The (de)iceman cometh

Yaron Steinbuch reports in the New York Post: “ISIS teen who killed priest passed background check for airport job.” Steinbuch notes that “[t]he bloodthirsty jihadist who executed a Catholic priest in France ‘easily’ passed a background check to become an airport baggage handler[.]” The murderer “worked full time at Chambéry Airport in the Savoie region, which is used by more than 250,000 passengers a year, until just three months ago[.]”

Can you top that? I think I can.

Among the group of “Minnesota men” seeking to join ISIS in 2014 and 2015 were two who worked at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport in the course of their conspiracy. The first was Abdirizak Warsame. Warsame was the ringleader of the group seeking to depart Minnesota in order to wage jihad with ISIS. Earlier this year he pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to provide material support to a terrorist organization. Warsame worked on the tarmac at MSP handling baggage and deicing airplanes from December 2013 to August 2014.

Warsame worked at the airport with Abdirahman Bashir (or Bashiir). After being called to testify before the grand jury hearing evidence in the case, the government showed Bashir the evidence it had against him. Thinking things over with his attorney, Bashir decided to become an informant for the government. When he agreed to become an informant, Bashir testified at trial, the first question he asked was, “Can I get my job at the airport back?”

What job? In response to my Minnesota Data Practices Act request, the airport police have informed me that Bashir obtained his security pass (i.e.,”was badged”) on November 26, 2013 and was terminated on Feb 4, 2014. He didn’t get around to returning his badge until April 4, 2014. Bashir’s job title was “deicer.” He worked for Integrated Deicing Services at the airport. I believe the period of Bashir’s employment at the airport is a Power Line exclusive; the media have let this aspect of the case against the “Minnesota men” drop.

Like Warsame, Bashir didn’t work for long at the airport, but he could have done a lot of damage. It’s almost enough to make you think airport security is a joke.

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