Dr.

Sebastian Gorka: How Islamic State

Outgrew the Mothership of Al-Qaeda
by JOHN HAYWARD7 Dec 201526

The authorities have disclosed that San Bernardino jihadi Tashfeen Malik swore fealty to
the Islamic State during her murder spree, but also that her husband Syed Farook was in
contact with Syrias Nusra Front and Somalias al-Shabaab terrorist groups affiliated
with the Islamic States rivals and progenitors, al-Qaeda.
Dr. Sebastian Gorka, a Breitbart National Security contributor and the Chair of Military
Theory at Marine Corps University, explained this apparent ideological dissonance on Fox
& Friends by noting that ISIS grew from al-Qaeda, and despite their current, occasionally
violent rivalry, there is still ideological connective tissue between them.
ISIS isnt completely differentiated from al-Qaeda. ISIS came out of al-Qaeda, Dr.
Gorka said. ISIS was originally al-Qaeda in Iraq, the organization run by Zarqawi, until
we killed him. Whats happened in the last three or four years, its outgrown its
mothership. Its stolen the brand of jihad, and now ISIS is much more powerful than alQaeda.
These are all members of the same global jihadi movement, competing to be the lead
brand, he continued. But the connection is the same, whether its AQ, al-Nusra, alShabaab, or ISIS. Theyre all jihadis.
Gorka said the Obama Administration was living in a fantasyland, a bubble, where they
have a pre-concocted narrative that terrorism is the result of economic hardship, political
disenfranchisement global warming, climate change is much more dangerous the real
jayvee team is ISIS, al-Qaeda is on the ropes This is the narrative that theyve spun
themselves into for seven years, and anything that counters that, any shock of reality that
goes against the White House meme, has to be ignored. So lets talk about gun control. Its
incredible.
Another persistent problem is the Lefts insistence on shoehorning terrorist attacks into
their preferred victimhood narratives. As Gorka noted, there have been some efforts to
portray the San Berardino jihadis as oppressed, their murderous rage
an understandable response to verbal offense given by their victims, perhaps even by
Farooks employers holding a Christmas party. Details of their family background have
been searched for shopworn liberal excuses for crime and violence, such as a difficult home
life.
Who cares what his parents did to this man? Gorka said about Syed Farook. Did we
talk about Hitlers father being abusive to him? Its not relevant.

Gorka charged that the Administration is allowing political correctness, and

considerations of an ideological nature, to undermine the threat assessment work that
needs to be done.
Lets not talk about jihad, lets not talk about why these people do it. Lets talk about gun
control. Its like a bad SNL skit in my opinion, he said, referring to the Saturday Night
Live comedy show.
Gorka pointed to the San Bernardino attack as more obvious evidence that ISIS has
arrived in America but its hardly the first or only evidence, as a report he cited from the
Threat Knowledge Group, written before the California attack, makes clear.
The war is real. The war is here, he said. 30 percent of the 82 people weve killed or
arrested in America in the last two years [for ISIS involvement] didnt want to go abroad to
be jihadis. They wanted to kill Americans in America. This is a war that is real and global.
Jihad has arrived at the shores of America. 9/11 isnt history it is now.
Gorka offered some safety advice for Americans, dismissing the Administrations narrative
about sudden radicalization and instant jihad to note that such attacks take careful
preparation, and can be interrupted by alert citizens who keep their eyes open if they
disregard political correctness to report what they see.
He also dismissed the gun-control narrative to emphasize that individual American citizens
must take responsibility for their own safety, and the safety of their loved ones. Do not
expect Washington to save you when an attack occurs, he warned. Dialing 911 is not
gonna cut it. You have to take responsibility, you have to be aware, and if possible, fight
back.
We need leadership that says one thing very clearly: we have an enemy not global
climate change, the enemy is global jihad, and these people are evil, Gorka concluded.
Instead, we have leadership that stresses political correctness and refuses to admit the war
is on, because theyre determined to push President Obamas talking points about ISIS
being contained.
Tell that to the fourteen people dead in California, Dr. Gorka suggested.
Read More Stories About:
National Security, ISIS, Jihad, Islamic State, barack obama, Al Qaeda, jihad, national security, Al
Shabaab, Paris Terror Attack, San Bernardino Attack, Syed Farook, al-Nusra