his wife killed 14 in San Bernardino, California on December 2. No arrests were made in the course of the search. Authorities are not saying what they are looking for and the search warrant remained sealed at the time of the search.
A lawyer for the Farook family said shortly after the attacks that the family was completely shocked, according to KPCC public radio.
However, in an interview with Italian newspaper La Stampa, the two men’s father, also named Syed Farook, said, “My son said that he shared [IS leader Abu Bakr] Al Baghdadi’s ideology and supported the creation of the Islamic State. He was also obsessed with Israel.” He continued, “I told him he had to stay calm and be patient because in two years Israel will not exist anymore.”
The search commenced just two days after Apple Inc. was ordered to assist the federal government in unlocking the government issued iPhone of the deceased terrorist Farook. Apple has announced that it plans to defy the order. Politicians on both sides of the aisle have said Apple should comply with the order to gain access to additional information that could aid in finding communications between the terrorist and potential co-conspirators.
Enrique Marquez, a convert to Islam and friend of the terrorist, has been indicted, not only as the straw purchaser of two weapons used in the Dec. 2 terror attacks, and for conspiring to commit maximum-casualty terror attacks just a couple years earlier, but also for a sham marriage to the sister of Syed Raheel Farook’s wife. Both brides immigrated to the U.S. from Russia.
San Bernardino terrorist Farook married fellow terror attacker Tashfeen Malik after bringing her to the U.S. on a K-1 financée visa. The legitimacy of the marriage, including whether the two had even met before Malik came to the U.S., has been questioned.
Terrorist Farook attended the Dar Al Uloom Islamiyah mosque. The mosque belongs to the Tablighi Jamaat sect of Islam, which is known for terrorist activity and sometimes referred to as the “Army of Darkness.” Up to 50,000 members of the fundamentalist sect are present within the United States, according to government officials.
Follow Michelle Moons on Twitter @MichelleDiana
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