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U.S. NEWS Thursday 1 december 2016
FBI: Islamic State group might have inspired OSU attacker

MIKE HOUSEHOLDER to reports of a gas leak in
ANDREW HUGGINS a building. Those reports
Associated Press appear legitimate and
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A unrelated to the attack,
Somali-born student who said Mike Woods, a deputy
carried out a car-and-knife chief with Columbus po-
attack at Ohio State Uni- lice.
versity might have been in- On Tuesday, a self-de-
spired by the Islamic State scribed Islamic State group
group and a former al- news agency called Artan
Qaida leader, investigators “a soldier of the Islamic
said Wednesday. State” who “carried out
Law enforcement officials the operation in response
said that it’s too soon to to calls to target citizens
say the rampage that hurt of international coalition
11 people on Monday was countries.” The Islamic
terrorism. They said they State group has described
aren’t aware of any direct other attackers around the
contact between the Is- world as its “soldiers” with-
lamic State group and the out specifically claiming to
attacker, Ohio State stu- have organized the acts of
dent Abdul Razak Ali Artan. Students mill about The Ohio State University student union as a message board covered in com- violence.
“We only believe he may munity reactions stands in the main hall following an attack at on campus the previous day, in “They have been known
Columbus, Ohio. Investigators are looking into whether a car-and-knife attack at Ohio State Uni-
have been inspired” by the versity that injured several people was an act of terror by a student who had once criticized the to take credit for incidents
group, said Angela Byers, media for its portrayal of Muslims. like this when the assailant
the top FBI agent oversee- (AP Photo/John Minchillo) is deceased and can’t re-
ing federal investigations in fute that,” Byers said.q
the southern half of Ohio. adding that there was no
Artan also might have evidence yet to suggest
been influenced by Anwar Artan had been publicly
al-Awlaki, a U.S.-born cleric communicating radical in-
who took a leadership role tentions over a long period
in al-Qaida before being of time.
killed in a 2011 U.S. drone He said the fact that Artan
strike in Yemen, Byers said. may have been inspired
Al-Awlaki has been cited by a cleric killed five years
as inspiration by numerous ago shows the “limits of
terror suspects over the taking people off the bat-
years, including the broth- tlefield.”
ers who bombed the Bos- “As long as you have disaf-
ton Marathon, the Army fected or alienated young
psychiatrist who killed 13 people who are searching
people at Fort Hood, Tex- for something to belong to,
as, and, more recently, the the lure of this radical pro-
man charged in bombings paganda will continue to
in New York and New Jer- be very dangerous,” Schiff
sey. said.
Rep. Adam Schiff of Cali- The FBI said it was looking
fornia, the top Democrat to verify whether Artan
on the House Intelligence posted rantings on Face-
Committee, said investiga- book hours before the
tors are still going through Ohio State attack criticiz-
Artan’s electronic devices, ing U.S. interference in
but it seems clears he was Muslim lands and warning
radicalized online. of more Muslims in sleeper
He also said there doesn’t cells.
seem to be much time be- He did buy a knife the
tween the onset of Artan’s morning of the attack, but
apparent radicalization police don’t know if that
and the attack, a period was the weapon he used,
known in law enforcement investigators said.
and intelligence circles The 18-year-old was fatally
as “flash to bang.” That shot by a police officer
trend has disquieted law shortly after driving into pe-
enforcement officials, who destrians and then slashing
fear disaffected individu- others with a knife. A pre-
als are being inspired to liminary autopsy released
violence after being only Wednesday showed Artan
briefly exposed to radical died from gunshots to the
ideology. head and chest.
“This may be one of those The officer was nearby be-
cases which was just un- cause he had responded
preventable,” he said,