How did the self-immolating anti-Israel individual obtain security clearance
The Air Force member who set himself on fire Sunday in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. chanting “Free Palestine” may have had a national security clearance.
Aaron Bushnell, 25, immolated himself in the nation’s capital to protest American support for Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists. Someone close to Bushnell reportedly told The New York Post that Bushnell claimed to have knowledge of U.S. troops fighting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas inside underground tunnels.
“The 25-year-old airman — who served in the Air Force’s 70th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing, but also interacted with radical anarchist groups online — ranted that he had ‘top-secret clearance’ for military intelligence data in the call to his friend Saturday night,” the Post reported. “‘He told me on Saturday that we have troops in those tunnels, that it’s U.S. soldiers participating in the killings,’ claimed the pal.”
Bushnell was involved with far-left domestic terrorist networks online. A Reddit account reportedly belonging to Bushnell shows the deceased airman “mocking deceased U.S. military members and supporting intimidation of elected officials,” according to investigative journalist Andy Ngo, who posted screenshots of Bushnell’s Reddit activity on X.
“He was also a booster of the Atlanta terrorist ‘Stop Cop City’ movement,” Ngo added. “61 members of that network have been indicted on [the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act], terrorism and/or money laundering charges.”
Yet Bushnell was assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing at Fort Meade in Maryland. J. Michael Waller, a senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, wrote on X that Fort Meade “is considered a euphemism or shorthand for [National Security Agency (NSA)], though it has yet to be reported officially that he was assigned to NSA proper.”
“What kind of vetting process is there that entrusts people like him with security clearances? Who up the chain is responsible?” Waller wrote on X.
Bushnell’s D.C. protest came after another pro-Palestinian demonstrator set himself on fire in front of the Israeli consulate in Atlanta two months ago.
In December, Capitol Hill lawmakers approved a clean four-month extension of warrantless surveillance through the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The 2008 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which remains authorized for another two months, was abused by the surveillance state to spy on Democrats’ opponents, including former President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign. Lawmakers are still trying to push through an authorization of warrantless surveillance laws without significant reform.
“The FBI has used Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act to conduct warrantless ‘backdoor’ searches of the private electronic communications of American citizens,” wrote Republican Sen. Mike Lee of Utah in a The Blaze op-ed last December. “It has done so, moreover, not just sporadically and by accident but quite deliberately and on hundreds of thousands of occasions.”
rnrn
How did Aaron Bushnell obtain a national security clearance despite his involvement with radical anarchist groups and far-left domestic terrorist networks?
The Air Force member who set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington D.C. on Sunday, while chanting “Free Palestine,” may have had a national security clearance. Aaron Bushnell, 25, immolated himself to protest American support for Israel’s war against Hamas terrorists.
According to The New York Post, someone close to Bushnell stated that he claimed to have knowledge of U.S. troops fighting the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas inside underground tunnels. The 25-year-old airman served in the Air Force’s 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing and had interactions with radical anarchist groups online.
It was reported that Bushnell had top-secret clearance for military intelligence data and informed his friend on Saturday about U.S. troops participating in the killings. Investigative journalist Andy Ngo shared screenshots of Bushnell’s Reddit activity, which revealed his mocking of deceased U.S. military members and his support for the intimidation of elected officials. He was also a supporter of the “Stop Cop City” movement in Atlanta, which has had several members indicted on charges related to terrorism and money laundering.
Despite his involvement with far-left domestic terrorist networks, Bushnell was assigned to the 70th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing at Fort Meade in Maryland. J. Michael Waller, a senior analyst for strategy at the Center for Security Policy, noted that Fort Meade is often considered a euphemism or shorthand for the National Security Agency (NSA), although it has yet to be officially reported that Bushnell was assigned to the NSA proper.
The incident raises questions about the vetting process for individuals entrusted with security clearances, as well as the chain of responsibility in such cases. Waller expressed his concerns and called for scrutiny of the process.
Bushnell’s protest in Washington D.C. occurred shortly after another pro-Palestinian demonstrator engaged in a similar act outside an Israeli embassy.
The incident sheds light on the complex dynamics surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the passionate responses it elicits. It also highlights the importance of maintaining rigorous security protocols and ensuring that individuals with access to sensitive information are thoroughly vetted.
" Conservative News Daily does not always share or support the views and opinions expressed here; they are just those of the writer."
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
Now loading...