'Why no proper interrogation': Zohran Mamdani under spotlight over old posts questioning FBI's surveillance of al-Qaeda terrorist al-Awlaki; who was he?
Zohran Mamdani
, the democratic socialist who recently won the Democratic primary for New York City mayor in the US by a wide margin, has landed in controversy over old tweets about the FBI's surveillance of Anwar al-Awlaki, a US-born cleric later linked to terror group al-Qaida.
Al-Awlaki, born in New Mexico to Yemeni parents, was a well-known imam at mosques in San Diego and Virginia. According to a report by the New York Post, he had contact with three of the September 11, 2001, hijackers. After 9/11, the FBI began monitoring him. Their investigation found that, despite his public preaching of conservative family values, he was visiting prostitutes at hotels.
Mamdani, in tweets from 2015, appeared to question this surveillance. Sharing a New York Times article, he wrote on X (then Twitter), "Why no proper interrogation of what it means for the FBI to have conducted an extensive survey into Awlaki's private life?"
— ZohranKMamdani (@ZohranKMamdani)
In another post, he said, "How could Awlaki have ever trusted the FBI to not release surveillance, especially if he continued to critique [the] state? Why no further discussion of how Awlaki's knowledge of surveillance eventually led him to al-Qaeda? Or what that says about [the] efficacy of surveillanec?"
Anwar al-Awlaki was connected to multiple attacks and plots, including the 9/11 attacks and the Fort Hood shootings in November 2009.
After several failed attempts to kill him, the US carried out a drone strike that killed him in western Yemen on September 30, 2011.
The drone strike was ordered by then-US President Barack Obama. Al-Awlaki became the first US citizen to be killed in such a strike without being formally charged with a crime since the American Civil War.
At the time, Obama said, "He directed the failed attempt to blow up an airplane on Christmas Day in 2009. He directed the failed attempt to blow up US cargo planes in 2010." He added, "And he repeatedly called on individuals in the United States and around the globe to kill innocent men, women and children to advance a murderous agenda."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
33 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Trump supports Attorney General Pam Bondi amid MAGA fallout over Epstein files
Donald Trump supports Attorney General Pam Bondi amid criticism from his supporters. The dispute involves the Justice Department's handling of Jeffrey Epstein documents. Trump urged unity and defended Bondi on Truth Social. He dismissed focus on Epstein and asked the FBI to probe election integrity. The DOJ's decision not to release further documents sparked the controversy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The flashpoint FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reportedly clashed with Bondi over the DOJ's decision, leading to rumors of his potential resignation. Sources close to the matter described a tense standoff between Bongino, Bondi, and FBI Director Kash Patel. The release of a DOJ memo earlier in the week, stating there was no evidence of a 'client list' or foul play in Epstein's death, sparked immediate backlash from prominent MAGA influencers, including calls for Bondi's removal. President Donald Trump has thrown his full support behind Attorney General Pam Bondi , who is facing mounting pressure from segments of his own MAGA base after a high-profile dispute over the Justice Department 's handling of documents related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein . The controversy has ignited a firestorm within conservative circles, prompting Trump to intervene publicly and urge unity among his Saturday, Trump took to Truth Social to deliver a spirited defense of Bondi. In his characteristically emphatic style, he wrote:'What's happening with my 'boys' and, in some instances, 'gals?' They're all targeting General Pami, is doing FANTASTIC JOB! We're one Team, MAGA, and I disapprove of what's occurring. We have PERFECT, THEALK OF THE WORLD, and 'selfish individuals' are attempting to undermine it, all over a man who never dies, Jeffrey Epstein.'Trump further admonished his supporters to 'LET PAM BONDI DO HER JOB — SHE'S GREAT!' and dismissed the ongoing focus on Epstein, calling him 'somebody that nobody cares about.' He redirected attention to election integrity, urging the FBI and DOJ to focus on 'rigged' elections instead of revisiting the Epstein uproar began when the Justice Department, under Bondi's leadership, announced it would not release further documents pertaining to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier who died in federal custody in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. The DOJ also reiterated that there is no comprehensive 'client list' of Epstein's associates, a claim that has long fueled conspiracy theories and speculation.
Economic Times
an hour ago
- Economic Times
Trump defends Attorney General Pam Bondi amid backlash over Epstein files
Reuters Donald Trump and Pam Bondi U.S. President Donald Trump defended Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday amid backlash against her from some of Trump's supporters over how the Justice Department handled the investigation into the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged clientele. Trump said "nobody cares about" Epstein, and that more time or energy must not be wasted on his case, as he tried to unite his base of supporters in a nearly 400-word post on Truth Social. "What's going on with my "boys" and, in some cases, "gals?" They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening," Trump said. In a joint memo released on Monday, the FBI and Justice Department said there was no evidence to support a number of long-held conspiracy theories about Epstein's death in federal custody in 2019 and his alleged clientele. Conservative influencers from Laura Loomer to Elon Musk have criticized Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for their findings, which came months after Bondi pledged to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs." U.S. media, including Fox News and NBC News, have reported that FBI deputy director Dan Bongino has clashed with Bondi over the issue and is considering stepping down. Patel and Bongino, a former conservative podcaster, both previously made statements before working at the FBI about a so-called client list and often suggested that the government was hiding information about Epstein from the American public. Monday's memo on Epstein concluded that after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data, there was "no incriminating client list" nor was there any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. The memo also confirmed prior findings by the FBI which concluded that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and not as a result of a criminal act such as murder. Epstein's death while imprisoned in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center has ignited controversy for years. Expectations for key revelations in his case grew when, in February, Fox News asked Bondi whether the Justice Department would be releasing Epstein's client list, and she said, "It's sitting on my desk right now to review." On Tuesday at the White House, Bondi walked that comment back, telling reporters that she was referring to the entire Epstein "file" along with other files pertaining to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. "That's what I meant by that," she said.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trump defends Attorney General Pam Bondi amid backlash over Epstein files
U.S. President Donald Trump defended Attorney General Pam Bondi on Saturday amid backlash against her from some of Trump's supporters over how the Justice Department handled the investigation into the death of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and his alleged clientele. Trump said "nobody cares about" Epstein, and that more time or energy must not be wasted on his case, as he tried to unite his base of supporters in a nearly 400-word post on Truth Social. "What's going on with my "boys" and, in some cases, "gals?" They're all going after Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is doing a FANTASTIC JOB! We're on one Team, MAGA, and I don't like what's happening," Trump said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Keur Massar: Unsold Furniture Liquidation 2024 (Prices May Surprise You) Unsold Furniture | Search Ads Learn More Undo In a joint memo released on Monday, the FBI and Justice Department said there was no evidence to support a number of long-held conspiracy theories about Epstein's death in federal custody in 2019 and his alleged clientele. Conservative influencers from Laura Loomer to Elon Musk have criticized Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel for their findings, which came months after Bondi pledged to reveal major revelations about Epstein, including "a lot of names" and "a lot of flight logs." Live Events U.S. media, including Fox News and NBC News, have reported that FBI deputy director Dan Bongino has clashed with Bondi over the issue and is considering stepping down. Patel and Bongino, a former conservative podcaster, both previously made statements before working at the FBI about a so-called client list and often suggested that the government was hiding information about Epstein from the American public. Monday's memo on Epstein concluded that after reviewing more than 300 gigabytes of data, there was "no incriminating client list" nor was there any evidence that Epstein may have blackmailed prominent people. The memo also confirmed prior findings by the FBI which concluded that Epstein died by suicide in his jail cell while awaiting trial, and not as a result of a criminal act such as murder. Epstein's death while imprisoned in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center has ignited controversy for years. Expectations for key revelations in his case grew when, in February, Fox News asked Bondi whether the Justice Department would be releasing Epstein's client list, and she said, "It's sitting on my desk right now to review." On Tuesday at the White House, Bondi walked that comment back, telling reporters that she was referring to the entire Epstein "file" along with other files pertaining to the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. "That's what I meant by that," she said.
