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WILKES-BARRE — U.S. Sen. Bob Casey traveled to the Middle East over the Presidents’ Day recess to explore, research and investigate the issue of terrorism financing.
Casey, D-Scranton, said he returned Friday with a much better appreciation of the efforts being made to fight terrorism and the importance of stopping terrorist financing. He said more of his colleagues in the U.S. Senate need to make the same trip to gain a better perspective of what’s going on in the Middle East.
Casey’s trip came just two months after federal law enforcement officials arrested a Pennsylvania man they said had been acting as a domestic mouthpiece for the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as ISIL or ISIS.
In filings with the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, agents from the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force accused 19-year-old Jalil Ibn Ameer Aziz, of Harrisburg, of using the Internet to spread propoganda for the terrorist group, advocate violence within the U.S. and aid terrorists in traveling to areas controlled by the Islamic State.
When agents raided Aziz’s home in December, investigators reportedly also found a tactical backpack, military-grade ammunition, high-capacity gun magazines and a “modified kitchen knife” in the rented home Aziz shared with his parents.
Casey said he followed the situation closely and that he was briefed by a senior FBI official.
Shortly after that arrest, Casey said domestic law enforcement officials cannot afford to let their guard down. “Our nation must continue to remain vigilant to confront terrorism from ISIS or any other terrorist organization,” he said.
Casey is a member of the National Security Working Group and former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs.
During a teleconference Tuesday, Casey said he met with officials in Saudi Arabia and Qatar to press for greater action against terrorist financiers and facilitators. In Turkey, he said, he assessed efforts to curtail ISIS’s illicit smuggling networks and other financial support.
Casey also met with senior officials in each of the countries and visited deployed U.S. service members at the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, commending them for their work in fighting terrorism.
“Yes, we do need to see arrests and prosecutions,” he said. “But those who criticize our policies regarding ISIS need to know that these folks are doing great work in the area of ISIS counter-terrorism.”
Casey said he feels it would be beneficial for every member of the U.S. Senate to travel to the Middle East to obtain a full understanding of what goes on there. By gaining that understanding, he said, it makes it easier to work with security officials on the issue.
In January, Casey said the Obama administration had not been doing a good job of telling the American people when progress is made in the fight against terrorism. He said sharing that information is key to building support for continued efforts.
“You’ve got to tell people and you’ve got to tell them over and over again,” he said in January.
Casey is on record saying he would not support sending U.S. ground troops, except for special forces, to the fight. He said he does not believe that he would be successful and would instead send a message that America will continue picking up the fight for others. Congress must start debating what should be done, including the use of force and what strategy to employ, and set policy instead of bickering and condemning what has been done, he said.
He said Republicans in Congress who have specific problems with the president’s policies should introduce their own legislation.