Muslim extremist Sayfullo Saipov was interviewed by federal agents two years ago but a case was never opened against him.
“Saipov’s name and address were listed as a ‘point of contact’ for two men whose names were on the Counterterrorism and Criminal Exploitation Unit’s list after they arrived in the US from ‘threat countries,’” the New York Post reports.
Interest in Saipov flagged after agents failed to collect enough evidence against him.
We know what happened next. Saipov turned his rage outwards and plowed a rental truck into a crowd of New York City bikers Tuesday afternoon. He then jumped out of the truck with a pellet gun, shouting “Allahu Akbar!”
Eight people were killed in the attack. 11 were injured. Saipov survived.
“Saipov was interviewed two years ago in Paterson, New Jersey, where he has a current address. The 29-year-old Uzbek native came to the US through a Diversity Visa Program lottery in 2010 — making him a legal permanent resident.”
We need to figure out how to do better. Lone wolves are hard to spot, but the attacks aren’t slowing down. If we’re going to protect ourselves from terrorists, we need to refine our vetting processes. Saipov had the ability to carry out his attack because he won a lottery to get into the U.S.
Agents shouldn’t have allowed Saipov to slip off of their radar. His social media accounts were linked to known terror suspects. Their initial probe should have been reason enough to keep looking into him.
(Source: New York Post)