Stephen Kruiser
The Morning Briefing
October 21, 2024
The restricted airspace over a stretch of land around Langley Air Force Base in Virginia has one of the largest concentrations of national-security facilities in the country.In Other News
"In a chilling breach of military security, a swarm of drones has been violating air space over Langley Air Force base in Virginia for 17 days since last December, and the Pentagon appears clueless as to who is controlling these vehicles.
U.S. Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly wasn’t sure what to make of reports that a suspicious fleet of unidentified aircraft had been flying over Langley Air Force Base on Virginia’s shoreline.
Kelly, a decorated senior commander at the base, got on a squadron rooftop to see for himself. He joined a handful of other officers responsible for a clutch of the nation’s most advanced jet fighters, including F-22 Raptors.
For several nights, military personnel had reported a mysterious breach of restricted airspace over a stretch of land that has one of the largest concentrations of national-security facilities in the U.S. The show usually starts 45 minutes to an hour after sunset, another senior leader told Kelly.
The first drone arrived shortly. Kelly, a career fighter pilot, estimated it was roughly 20 feet long and flying at more than 100 miles an hour, at an altitude of roughly 3,000 to 4,000 feet. Other drones followed, one by one, sounding in the distance like a parade of lawn mowers."
In such a swarm, each drone is a highly mobile, high-tech unit equipped with cameras, sensors, and maybe even arms or tools designed for specific tasks. Algorithms choreograph these vehicles to move and function for a particular purpose. Drones in a swarm are directed to fly in a pattern and communicate on a designated frequency band.
On Tuesday, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment against an Afghan national living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for "conspiring to conduct an Election Day terrorist attack in the United States on behalf of the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO)."In Other News
According to a Justice Department press release, "Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, conspired and attempted to provide material support to ISIS and obtained firearms and ammunition to conduct a violent attack on U.S. soil in the name of ISIS."
Both Tawhedi and his juvenile co-conspirator were in the U.S. on Special Immigrant Visas. Tawhedi is married to the juvenile's sister.
"As part of the plot, the defendant allegedly took steps to liquidate his family’s assets, resettle members of his family overseas, acquire AK-47 assault rifles and ammunition, and commit a terrorist attack in the United States," the DOJ said. The suspect even made arrangements for the family's pets to be re-homed ahead of the attack.
In a chilling Telegram message found on Tawhedi's phone, he told an ISIS recruiter who goes by the alias Abdul Malik, "Brother, our house was sold today. We'll receive the money by the 15th of October, next month. After that, we will begin our duty, Allah willing, with the help of Allah we will get ready for the election day." The Telegram messages detailed a plan for Tawhedi's family to leave the United States for Kabul on Oct. 17, 2024, using one-way tickets. His Google history revealed searches on how to access cameras in Washington, D.C., and which states allow permitless carry.
"In his seized communications, Tawhedi allegedly indicated that his attack was planned for Election Day, and in a post-arrest interview, Tawhedi allegedly confirmed the attack was planned for Election Day targeting large gatherings of people, during which he and the juvenile were expected to die as martyrs," the DOJ said.
In a July 2024 video found on Tawhedi's phone, he was recorded describing the rewards for jihadi martyrs, including 72 virgins and "a crown full of jewels." His devices also contained ISIS media and propaganda, including images depicting the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, suicide vests, and language about "killing infidels." Tawhedid also has a history of donating to "charities" that funnel money to ISIS.
“As charged, the Justice Department foiled the defendant’s plot to acquire semi-automatic weapons and commit a violent attack in the name of ISIS on U.S. soil on Election Day,” Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated in the press release.
“This defendant, motivated by ISIS, allegedly conspired to commit a violent attack, on Election Day, here on our homeland," said FBI Director Christopher Wray.