Jihad and the World

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the connection between Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. The podcast series is called The Killing Floor. This is the episode where the husband and wife deposit their daughter with their grandmother and attend a Christmas party to shoot at anything that moves.
Party Time
            Farook, who left abruptly about twenty minutes earlier, returned to the Center driving a rental SUV with Utah plates. He was accompanied by his wife. They exited the vehicle and approached the patio, where an environmental health inspector, sixty years old and a father of three, Issac Amanios, was sitting and enjoying his break. One or both fired, hitting him in the chest and shoulder. The bullet from the chest traveled through his muscles and into a lung, killing him. He probably had no idea what had happened. Amanios was the first to die that day. Inside the Center, several people noticed soft, staccato popping sounds outside. Fireworks? A car backfire? One person thought someone had fallen from the roof. A few recognized the distinct crackling sound as gunfire. Suddenly, a door swung open, and a masked figure, wielding an automatic rifle and dressed in all black, entered. It was Farook who turned to face coworkers standing next to a buffet table, filling their plates with bagels and pastries. A few were taking pictures for the staff. Everyone was completely surprised, and several people turned to stare as they heard the sound of breaking glass and loud banging outside the IRC’s building 3.            Without saying a word, Farook scanned the room and paused. Seconds later, another smaller figure followed him into the Center. Witnesses could not tell at the time, but it was Malik who took a firing stance and shot several partygoers standing next to the Christmas tree. Following his wife’s lead, Farook began firing indiscriminately. Someone screamed “get down” as others took cover under tables. Several froze in fear or stood stunned in confusion. Some thought it was active shooter training, which they had attended in that very room earlier. But the shrieks and cries confirmed it was a mass-casualty attack. This was not a drill. Partygoers now realized they were under fire. “Somebody is shooting! Lie down! Lie.” Some scrambled for the doors. The police received the first calls. “Five rounds heard.” It was 10:58 a.m.  Another call reported two or three black-clad assailants firing wildly. Then came more and more calls flooding in. One of the earlier calls to the police went like this.
“Operator (Female) 911.[i]
Caller (female) We have an active shooter here.
Operator: Okay, ma'am, listen to me, take a deep breath. Okay, is he still shooting?
Caller: Oh, my God.
Operator: How many rounds did he fire?
Caller: Oh, my God, a million.”
            Like her husband, Malik wore all black, and together they fired more than a hundred rounds at anyone they saw. As the chaos unfolded, a round hit a fire sprinkler pipe, causing water to burst from the ceiling. The water and smoke filling the room made it hard for people to see. The shooters moved slowly between tables, picking their targets. When someone moved or made a sound, they sometimes fired one or more shots at them.
            One of the party’s organizers, Diana Almond, saw Tashfeen cradling her weapon but did not recognize her. She was the shorter of the two and had her pants tucked into her boots. As Malik fired, the empty casings sprayed from her rifle. Almond recalled poetically, “bullet casings fell around her head like snow.” Twenty-four-year-old Kevin Ortiz remembered, “The doors opened up, and they started shooting.” One of the rounds hit Ortiz in the leg, and he took cover under the table. But one of the shooters came around and shot him several more times. Sure, he was dying, Ortiz called his father and wife Dyana, whom he married two weeks earlier. He did not die, though he took five rounds. Ortiz suffered panic attacks while recovering in the hospital, convinced an attacker would shoot him there.
            Daniel Kaufmann, who tended the Center’s coffee cart, acted immediately. Screaming “Get out! Go! Get out now! Hurry!” he opened an exterior door, grabbed people, and pushed them out to safety, likely saving four lives. But he was shot dead. Michelle Saltis panicked under the noise of gunfire. The young woman, whose gut instinct told her to call in sick that day, witnessed the mass murder. “All of a sudden, I heard gunfire . . . I looked behind me, and I saw a person standing there. And I saw him lifting the rifle up and start spraying the room right-to-left.” Saltis collapsed to the ground and pretended she was dead. “The firing went on, I don’t know how long, it seemed like forever to me,” said Saltis. And the next thing I know, the firing stopped.” Farook came by, kicked her leg, and shot again. Still alive, she prayed to God, saying she was ready to meet him if it was time, but she wanted to live. Her prayers were answered, and she survived.
Patrick Baccari, who had teased Sayeed earlier in the morning, was in the men’s room when he heard soft explosions—pop, pop, pop. As he looked around, he saw the damage from bullets ripping through the walls. What was going on? Did someone set a trap on the towel dispenser? Maybe a cruel joke. Baccari reached for a towel to dry his hands when a bullet tore through the dispenser, sending shrapnel flying across the room. An Air Force veteran, Baccari dropped to the floor and took cover. Pieces of the ceiling fell on both men, who then pushed the bathroom door closed with their legs. There were muffled screams coming from the conference room, about twenty feet down the hall. “It was like the world was ending in there,” he said. “We had no idea what it was.”
            Then, drawing on his military training, Baccari shouted to others in the men’s room, “Get down . . . secure yourself in place.” Nwadike, who was also inside when he heard gunfire, was confused and thought he smelled gunpowder. They then barricaded the door with their feet until help arrived. "That may have saved me," Baccari risked. Later, when he exited the building through the conference, the sight of water pouring from pipes and a blaring fire alarm was hauntingly surreal, much like a movie set.
            Paula Harold was standing in the conference room, waiting to pose for the group photo when she saw a man in black walk into the hall with a rifle. When the shooting started, she crawled into a nearby room and found herself trapped. She squeezed into a storage cabinet and prayed that the shooting would stop. She recalls her confusion as bullets flew. Marilyn Krichbaum dropped to the ground after a bullet grazed her stomach. Coworkers hid in other cabinets while Hal Houser, Jason Phillippe, and Corwin Porter held the doors closed. Porter recalled, " . . . we were hoping that it was an exercise that someone tried to spring, to test our readiness . . ."
 
            Trudy Raymundo was pouring herself a cup of coffee when she heard a noise. "I heard some pop, pop, pop sounds that sounded like fireworks going off ... you know, playing a joke." She and coworker Corwin Porter hid beneath a table when they heard the first blasts. Porter said the shooter did not appear to be firing at anybody in particular. "It looked to me like (he was) spraying the room. We were under the tables ourselves, doing what we were trained to do."
 
            Vietnamese-American Tin Nguyen was shot and killed. A few days before the party, the thirty-one-year-old health inspector brought a wedding dress and shared her immense joy about becoming a married woman. Today, she lies dead in the center. Later that evening, family and friends gathered to eulogize her at St. Barbara Catholic Church in Santa Ana, where she was supposed to get married. Sierra Clayborn also died that day. At twenty-seven, she was one of the youngest victims of the day. People were screaming and calling out for help. More people fell and lay sprawled on the killing floor.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing. If you have firsthand knowledge of this attack, please contact us. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.
 
 

             Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that examines the connection between Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, where we promote education on national security. Today, we start the fourth episode in a series focused on the terrorist attack in San Bernardino, where a husband-and-wife pair of Islamists killed 13 health inspectors in 2015. The series is called The Killing Floor.
           Courtship
            Malik was raised in a small town in southern Pakistan, about 270 miles from Islamabad. The city is partly named after a saint who, according to legend, recited a passage from the Koran ten million times while standing in the Indus River. The area is filled with religious seminaries and farms. Known as a nursery for Islamist militant organizations, this heavily agricultural region has many religious seminaries. A community elder explained, “Ours is a rural area, and honor killings have taken place in a remote village.”
            As a young adult in Multan, Pakistan, she was known as the Saudi Girl because she had spent years living in Saudi Arabia and adopted a very strict dress code. As a Pakistani in Riyadh, Malik held second-class status. She found refuge in a passionate study of religion, which gave her a sense of purpose. It may have been in Saudi Arabia that she embraced radical Islam. After she returned to Pakistan, she continued to cover almost all of her face and body.
            From 2011 to 2013, Multan was filled with anti-American protests, especially against U.S. drone strikes on terrorist sites in Pakistan’s tribal areas. She saw burning effigies of American leaders and felt a strong revulsion toward American culture. This view developed long before she became a legal resident of the United States. She studied pharmacy in Multan for a time but became withdrawn and stopped attending classes. She was drawn to Al-Huda International Welfare Foundation, a deeply religious organization for women. As her religious passion grew, she asked her family to become more devout. She started dressing more conservatively. A housekeeper recalled that a year before her marriage, she began wearing a scarf that covered everything but her nose and eyes.
"She used to talk to someone in Arabic at night on the Internet,” said the relative, speaking anonymously from Malik's hometown of Karor Lal Esan, Pakistan. “None of our family members in Pakistan knows Arabic, so we do not know what she used to discuss.” Neighbors and classmates remembered her as quiet, studious, and unassuming, with her face usually veiled. “She was religious, but a very normal person as well,” a professor, Nisar Hussain, told the Los Angeles Times. “She was a very hardworking and submissive student.” Police said Malik gave a social media shoutout to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi around the time she and her husband carried out their attack. They were killed hours later in a shootout with authorities.
          A Married Couple
            After they married, they moved into a middle-class neighborhood in Riverside. Farook advanced his career as a health inspector and took online professional courses. In his free time, he visited local shooting ranges. However, religious observance remained the central focus of his life and his new bride's. His father recalled, “He would go to work, come back, go to pray, come back.
        Malik lived with Farook and his mother at 53 North Center Street. She remained an enigma, with no identifiable online or social media presence. The only known photo of her is the 2014 image taken by immigration officials. Her minimal public profile might have been typical for a devout Muslim woman or a deliberate strategy to stay under the radar and avoid attention from authorities. Three weeks after her arrival, Malik and Farook married at the Islamic Centre mosque in Riverside, 32 km southwest of Redlands. The marriage certificate allowed her to obtain a permanent resident visa. With a green card, she was in the U.S. to stay.
The wife did not want to drive. She avoided talking to men and staying near them. Even around other men in her family, she kept her face hidden. Those who knew her only superficially assumed she was a traditional, conservative wife whose main focus was on family. Her behavior matched the pattern of earlier generations of American women whose husbands were the sole breadwinners. Malik became pregnant soon after they married. The couple registered for gifts at Target for their newborn, due in May: diapers, swabs, baby wash, a car seat. Many of her friends chipped in for baby presents.
            A family attorney later stated, "There was nothing to show that she was extreme at all.” "She was a practicing Muslim, she believed in the religion, and she was just doing the five prayers a day, fasting... there was nothing to indicate she was out of the ordinary." Abuershaid mentioned that Farook's sisters "would talk to [Malik], and they would see her occasionally. But it wasn't something they did every single day or every week." Abuershaid also said there was no evidence to suggest she was responsible for radicalizing her husband. Octogenarian Doyle Miller, the couple’s landlord, reflects on Malik’s role as he surveys the damage after the FBI had smashed down the door and punched holes in the walls. “She did not like to be seen,” he says. “She did not seem to like people around here. He seemed ordinary, no worries for me at all. I’m only now thinking that maybe she wore the pants. It could be that she was behind it all.”
            Whenever Malik was caring for the baby, the attorneys said Farook would be in the garage tinkering with things, especially his car. Farook once built a shoe rack for his sister. But eventually, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik started making other plans beyond their family. Relatives knew they kept two guns locked up at home. Nothing in the newlyweds' lifestyle suggested the crime they would commit in December 2015. Their simple townhouse in the quiet town of Redlands was peaceful, and no one recalls any outbursts of anger or suspicious activity from them. Their landlord seemed completely shocked by their killings. In his words, Farook and Malik appeared like model tenants.
     Items found in the house included “miniature Christmas tree lamps.” An issue of Inspire, an online al-Qa’ida magazine, contained an article titled “Designing a timed hand grenade” with instructions to make a delayed igniter using a Christmas tree lamp. The FBI found evidence that, in their last days, the couple tried to erase their electronic footprints by destroying devices. Two broken mobile phones were discovered in a trash bin near the home; Malik had what appeared to be a “burner phone”—a device used for short-term use and then discarded—on her body. In an online radio bulletin on Saturday, Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack, praising Farook and Malik as “martyrs.” James Comey, the FBI director, said the couple showed signs of “potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations,” but there was no evidence they were part of a larger terror cell.
     Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. If you liked it, please consider subscribing. Also, if you have first-hand information on this attack, please contact us. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting. 

       Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the connection between Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. This is the third in a series of podcasts focused on a single terrorist incident - the December 2, 2015, husband and wife mass murder of health inspectors in San Bernardino, California. This podcast examines the occupation, mind, and values of Syed Farook and introduces his wife, Tashfeen Malik.  
Sayeed Farook – “Religious but Modern”
                All of these health inspectors worked with Syed Farook, and none expected him to harm them. They saw Farook as a quiet yet approachable friend. “He smiled, but he didn’t laugh,” Christian Nwadike said. According to most accounts, Farook was very professional. A coworker described him as a “by-the-book” food safety inspector. He graduated from Cal State San Bernardino in 2010 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental health. Since then, he has inspected restaurants and more than 40 elementary, junior high, and high schools. Sue Ann Chapman, a cashier and waitress at China Doll Fast Food, a restaurant Farook inspected earlier this year, said he didn’t seem unusual when he arrived. “He was really quiet,” Chapman said. “He checked the food and said he was here because somebody complained... He looked completely normal.”
             His coworkers appreciated Farook’s gentle and cooperative manner. Patrick Baccari described him as sheltered and reserved but always willing to assist colleagues. He rarely discussed his wife or family. Baccari observed that he seemed “quiet and sheltered,” mostly keeping to himself and seldom talking about his wife and their new baby. "I thought I made a connection with him, talking about preparing cars and things like that. Asking some of his experiences, things like that," Baccari said. "Usually, I'd greet him, and I wouldn't get anything back. It's like you're trying to start a conversation, and it just doesn't go anywhere or develop further."
            Fellow inspector Juan Espinoza shared his interest in fixing cars and would brainstorm ways to revive nearly dead cars. Some in the office teased him about his beard, but he “usually shrugged off any jokes about this facial hair.” A few office workers understood the depth of his religiosity and anger at US foreign policy in the Middle East. A neighbor in Riverside described him as “quiet but always polite.” “Maybe two years ago (2013) he became more religious.” “He grew a beard and started to wear religious clothing—the long shirt that’s like a dress and the cap on his head.”
                He was not always very religious. Born in Illinois, Farook moved with his family to Southern California and settled in the working-class neighborhood of Riverside. The family was practicing Muslims and observed some unusual religious customs, such as slaughtering chickens and goats in their backyard. His parents’ marriage was dysfunctional. His father was often unemployed or only marginally employed and frequently physically and verbally abusive. His mother, Rafia, was involved in the local Muslim community and attended meetings at the Islamic Circle of North America. She held a clerical position at Kaiser Riverside. His mother was more religious and conservative than his father.
            His father did not regularly attend the mosque, but he adhered to Pakistani cultural traditions such as wearing the shalwar kameez. He had a degree in mechanical engineering but worked intermittently as a truck driver. The family faced financial difficulties, filed for bankruptcy in 2002, and narrowly avoided foreclosure on their house. In 2006, Rafia filed for divorce. According to her, her husband was "irresponsible, negligent, and an alcoholic.” In court, he denied these accusations but could not refute the claim that he was unable to maintain long-term, stable employment.
            Fever Dreams of Israel
            The younger Sayeed attended services and religious events at the Islamic Center of Riverside. He used to listen to my sermons and talks there. I sat up last night thinking about him and what happened (referring to the murders of December 2015).” Nizaam Ali, who knew Farook through the Islamic Center, could not recall him expressing any extremist ideology, and neither could his coworkers. However, his father was worried that his son harbored at least one dark obsession. He voiced intense hatred for Israel and wanted it erased from the map. He criticized Israel and Jews and rhetorically supported ISIS when it appeared on the international scene in 2014. As early as 2012, Farook posted radical content on Facebook. Christian Nwadike, who worked with Farook for five years, told CBS that his coworker had changed since returning from Saudi Arabia. “I think he married a terrorist,” Nwadike speculated.     
Aside from his occasional shrill rhetoric, Farook was usually calm, measured, and often polite. Responsible and studious, he worked hard to put himself through college. He studied at community colleges and earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental health science in 2010. Now holding steady employment, he began to search for a wife and turned to Muslim lonely-hearts dating services that reached singles worldwide. He described himself as coming from a "religious but modern family" whose values were an "Eastern and Western mix." Six feet tall, he enjoyed "working on vintage and modern cars" and reading about religion, and liked to "just hang out in the backyard doing target practice with younger sister and friends." He unscored his American citizenship on his posting.
            He was registered on at least three online dating sites. On ArabLounge.com, a site for Arab singles "looking for dating, friendship and love," Farook described himself as single, "Allah fearing," calm, thoughtful, and simple. "I try to live as a good Muslim," he was casting about for a young woman who shares the same outlook — one who wears a hijab but lives life to the fullest. Behavior he disapproved of included dishonesty and impulsivity, particularly buying sprees. He listed his income as $30,000 to $45,000. He posted his hobbies as working on vintage and modern cars, reading religious books, and eating out on occasion.
            People at his mosque knew him by his middle name, Rizwan. He attended prayers twice a day, often alone, and left without lingering to speak for more than a few minutes. 'He's a mosque-goer," a congregant said of Farook. "He comes to the mosque regularly. Something might have happened to him mentally, physically, or whatever that made him change." He added, "I never thought of him as someone who is violent."
            His biography attracted the attention of a young woman who was born in Pakistan and raised in Saudi Arabia, and she would later become his wife. Tashfeen Malik responded, and they began an online courtship filled with numerous emails. Their attraction was immediate. They shared a common faith and a set of values rooted in core Islamic principles. However, few understood the extent of their radical beliefs or their support for Islamic militancy. In hindsight, the FBI determined that Farook and Malik each became radicalized online as early as 2011. They were independently drawn to sermons and other materials posted online by Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Early in their online communication, they discussed martyrdom operations and expressed their mutual disdain for the United States.
            Malik sent at least two private messages on Facebook to a small group of Pakistani friends in 2012 and 2014, pledging her support for Islamic jihad and expressing her hope to join the fight someday. Messages showing religious extremism on her Facebook account in late 2014 alarmed her family in Pakistan. Tashfeen Malik studied pharmacology during the day and the Quran at night at a conservative religious school, or madrassa, in Multan, Pakistan. She never completed her pharmacy course but was passionate about religious studies. Their courtship resulted in a meeting in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, in October 2013. Accompanied by his mother, Farook went on his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, one of Islam’s Five Pillars. Malik’s parents lived in Riyadh, making it easy for her to go to Mecca. The suitor proposed to Malik the first time they met, and they got engaged.
            Farook completed a K-1 fiancée visa application to bring Malik to Riverside so they could marry the following summer. First, his bride needed to pass security checks to verify the marriage was genuine and that she did not harbor anti-American sentiments. Malik was able to answer enough questions about Farook to demonstrate that she knew him well and that they had a personal relationship, which is a main focus of the consular interview, according to two senior State Department officials. Once the visa was approved, he returned to Saudi Arabia in 2014, and the couple arrived in the United States in July.
      While filling out the government paperwork, Malik denied having any militant sympathies or intentions against the U.S. Constitution, its people, or its way of life. Malik and Farook did not raise any red flags among authorities as potential Islamic State militants. They discussed Jihad and martyrdom before marriage, but there is no evidence they publicly expressed those thoughts on social media. Former FBI director “showing signs in the communication of their joint commitment to jihad and to martyrdom.”
            The couple had two wedding ceremonies. One was in Mecca at Masjid al-Haram, which is the largest mosque in the world. Malik then waited six months for the visa to be approved, and afterward she flew to America. On August 16, 2014, the couple obtained a marriage certificate from Riverside County. Malik later applied for a lawful permanent residency visa. They then married at the Islamic Center in Riverside with a celebration for an estimated 250 to 300 people. Congregants later said they saw nothing unusual at the wedding. The event was filled with joy.
        Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. If you enjoyed it, please consider subscribing. If any listener has firsthand knowledge of the San Bernardino attack, please contact us. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting. 
 

       
Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the connection between Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Today, we begin the second in a series of podcasts focused on the terrorist killing in San Bernardino, in which a husband-and-wife pair of Islamists murdered 13 health inspectors in 2015. The podcast series is called The Killing Floor.
The story of San Bernardino is connected to the history of the American West. In 1810, Franciscan missionary Father Dumetz named the area around the mountains and the nearby lower desert San Bernardino. Spaniards built a mission to convert the locals to Christianity and to develop farming. As the town grew in the late nineteenth century, so did its need for rugged, hardworking men. This led to the Earp Brothers of Tombstone fame settling in San Bernardino to farm and take part in the town’s affairs.
The town started to thrive. John Steinbeck's classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath, popularized the term Mother Road for Route 66. Today, there is a Route 66 Museum. In the post-war era, Americans flocked to California, and many built new lives in San Bernardino. Richard and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened a hamburger restaurant in 1940 on the southwest corner of 14th and E streets, near San Bernardino High School. It did brisk business and grew into the world's largest restaurant chain. Since 1998, the site has been home to the Original McDonald's Museum, dedicated to preserving the McDonald's legacy.
By the mid-1970s, Mafia families faced rival street gangs that were encroaching on their markets. The new gangs started breaking the Italian code of ethics by shooting women, children, and police. Today, Latin gangs operate in the county. In 2010, the FBI reported that San Bernardino ranked thirty-fourth in overall crime among the nation's 30,000 cities. A former resident said, “I think I would take my car and not walk (in the city of San Bernardino). There are too many drive-by shootings in that town. It is gang-infested. I moved the hell out after I got carjacked by three gang members.” Drugs are widespread, and there is a slang of code words related to trafficking. For example, a “taco” is a gram of heroin, while an “enchilada” is an ounce. The FBI considers San Bernardino a safe haven for gang members.
             Its sputtering economy became a target of sarcasm. Mayor Tom Minor snickered in confusion, “Why does San Bernardino have more homicides than larger cities? I guess we have meaner people in San Bernardino.” Police joined in the mordant humor with a fundraising T-shirt campaign. The shirt featured two vultures sitting on the San Bernardino city limits sign, with the word "population" crossed out and replaced with "diminishing." At one point, San Bernardino was the murder capital of the U.S. On a less satirical note, one resident explained, "San Bernardino is home to many who have been beat up by life. Others don't realize that they soon will be hitting rock bottom." 
Many of those who died in December 2015 were part of San Bernardino’s small group of county health inspectors. County residents enjoy safe water, uncontaminated food, and food prepared safely, along with dining facilities free of pests like vermin and cockroaches, largely because public health inspectors serve as their advocates. Many San Bernardino’s health inspectors grew up in Southern California, and some attended the local state university, California State University San Bernardino, and took degrees in health sciences. The coursework required to become a health inspector is rigorous and anchored in science. Some inspectors, such as Robert C. Adams, graduated with a degree in public health education.  Others take courses similar to those of students preparing for medicine or dentistry. Yvette A. Velasco. Juan C. Espinoza and Michael R. Wetzel graduated with degrees in biology.  Other inspectors took degrees in chemistry or environmental engineering.
Little United Nations in San Bernardino
 
            “No talking politics. No interoffice drama,” Amanda Adair, referring to the harmonious atmosphere in the health inspectors’ office.
 
             San Bernardino‘s health inspectors come from all over America and the world. One health department supervisor sometimes referred to her band of inspectors as a Little United Nations. They come from Colombia, Eritrea, India, Iran, Mexico, Vietnam, and other distant places around the world. The potpourri of ethnicities, religions, and political opinions can bring disputes. “No talking politics. No interoffice drama,” were the implicit office rules.
            Nonetheless, there were political flare-ups, and coworkers noticed the tension between two inspectors - Nicholas Thalasinos and Sayeed Farook. Nicholas Thalasinos was active in his messianic church, where he served as a Shamashim, or deacon. A prolific commentator on social media and an ardent supporter of Israel and Jews, his Facebook account featured a Star of David. He was also a social conservative and avid fan of Rush Limbaugh. Fellow parishioners described Thalasinos as a big, gentle man of faith. His widow would recall, “My husband was very outspoken about ISIS and all of these radicalized Muslims.” Farook, a devout Muslim, despised Israel, and he would pledge open support for ISIS and serve its cause. On December 2, both Zionist and anti-Zionist would die by gunfire.
Coming to the Gate City
            The Health Inspection office welcomes men and women from diverse social and educational backgrounds. Rough-hewn, burly men and intellectual social scientists work together as environmental health specialists. Big, brawny Shannon Johnson had mementos of his childhood tattooed on his skin. He had pictures of his first wife, both grandfathers, and his father, who died in a grain silo accident in Georgia when Johnson was a boy. He also had tattoos of the Virgin Mary and Vivien Leigh, who played Scarlett O’Hara. He planned to add another to his collection. This would be of his girlfriend, Mandy.
 
            A recent hire, the more refined and scholarly Harry Bowman was a welcome, if eclectic, fit in the office. With a doctorate in statistics, he had a promising future as a social scientist in the office.  This National Merit Scholar helped develop the Center for Risk Analysis of Terrorism Events at the University of Southern California. He, like many of his officemates, was a man of faith. He was a Renaissance man who devoured comic books, history, and Disney films.
 
Blacks are well represented among San Bernardino’s health inspectors, several of whom died in December 2015. At twenty-six, Aurora Godoy, was the youngest victim. Facebook captured her beaming smile as she hugged her infant son and her male love interest. Sierra Clayborn was a vibrant member of the office. On the day of her death, she was slated to receive a prestigious award for stellar service. Generations older, inspector Isaac Amanios was sixty when he fell, leaving a wife and three adult children. In the next episode, we continue to offer brief biographies on those who were murdered, and the husband and wife team did the killing on the killing floor.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. If you liked it, please consider subscribing. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting. 

         Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the connection between Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, where we bring education to national security. Today, we begin a series of podcasts focused on a single terrorist incident. On December 2, 2015, a husband and wife carried out a mass murder at an office party in California. They fired together, sparking the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since September 11, 2001. In its aftermath, fourteen Americans were killed, and twenty-two others were wounded, some crawling to safety or begging for medical help. The attack bore the hallmarks of organized terrorism. It was inspired by the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, and resembled shooting sprees seen in European cities. No one but the killers expected anything like it. Nothing like this had happened before in Southern California. It was the most lethal attack on American soil since September 11, 2001. Here we begin the podcasts to try to make sense of the attack and understand its implications for the future.
The location in the slaughterhouse where the stock is killed and then butchered.” -   The definition of the killing floor.         
.        San Bernardino is a tough, hard-scrabble town, but many residents are comfortable there. They are men and women of faith and family who participate in civil society, school boards, and charitable projects. They attend church, synagogue, or mosque, and their children take part in sports, scouting, choir, and other after-school activities. Local and state civil servants keep the city running, if sputtering. There are low-profile, often-uncelebrated jobs that keep the city safe and clean. One of those jobs is environmental health inspection.
       Inspectors may not be as muscular or dashing as police or firefighters, but they are professionals with extensive training and credentials who protect the public every day. Health inspectors come from diverse ethnicities and backgrounds. Immigrants with a talent for college-level science can earn degrees that prepare them for a thirty-year career with steady pay and solid benefits. Many enjoy their work and the camaraderie in the office. This was true in San Bernardino in December 2015.  
            The Party Christmas Party Massacre
             It was the annual working party, and nobody expected significant problems. As in previous years, San Bernardino’s health inspectors would review the work schedule plans for the upcoming year, hand out awards and recognition pins to top performers, and enjoy a buffet and potluck. Not everyone wanted to be there. Bored, one attendee chuckled to a coworker, "The large clock on the wall might be broken because time seemed to be moving so slowly." The more ambitious new hires saw it as an opportunity to shine in front of colleagues and supervisors. However, there were signs of underlying tension at the Center. One inspector later remarked that twenty-eight-year-old Syed Rizwan Farook, an environmental health specialist, appeared fidgety and snapped at a coworker over a perceived slight. Then, according to a partygoer, Farook suddenly left the building “out of the blue." This was unusual for the normally private but friendly professional. He returned before lunch with his wife, Tashfeen Malik, both dressed in black tactical gear.
            Pious and shy, Malik usually veiled herself when she left her home to follow her faith's rules. Outside San Bernardino’s small Muslim community, few residents had socialized with her. Still, Farook’s coworkers threw a baby shower for her the year before. They couldn’t imagine she would try to kill them at Christmas. They had no idea that, years earlier, her husband and a close friend had planned to lob pipe bombs into a college cafeteria and library and spray fire on students. Nothing came of that plan, but now, at the annual training party, Farook and his wife were ready with a large stockpile: 2,000 rounds of 9-mm handgun ammo, 2,500 .223-caliber rifle rounds, and explosive devices. Today, they came to the party to kill.
            They entered the Inland Regional Center but were not dressed for Christmas celebrations. The San Bernardino Police chief later described their outfits as “assault-style clothing,” and a coworker said they looked “like they were on a mission.” And they were. Around 11:00, they began firing randomly. They shot over one hundred .223 rounds in a rampage that killed fourteen and wounded twenty-four in less than four minutes. The first victim was shot while relaxing at a picnic table. He was talking on his cellphone, which he still held in his hand as he died. Initially, some partygoers thought an exercise was happening. Denise Peraza was completely surprised when she saw the doors fling open and two black-clad attackers with weapons start shooting. “The guys opened fire for thirty seconds, randomly, then paused to reload and began firing,” again."
            When they realized they were under attack and captivity, the targets hid in bathrooms and crouched under tables. Some broke through the back door of the Center and escaped to safety. But many could not escape the barrage of bullets, which pierced walls and tore through furniture. Lying wounded, a woman shot in the head asked someone to call her mother to say goodbye. A coworker assured her that she had just been grazed. The wounded woman replied, "I'm not. I'm bleeding from the mouth." She then closed her eyes and died. Three of the victims had come to America to escape despair and start new lives. One woman fled mullah rule in Iran when she was eighteen. A man nearing retirement emigrated from war-torn Eritrea, and another killed that day left Vietnam as a child to escape communism. America called to them as a land of opportunity. All three were shot dead on the killing floor.
       But this was also a time for heroes, and Shannon Johnson was one of them. Under attack, forty-five-year-old Johnson, a heavily tattooed, rough-looking environmental health specialist, grabbed coworker Denise Peraza and held her tightly to protect her, which he succeeded in doing. However, he could not save himself. Peraza's sister lamented, "This angel of a man was sitting next to my sister when the shooting happened. He helped protect her from the bullets, and we are so grateful for his heroic love." Larry Kaufman, the gay, warm-hearted manager of the Center’s coffee shop, warned others to leave or they would be killed. He was fatally shot. Others holed up with officers, using makeshift barricades, and texted their love to friends and families. Some prayed to God for mercy as they lay injured.
            The assailants held fire and bolted from the Center, giving momentary calm. A Christmas tree in the corner still stood, but holiday decorations lay strewn on the hall’s floor, lying next to the injured and dead. Ceiling tiles had collapsed on the floor, and victims were scattered across the 3,400-square-foot conference hall. Blood mixed with water on the floor, and the acrid smell of gunpowder filled the hall and corridors.
            The manhunt for the murderers began immediately. City officials locked down stores, office buildings, and schools. Police blocked off streets. More than 175 law enforcement officers from local, county, state, and federal agencies rushed to the scene. Now, the husband and wife were prey, and police officers engaged with them, opening fire and riddling their black vehicle with gunfire. The couple fired about eighty rifle rounds and one handgun round at the officers, who responded with 380 rounds. At least twenty-seven gunshots hit Farook, while Malik was struck by at least fifteen. Their combat clothing now soaked with blood, the husband-and-wife attackers lay dead. They were shot nearly beyond recognition, and newspaper headlines depicted images of their Bonnie-and-Clyde-style deaths.
            There were no fatalities among the first responders, but two police officers were hit by bullets. Their courage was acknowledged by two American presidents and local residents. The police response was later cited as a case study in law enforcement preparedness and competence.
            San Bernardino went into shock
                       For San Bernardino County’s core group of health specialists, the devastation on December 2 was heartbreaking. Thirteen of the fourteen victims were county employees. Immediately and openly, residents of San Bernardino mourned their loss. As one local sighed, "... nothing like this ever happened in San Bernardino. Husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, neighbors, and coworkers were killed and injured. Survivors initially felt relief at being alive, then guilt. “A lot of people are dead. Somehow I’m alive,” said Denise Peraza to her sister.
         Amid the pile of bodies on the floor lay men and women of various backgrounds—Black and white, Asian and Latino, gay and straight, young and old, single and married, ages ranging from twenty-six to sixty. One had a Ph.D., and most were college graduates, though some had less education. One had six children, while others had none. Some were born in the United States, and others abroad. Immigrants built new lives in America and raised families, only to be shot dead by a man they knew as a colleague and friend. 
 
     Though residents of San Bernardino were distraught, ISIS leaders were elated and praised the shooters as "martyrs." Leaders of the Islamic State saluted the two shooters as martyrs and called them "soldiers of the caliphate.” The attack came just weeks after ISIS terrorists killed 130 people across Paris in a wave of violence. But nobody in San Bernardino expected such fetishized murder in the Gateway City. The family’s lawyer mused, "It just doesn't make sense . . ." Farook had an infant daughter; he was a dependable worker; he had an extended family and showed no signs of mental illness or psychopathy.
            Many local Muslims who knew the assailants were confused and outraged by the bloodshed, fearing it would unfairly cast blame on their religion. Fellow Muslims questioned why the two had fired point-blank into a fellow Muslim they worshipped at a local mosque. However, some observers of radical Islam were not surprised that extremist hatred would flare up again in the United States. Since September 2001, numerous attacks have taken place across the country. At Fort Hood, an American soldier aimed and opened fire on fellow soldiers and civilian Army workers. The year after the San Bernardino attack, a Muslim militant targeted a nightclub in Orlando filled with people dancing, talking, and drinking. Recently, a militant armed with a knife attacked renowned and knighted author Salman Rushdie in New York because he satirized Muhammad decades earlier. All these acts of homicidal hate against the United States—shared by Sayeed and Malik—were publicly revealed on December 2, 2015.
             Life after Death
            Invisible wounds and loss haunt survivors today. When asked if he lost friends that day, survivor Patrick Baccari replied that he had - "Everybody that died." Including the murderers, Farook and Malik? Were they friends? "I assumed Sayeed (Farook) was our friend as well. The butchery was a deeply personal betrayal. Office mates celebrated the joy of welcoming their child into the world and bought them presents. But Farook and Malik died as self-proclaimed martyrs, orphaning their infant daughter, who will never have memories of her parents. 
            If the lives of some health inspectors ended on December 2, their lifelong struggles for the injured began. That day’s rifle blasts still echo in their bodies and minds. A bullet is lodged in Tracie Thompson’s thigh and likely will stay there. There is also immense torment. Hal Houser is among the many survivors living with emotional anguish. He finds some comfort in knowing that some coworkers died instantly and didn’t suffer long. But he cannot stop the recurring images of his friends and coworkers writhing on the floor of the Center, pleading to God for relief and mercy. He painfully sums up his loss: “I still miss my friends and coworkers.”
            Operations and physical therapy provide some relief from physical pain. However, psychic trauma remains unrelenting. The screams of that day still echo constantly. Said one, “We were abandoned and betrayed by a coworker, and when we asked our employer for help, many of us were abandoned and betrayed by them (the employer)." Guilt weighs on survivors who curse themselves for surviving while so many others died. By a cruel twist of fate, they walked out the door unharmed while their friends and coworkers lay riddled with bullets, dead or dying in the death chamber. The world’s attention has long since shifted from San Bernardino’s scene. One who cannot escape the panic of that day lamented, “You feel forgotten, like our friends are forgotten... We deal with it every day, but the world has moved on.” But they are not forgotten. They live on in memory, and the following podcasts tell their story.
       Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. If you liked it, please consider subscribing. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting. 

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the intersection of the Western and Islamic worlds. This is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, and today’s episode continues to examine Westerners who have trekked abroad to fight for Islam, particularly a very odd American. This is podcast two, in which we revisit the books: Jihad and the West, Black Flag over Babylon, and The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Group. This podcast introduces a very confused California. To start, however, let’s revisit the Australians held captive in the Syrian Roj and Al-Hol camps, which are detention camps for Islamic State or ISIS prisoners. What to do with the Western prisoners who pine to come home? Shall we bring them back or let them wither under the baking sun of Syria? We brought this up in last week’s podcast.
 
In our last podcast, we divided the schools of opinion into two camps. The “bring them back” side was motivated by compassion and, to some extent, by domestic and international law. The opposite camp, the “keep them away” side, based its argument on security concerns. They claimed that the children or Cubs of the Caliphate have been indoctrinated with hatred and trained to kill infidels. The West cannot afford to bring these jihadist families into its societies, as they could pose significant risks to national security. In the last podcast, we mentioned the Australian Nettleton family that traveled to Syria to join the Caliphate. The parents were killed in airstrikes, along with two sons. The remaining three children became a national cause in Australia.
 
Well, the repatriation of the three Nettleton children might have set a precedent. In February 2026, 11 Australian families connected to ISIS left the Roj camp in northeastern Syria and were transferred to Australia. This was good news for their friends and family, but it shocked other Australians who see the returnees as potential threats. This happens at a time when Australia is dealing with issues related to antisemitism, as seen in the mid-December Bondi Beach massacre. We at Kensington Security Consulting will keep you updated on any new developments.
 
Now, let's go back a few years and shift focus to Afghanistan. Let’s trace the unconventional journey of a very confused California boy, Azzam the American. He was profiled in our book The Taliban – Afghanistan’s Most Lethal Insurgent Group.
 
 Azzam the American
"We love nothing better than the heat of battle, the echo of explosions, and slitting the throats of the infidels." Adam Gadahn AKA Azzam the American
            His story was quite an odyssey. From goat farming and DJing heavy-metal bands in California to wandering the dusty streets of Pakistan as an al-Qaeda cadre, Adam Gadahn led a very unconventional life. We begin with his youth. His parents, Jennifer and Philip, settled near Southern California's Skinner Reservoir to shield their children from city pollutants. They adopted a rural, hippie-style counterculture. Adam’s father, Phil, became a born-again Christian. All of this probably would have surprised his grandfather, a Jewish physician married to a secular Protestant.
Life on the Gadahn family farm meant no electricity from the grid, water was supplied only occasionally, and they read the Bible often. They raised goats and made cheese. Adam was quiet, disinterested in sports, and smart. When Adam was about twelve or thirteen, he played Little League baseball, and by seventeen, he shifted to Death Metal music and eventually to Islam.
Death, Death, and More Death
            “Yesterday, London and Madrid. Tomorrow, Los Angeles and Melbourne, Allah willing. Azzam the American
            Death Metal didn't resonate with Adam. This California boy reinvented himself once again. The recluse-turned-Christian-turned-death metal fan now became a devout Muslim. In 1995, seventeen-year-old Gadahn started attending a mosque in Orange County, a traditionally conservative suburb. There are different accounts of his time there. Some say it was where he was radicalized.
In 1998, he traveled to Pakistan or Afghanistan to begin al-Qaeda training and work as a translator. There, he married, had a child, and adopted a new name, "Azzam the American." There would be no further radical changes to his identity. He was Azzam for good. As the organization's chief propagandist, he gained fame or infamy, depending on your view of al-Qaeda. In his video appeals, he wore sunglasses and a keffiyeh.
          His sermons emphasized several rhetorical themes, some of which overlapped. First, he called for confronting the enemies of Islam and the enemies of Adam. He urged Muslims to be innovative in their tactics and approaches. His primary enemy was the Zionist-Crusader alliance, broadly including America, Britain, and Israel. To oppose it, he pointed to 9/11 as a model for jihad attacks. He encouraged Muslims to demonstrate devotion "by killing or capturing people in government, industry, and the media."
            He urged American service members to find inspiration in U.S. Army Major Nidal Hassan, a psychiatrist who murdered thirteen fellow soldiers. Azzam called Nidal a pioneer and a role model. "Brother Nidal is the ideal role model for every repentant Muslim in the armies of the unbelievers and apostates." Only some people were impressed, and his rhetoric still won over fewer. Many believed his act was pompous and foolish. His speech was strained and slipped into a faux South-Asian accent. One observer compared his persona to an awkward character from The Lord of the Rings. The tone and content of his sermons were archaic and grandiose. For example, "The call has gone out. The era of jihad and resistance has dawned in all its" glory."
            Among his duties as chief propagandist was the analysis of Western media. About ABC, he wrote, "Actually, it could be one of the best channels, as far as we are concerned." MSNBC used to be "good and neutral but has declined." He did not like Fox News; however, in line with Islamic protocol, he invited leading critics of militant Islam—particularly Daniel Pipes, Michael Scheuer, Steve Emerson, and Robert Spencer—to convert to his faith. As of this writing, none have done so. He was very loud and shrill, broadcasting to international media, and he definitely got the attention he wanted. Word of his new career spread through his old goat-farming town, and his parents didn't know what to think. His dad, Phil, said his son "had got married and was settling."
"He is Indicted – The Million-Dollar Man
            His relentless cries for killing became too much for American counterintelligence professionals and the U.S. Justice Department, which indicted him for treason. The Justice Department’s Paul McNulty explained, "A charge of treason is exceptionally severe, and it is not one we bring lightly." Conviction can result in anywhere from five years in prison to the death penalty. It would have been difficult for Gadahn to successfully contest the charge. He was prolific and strident. McNulty said Gadahn's support for the "propaganda machine" of al-Qaida merited the treason charge, which he called "perhaps the most serious offense for which any person can be tried under our constitution."
Several cases of treason are historic. John Brown attempted to incite a slave revolt in West Virginia in 1959. His revolt failed, and he was hanged. Mary Surratt, who conspired to assassinate Lincoln, was hanged for treason. Ezra Pound was declared mentally ill, which prevented his trial and possibly a death sentence. Axis Sally and Tokyo Rose were convicted but not executed. After World War II, the British hanged a few Nazi collaborators, most notably William Joyce, also known as Lord Haw-Haw. The Rosenbergs were electrocuted for violating the Espionage Act of 1917, not for treason. Adam Gadahn, however, was executed for treason; he was killed along with two hostages held by Al Qaeda in January 2015. He was 36 years old. President Obama expressed regret over the deaths of the hostages but not over Gadahn's or another U.S. terrorist killed by his side.
Postmortem
What should we consider about the life and death of Adam Azzam Gadahn? He was clearly an unusual and dangerous individual. He promoted killing enemies of Islam, including Americans. Should President Obama have approved his assassination? Right after the Allies won in Europe, the British hanged very few people. The most notable was William Joyce, or Lord Ha Ha. He was an Irish-American traitor who broadcast from Berlin to Britain to try to demoralize the British. He was mainly seen as a laughingstock, providing comic relief for a nation desperate for a laugh. His nickname, Lord Ha Ha, was a pun. He used an exaggerated, affected royal accent that lengthened the “aaahs” in his speech. This is called received pronunciation. The Ha Ha plays on the onomatopoeic laugh – ha, ha, ha. So, if Joyce was just entertainment, should he have been hanged? Similarly, Adam Gadahn unintentionally appeared as a buffoon. If he didn't do serious harm to national security, should the president have killed him? It’s something worth thinking about. This is important because Westerners continue to travel abroad to embrace militant Islam, and militant Muslims are building new homes in the West.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting. 

Hello from Jihad and the World – a podcast that explores the intersection of Western and Islamic cultures. The author is Mark Silinsky of Kensington Security Consulting, and today’s episode will examine the strange case of Monica Witt – from all-American girl to a traitor for Iran. Enjoy!
“And sometimes they're (Iranian intelligence) successful, and Monica Witt is a good example of that.” Heather Williams, national intelligence officer for Iran under the Director of National Intelligence.
This is a story with a twist. An all-American girl joins the Air Force, becomes an intelligence analyst, learns Persian, and defects to Iran. It doesn’t happen often. Let’s start the story with Iran’s 1979 revolution, which shook the larger Middle East and much of the Islamic world. Religious leaders who had been powerless and sheltered in Najaf, Iraq, gained influence in Tehran. Ayatollah Khomeini stated in his 1970 book Islamic Government, “You (the Iranian people) have a duty to establish an Islamic government.” Now in power, he and his followers carried out just that. The political and social upheaval caused many Iranians to flee the country. A wave of Iranian artists, free thinkers, Jews, Western-oriented intellectuals, businessmen, Christians, and Baha’i fled to Western countries that welcomed them. Over the years, this immigrant community enriched American cities with entrepreneurial talent and a young, ambitious, and educated population. Los Angeles earned the nickname Tehrangeles, and an Iranian Jew even became the mayor of Beverly Hills.
However, very few Americans viewed the Islamic revolution positively or traveled to Iran to support it. Those who did include pro-Khomeini Iranian Americans who shared the new regime’s Shia fundamentalism and hostility toward the United States. Some felt comfortable promoting the Islamic Republic’s image on Iranian television and built new lives there. Among the relatively few Americans who defected to the Islamic Republic, Witt stands out. She claimed to use her intelligence background, knowledge of tradecraft, and personnel to support a higher purpose—serving the Islamic Republic of Iran. Monica Elfriede Witt was indicted by a federal grand jury for conspiracy to deliver national defense information to the Iranian government; prosecutors say Witt provided highly classified secrets to Iranian intelligence and helped them target operations after she defected to Tehran. She remains at large.
Who is Monica Witt?
A native Texan raised in Florida, Witt joined the Air Force in 1997 at age eighteen. She first deployed to the Middle East in 2002 and again in 2005, including nearly six months in Iraq amid the insurgency. Later, she completed a seven-month tour in Qatar. Her final assignment before leaving the Air Force as an E-6 on June 12, 2008, was with the 2nd Field Investigations Squadron at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. She was awarded an Air Medal for her efforts during the early days of the Iraq War. Years later, speaking on Iran's Press TV, Witt criticized a "boy's club atmosphere" and widespread sexual harassment that she claimed was systemic in the U.S. military.
In June 2008, she left the Air Force and earned a degree from the University of Maryland, which offers online programs for service members. With her security clearance and bachelor’s degree, she was well-positioned to work for national security contractors, a role she held for several years. From November 2008 to August 2010, she worked as a Middle East Desk Officer at contractor Chenega Federal Systems in Virginia. She later worked for a nonprofit organization that connected Middle Eastern students with Fulbright scholarships.
She enrolled at George Washington University and partially paid her tuition through an Iraq Fulbright scholarship. Early in her graduate studies, she began to express disillusionment with the United States’ foreign policy. In choppy English, she published an article in the university’s International Affairs Review. One passage read, “In enacting a policy of severe sanctions against Iran, the US should address the potential effects on other countries and not inadvertently alienate friends by making them choose between Iran and the United States."
A classmate recalled that Witt’s commentary about the United States, the West, and Christianity grew increasingly shrill. She, like many other university students, was openly critical of the United States, and initially, her anti-American rhetoric was indistinguishable from that of other graduate students. Many Middle East studies departments have been very hostile to the policies of successive administrations, especially those of presidents Bush (both father and son) and Trump. One critic of Middle Eastern programs in higher education pointed to the $100 million that Muslim-majority states have given to George Washington University in gifts and contracts since 2011. A fellow student at George Washington later recalled, 'There weren't warning signs in terms of 'go to authorities' warning signs.' One student remembers that “everyone just kind of sat and watched” as Witt expressed strong feelings against American foreign policy in class. No one, it seems, pushed back with even a limited defense of America. According to some accounts, she was haunted by what she claimed were American war crimes in the Middle East. A classmate recalled having difficulty sleeping and reconciling her participation in the war effort. Witt would mention drone strikes, extrajudicial killings, and atrocities against children, all of which she claimed her colleagues in the military would brag about. She appeared distressed by what she called ‘gross incompetence’ by her superiors.
The Hollywood Conferences 2012 and 2013
Her journey to becoming an agent for the Iranian government took a significant step in 2012 when she attended a highly publicized conference in Tehran. Notably, French left-wing philosopher Michel Foucault visited Iran in the fall of 1978, just before the revolution, to cover street protests. Since the 1979 revolution, the Iranian regime has arranged visits by many influential intellectuals to speak at conferences, most of which are closely monitored by Iranian intelligence services. New Horizon, an organization backed by Iranian intelligence, hosts events featuring anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-Israel, and far-left speakers. It presents itself as an International Institute of Independent Thinkers and Artists, with leaders claiming there was Jewish influence in the U.S., while other speakers argued that the U.S. is a satanic force in the world. Witt explained that the conference, in her words, “opened her eyes to these conspiracies.” “I got a chance to think more about myself and the future,” she said. Kevin Barrett, a regular American speaker at Iranian events and outspoken critic of the U.S., stated, “What she said was she had been involved in horrific war crimes with the Air Force. And she just felt really bad about it.” Witt later returned to Iran to attend another New Horizon conference, also held in Tehran.
A New Woman upon Return
When Witt returned to the United States after the 2012 conference, she began wearing a hijab and often discussed her conversion to Islam. Some people found her comments on Iran concerning and openly supportive of the regime and its ideology. She delivered a class presentation that alarmed some students because of its sympathetic tone toward the Iranian government. A fellow student recalled that Ms. Witt's paper sounded like a ''love letter to Iran.'' The FBI also grew concerned. Several agents approached Witt and expressed worries that Iran’s intelligence services might try to recruit her.
She met an Iranian-American spotter and recruiter for Iranian intelligence less than seven months after the New Horizon conference, according to an indictment charging her with multiple felonies. The indictment referenced a person known as Individual A, who approached her, built a relationship, and arranged for her to re-enter Iran in August 2013. Once there, Witt was provided with housing and computer equipment. Her defection was complete, and Ms. Witt, who had served ten years as an Air Force intelligence specialist, was now under the operational control of Iranian security services. She disclosed classified U.S. information and researched U.S. intelligence personnel she had worked with and knew professionally and socially. This information was used to create target packages.
Monica Witt’s Espionage – The Grand Jury Indictment
The grand jury indictment of Witt was unsealed during the week marking the fortieth anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. It charged Witt with betraying secrets to top Iranian officials. Some of these secrets involved classified programs and mentioned former colleagues. Once Iranian personnel received this information, they created fake online profiles to earn the trust of other intelligence officials. These are the kinds of schemes used by common criminals, but the indictment shows they can also be effective for sophisticated nation-state hackers. The hackers became "friends" on Facebook with at least four U.S. intelligence agents based in the United States and Afghanistan. They also joined a Facebook group heavily populated by agents, though it's unclear whether they compromised the agents' computers or mobile devices. A former FBI supervisor explained the Witt case, "Social media affords our adversaries the ability to harvest our trust with beguiling specificity. It allows them to beguile us into a false position of trust. You think because the person who approaches you has such specific information, it's someone to whom you should offer your trust.”
In the same indictment, the grand jury charged four Iranian nationals with conspiracy, attempting to commit computer intrusion, and aggravated identity theft. These charges stem from actions in 2014 and 2015 that targeted Witt's former coworkers and intelligence colleagues. These individuals were referred to as cyber conspirators. They utilized fake and impersonator social media accounts, working on behalf of Iranian intelligence, and aimed to deploy malware that would give them covert access to the targets’ computers and networks.
And what about Monica Witt today? I don’t know. Was she harmed during the spring 2026 US-Israel attacks on Iran? She may have been. She likely moved in IRGC circles. She is certainly one of the most prized American defectors to Iran. Can she make herself useful to the Islamic Republic? Or maybe she has fallen out of favor. Was she sent to Evin Prison to wither away? Perhaps she died or was executed. Maybe when the 2026 war is over, and the rubble of Tehran is cleared, we will learn about the fate and life of Monica Witt. What do you think? Do you have any inside baseball on this American traitor? Hope so.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Jihad and the World. Our latest book, Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel, and the World, will be available for purchase in July 2026. This podcast does not reflect the official position of the United States government. Until next time, goodbye from Kensington Security Consulting.

           Some Westerners, probably very few, who traveled to Syria are happy and do not wish to leave. Some have died, often in combat, and are buried in what became their homeland. Many, however, have not found what they hoped for in the Caliphate and wish to return to the West after a tough experience. The hardcore British Jihadis fighting for the State refer to their homesick comrades as "mummy-boys.” It’s hard to know how many of the Western émigrés want to leave. Those trying to escape are often killed or threatened. Some are caring for their children and would not flee without ensuring their safety. The main reasons they want to come home are disappointment, fear, and realizing that cruelty was not in their nature.
            The intense heat creates an ideal environment for exotic bugs and diseases, including tropical illnesses mostly unknown in the West. For example, a deadly flesh-eating bug is spread by sand flies, which feed on corpses left in the streets during fights. After feeding, the bugs can attack the living. Nasty business, these carnivorous bugs.
            All this initially shocks the new recruit arriving in Syria. The harsh temperatures, rare diseases, and sand flies aren’t mentioned in the Caliphate’s recruitment brochures. Nor is the dull routine that many Western recruits are asked to perform. Some have written about their tasks being menial or unfulfilling. An Australian recruiter preparing to leave for Syria to join his comrades canceled his plans after hearing about the squalid conditions he would face. They slept on “spongy” mattresses and took showers with dirty buckets of water. Additionally, they had no toilet paper.
            People who dream of becoming warriors often end up doing laundry, cooking, and cleaning up after others instead. One fighter complained about having to clean weapons and transport dead bodies from the front lines. He said, “Winter’s arrived here. It’s begun to get really hard.” A South African returning from the Caliphate remarked, “Much of the attraction of the Islamic State to outsiders is built on half-truths and propaganda. It’s no surprise that the reality did not live up to the illusion.”
            Beyond worries about the weather, disease, and a dull lifestyle, many Westerners were also surprised by the hostility from locals. Westerners expect to be welcomed as liberators but are often seen as occupiers and thieves. They have heard comments like “You are here to sabotage my country; you are coming to force something on us.” Besides the violence, some Westerners are discouraged by the manners of their fellow countrymen. They find Middle Easterners, especially Arabs, to be rude and inconsiderate. One Briton blogged about his growing exhaustion from dealing with crude table manners, irritable behavior, and brazen theft of personal belongings. Still, many women and some girls packed their bags and headed for the Caliphate. One was Sharmeena Begum.
When she was 15 years old, Sharmeena traveled from her home in Bethnal Green, east London, into the world of the Caliphate. Ms. Begum, who skedaddled with two schoolmates in 2015, joined ISIS, found a husband, and waged war against the infidel. She married an Islamic State fighter soon after arriving and went on to have three children, none of whom survived the Coalition attacks and the sweeping misery of the area. Well, the Islamic State became Hotel California or, more accurately, a roach motel.  She checked in, but she couldn’t check out.
This is pretty much what happened, although the details are unclear. All three girls from London traveled to Raqqa, Syria, where they were paired with husbands. Sharmeena’s new husband was Yago Riedijk, 27, a Dutch convert to Islam. They married just 10 days after arriving in the city in 2015. By Western standards, it was an unusual courtship. They had known each other for less than ten minutes before getting engaged. In Shamima’s words, “We need to see if we clicked.” They clicked and married. Yago explained, "Basically, she asked for some freedoms, which I agreed to give her - going shopping, seeing her friends, very basic stuff. We agreed on a dowry, and all she asked for was an English translation of the Koran, which I agreed to." We don’t have details about the honeymoon, though that might make for an interesting podcast. We know they held their wedding in a park that was shown in ISIS propaganda footage. Then they had their first child, a girl, in January 2017.
 
The three moved frequently to escape advancing enemy forces. They had a son named Jerah before relocating again, and he died at eight months from an unknown illness and malnutrition. Imagine watching your son starve. She tried to take him to an ISIS hospital, but there were no drugs available, and not enough medical staff were present. She also lost another daughter who died in infancy. Soon after, her husband, Yago, was captured by Kurdish forces. Shameena claimed that he wasn't really a fighter. This is an interesting comment. While in prison, Yago explained, "I made a huge mistake. I've thrown away years of my life. It was not my life. Luckily, I didn't directly hurt other people. But my joining and supporting a group like that. It's something that's not acceptable." Yes, many people would agree that it's not acceptable. He didn’t hurt people? I don’t know about that. Why did he travel there? What was he expecting to do? I’d like some answers.
 
As for his wife, Sharmeena, it is hard for many of us to imagine this woman’s emotional torment.  She had to watch her children die slowly from deprivation and disease. Shameena had other losses. The London friends with whom she traveled likely died in Syria. The lives of Shameena’s friends were hauntingly similar to her own. Her friend, Amira Abase,  married an 18-year-old Australian jihadist in July 2016. His moniker was “Ginger Jihadi.” Well, Ginger was killed in a Coalition strike. Amir may be alive, but not likely. Sharmeena’s other travel partner, Kadiza Sultana, married an American ISIS fighter of Somali heritage. He was killed in an airstrike. She was killed, maybe in some unmarked location. There is a dispute about that.
 
So, among the three Bethal friends, Sharmeema alone survived, and she was imprisoned at al-Roj camp, which has filthy living conditions and frequent outbreaks of violence. It has been described as a living hell, and she wants out. It is hardly surprising that Sharmeema desperately pleads to be allowed to come home. Her husband, children, and friends are dead, and there is no future in a vast prison camp. For nearly ten years, she has pleaded to return to Britain. But she was stripped of her citizenship long ago for joining an enemy organization.
 
When she could, she sent coded messages for help. According to those who knew her in the camp, she hung out with her best friend, Hoda Muthana, an American woman who also lost her citizenship after joining ISIS. The two tried to use coded language to communicate with the outside world, but the code wasn’t hard to crack. Hoda wrote, 'Bring five thousand gummy bears with u, the American brand is better. S (Shamima) also likes mints, about the same amount.” Well, I can’t decode all of that, but I am fairly sure that 'gummy bears' is code for U.S. greenbacks.
Sharmeena also failed in her efforts to retain British citizenship, highlighting a broader issue of ISIS brides still being held captive in Syria and Iraq. What should be done with them? Maya Foa, director of the human rights charity Reprieve, stated, "Exiling British nationals like Ms. Begum is about politics, not the law.” Some European courts side with Sharmeena, but they lack the ability to enforce their rulings. As for the many other European men and women still trapped in the Middle East, some cry, “We're humans, not animals.” Several journalists have spoken with women from Britain, Australia, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and the Caribbean who say their children are punished for the sins of their parents. Many women captives claim they had been raped, tricked into going to Syria, or trafficked. All said they couldn't escape.
 Among the remaining ISIS brides, there is a strong sense of nostalgia for their hometowns. In a part of the camp called Australia Street—named after the large Australian community there—rainbows and painted maps of Australia are displayed. A mother with two children from Melbourne said, "My kids have done absolutely nothing wrong. My daughter was two years old when we came here, and they know nothing. I'm trying to protect them from everything." Now, let’s turn to another case involving an Australian family that faced a similar tragedy.
In Jihad and the West, we examined the Nettleton family and their descent into the hell of the Caliphate. This is the story of Australians Karen and Peter Nettleton, along with their daughter, grandchildren, and great-grandchild. Their daughter Tara converted to Islam and, with her husband, took their five children to the Caliphate.
 
            Australian grandmother Karen Nettleton wrestles with her memory to grasp what went wrong with her daughter, Tara. What caused it? How did it happen? A next-door neighbor described Tara as polite, attractive, and not very different from other girls in the neighborhood. One day, the neighbor noticed that Tara was wearing Islamic apparel. He said to her, “You are too pretty to wear those things.” After that, Tara never spoke to him again.
            Tara met a Muslim when she was still a teenager. They were high school sweethearts. Her heartthrob was Khaled Sharrouf, a man with a troubled past who drifted in and out of petty crime and drug abuse. He was mentally ill, initially diagnosed with depression and later with schizophrenia. The son of Lebanese parents and raised in a dysfunctional family, Sharrouf served time for stockpiling weapons. Before his release, he was on medication, and in early 2009, doctors noted his “remarkable recovery.” Eventually, both Tara and Khaled embraced fundamentalist Islam and left for the Caliphate to start a new life. They, along with their children, became well-known. Karen Nettleton still cannot understand her daughter’s slide into sadism or her joy in attracting global attention.
 While working with her husband, Tara was enslaved, raped, and beaten by women. Then they started killing on behalf of the Caliphate. It became a family affair. There is a sick picture of one of their sons, just seven years old at the time, holding a severed head for a photo. Proudly, Khaled shouted, “That’s my boy!” which drew worldwide disgust when posted on Facebook. At thirty-one, Tara died from complications of appendicitis.
Their eldest daughter, Zaynab, who had a child, was killed in a drone strike. Had Tara lived, she would have been a thirty-two-year-old grandmother. Karen desperately tried to rescue her surviving grandchildren. She worried the girls could be turned into sex slaves or beggars. “I am devastated because I wasn’t able to be at my daughter’s side. I’m not able to be there for my grandkids and great-grandchild, who are suffering traumatic events outside their control.” That information was accurate ten years ago, and here is an update. Sharrouf was killed in an airstrike along with his two sons. His boys were eight and nine years old when they died.
However, the three children were repatriated to Australia in April 2019 and rushed into the loving arms of their grandmother, Karen Nettleton. And today? What is their status? Are they healthy, educated, and employed? I really don’t know, despite searching the internet. If anyone has any information, please pass it along to us, and I will include it in a podcast. The topic remains relevant and is likely to attract attention for years. There are still ISIS brides and their husbands stranded in the Middle East. Should they be allowed to return to their homes in the West? This is a very controversial question that divides public opinion and political decisions.
            One side appeals to compassion, especially for children stranded in the filth of the camps. They often claim that those hoping to return have given up their loyalty to the Caliphate and are eager to reintegrate into mainstream Western society. They point to Sharmeena Begum’s transformation during her imprisonment. She removed her full-face coverings, put on sunglasses, and wore a tank top. She promised to become again. OK. But what does that really mean in today’s Britain? She could become a liberal and advocate for Western values. Or, she may find a welcoming place among radical Islamists and promote ISIS’s beliefs. She wouldn't be alone.
Those who want to prevent her from returning to Britain highlight the growing issue of Islamic militancy. Also, her claims that she did not take part in murder or torture are questionable. They echo those of her former Dutch husband, who said he never hurt anyone. Some freed Kurdish captives say she was deeply involved in the oppression. An ISIS slave described Begum as friendly but also as an ISIS slave master who sold girls as young as 14 into lives of sexual exploitation. Additionally, Sharmeena sent bloodied texts as an ISIS fighter and wore an ISIS badge on her school blazer to recruit fellow students. How many other Western ISIS brides have similar biographies and terrorist pedigrees?
Well, Americans might want to follow the fate of Sharmeena’s prison pal, Hoda Muthana, who was raised in Alabama. As of now, the 30-year-old mother pleads, “I just want to go home.” This is the same woman who joined ISIS at age 20. During her time in the Caliphate, she tweeted to Americans that they should attack parades on national holidays and “spill all of their blood or rent a big truck n drive all over Them. 'Kill them.’ That’s pretty clear to me. President Obama didn’t like the tone of that message, so he revoked her citizenship, and the Supreme Court chose not to intervene. So, as far as I know, both Sharmeena and Hoda are still trapped in the prison or refugee camp. But what are your thoughts? Do you think we should bring them and their children back and give them a second chance? Also, do you have any updates on these women?