Obama Gives ISIS Street Cred by Calling Them ISIL—And He Knows It

January 13, 2016

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Why is it that most of us refer to the Islamic State as ISIS while the president and his administration use ISIL? It's no accident. In fact, it's very intentional and meaningful.

"I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," Glenn explained. "I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant."

So just what is the Levant? It's a group of regions that includes Israel. While ISIS is controlling great portions of Iraq and Syria, they have not yet conquered Israel, a key part of the Levant. So when Obama uses "ISIL" he is intentionally giving a nod of respect to ISIS, recognizing their place in Islamic prophecy.

"[As] part of their [stated] prophecy, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant," Glenn further explained. "Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet, but our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, 'Yep, that's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad has been talking about.'"

Glenn also revealed chilling details in recent ISIS propaganda---ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf Mujahideen---that specifically instructs radicals how to blend into Western societies and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

"I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual," Glenn shared. "I found it on Truth Revolt today. The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard and wearing Christian crosses [so as] not to appear Muslim."

The how-to guide relies heavily on the "importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact."

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

"If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is," said Glenn, "take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Enjoy this complimentary clip from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.

GLENN: Did anybody have a problem that the president is still calling ISIS ISIL?

STU: I don't. I mean, they committed to it a long time ago. They've been consistent -- the one thing they've been consistent here --

GLENN: Is their trashing of Israel?

STU: Well, okay, that. But also their hatred for individual rights, but other than that.

GLENN: The one thing he is really consistent on is his trampling of the Constitution and his hatred of Israel.

STU: Okay. Certain things, consistency has not been an issue for this president, I will grant you.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: But ISIL, they have been -- from the beginning, they've picked ISIL instead of ISIS and have stood by it the entire time.

GLENN: Well, the reason why you would pick ISIL is because you want to include the Levant. And the Levant includes Israel.

STU: That's the L, in case you don't know. It's been a while since we covered that.

GLENN: Yeah. I-S-I-L is HEP Levant. I-S-I-S is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. I-S-I-L goes beyond Iraq and Syria, and it goes into the Levant. It also speaks that the Levant is Israel. It also speaks to their prophecy.

And here's the one thing -- I don't care if you believe in their prophecy or not. I don't. In fact -- well, I kind of do. I actually believe their prophecy is from the gates of hell. I do believe that their philosophy because I've studied what they believe the end times to be, and then I know what we believe the end times to be, and the stories match. It is almost as if you took the Book of Revelation and said, "This is going to freak them out. I'm going to make their bad guy, our good guy, and their good guy, our bad guy." It's literally like that.

It is, their good guy comes up out of nowhere, gathers an army, the world begins to bow to him, those who don't bow to him are beheaded and killed and rounded up. And the world is washed in blood. This is their good guy. And he washes the world in blood. And anyone who won't bow and declare that Allah is God and Muhammad is his prophet is beheaded and killed.

Well, that pretty much is the Book of Revelation. It doesn't say it's Allah. But that's the Book of Revelation. Then the Messiah comes. They agree, Jesus comes. They actually agree with that. Jesus does come.

But when Jesus comes, he testifies to the Christian world that they're wrong and that Allah is God and the prophet is Muhammad. And then Jesus grabs the sword and he starts beheading anybody who doesn't agree. That's the way their story ends.

Our story is, okay. There's a guy. He kind of comes out of nowhere. He starts to cobble together an army. He gets all of the world to fall in with him. Anybody who doesn't fall in with him, he starts to kill and behead and crucify. And then Jesus comes. And Jesus says, "You're wrong, and I'm going to bind you up for 1,000 years. But you're wrong." That's the way -- so the same story, except their guy is the good guy, and their guy to them is the good guy. And he's our bad guy.

So that's what they believe. Now, I don't have to believe that Jesus is coming back right now. I don't have to believe that these are the end times. I don't have to believe any of these things. I won't be have to believe that they believe it. Because they're saying it. And part of their prophecy is, they're going to cobble together an army in Iraq and Syria, and they're going to take over the Levant.

Well, they haven't taken over the Levant yet. But our president is recognizing basically their prophecy and saying, "Yep. That's you. You're the ones. You're the ones that the Prophet Muhammad have been talking about. Yep. That's you. Because even though you don't have the Levant yet, you're going to get it. Because that's what the prophecy says."

Their prophecy also says that we all have to gather at a place called Dabiq, and that is where Armageddon happens. And they are going to deliver a massive blow to us in Dabiq. All of the world's nations will gather together, and we will come to this -- what is only just a little small farming town, and we will gather there and they will have a massive battle with us. And as the Prophet Muhammad says, "They will win."

PAT: It's not far from Des Moines, is it?

GLENN: No, you're thinking of HEP Dabuke.

PAT: Oh.

GLENN: Yeah, it's a little different. This one is in the Middle East.

PAT: Okay. All right. So it's a different farming town.

GLENN: Yes. Yes. But a farming town, nonetheless.

PAT: I was confused for a second.

And you talk about adding legitimacy, which he continually does. Because if we say that they're Islamic terrorists, that gives them the legitimacy they seek. You're telling me that calling them ISIL and adding Levant to it doesn't give them the legitimacy they want?

GLENN: And every nation that joins gives them the legitimacy. And by us not wiping them out, they say, "See. The world is afraid of us because they know our prophecy and they know that Allah is on our side and we're going to sweep." So by not wiping them out, by not hitting them really hard, by not breaking the chain of their prophecy, we're fulfilling their prophecy.

And it doesn't matter if it's real or not. That's the way -- you know, he always talks about. That's just a recruiting tool. That's just a recruiting tool. The biggest recruiting tool in the Middle East is, "This is the time the prophet foretold, where we take over the entire world." This is the time -- this is why they call themselves the army HEP of Armageddon. This is the time of Armageddon.

STU: Continued success, essentially, is their greatest recruiting tool.

GLENN: Yes. Yes.

STU: The longer you let them hang out and control this area --

GLENN: The longer you don't go in with with guns a blazing -- and we can do it all from the air. You can do it from the air.

JEFFY: I mean, we have. He told us last night. With our 65 other partners, we've been bombing the bad guy.

GLENN: And the secret number for them is 80. Got to be 80 partners. That's the secret -- so we want to build this coalition, good, they want us to. They want 80 flags coming against them in Dabiq.

And so the more we talk about, "Hey, well, we've got this coalition," the more they're saying, "Of course, you have this coalition. That's what the prophet said you would."

STU: Now, to hear the president tell the story last night though, the problem with us not being able to defeat ISIS is because Congress will not legitimize this effort.

GLENN: Since when?

STU: So he wants to be super tough on ISIL, but Republicans are getting in the way. That's the problem. That was a new wrinkle on this conversation.

GLENN: Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable.

STU: His hands are tied. Because he just cares so much about congressional approval over the things he does, he can't possibly -- can't possibly do this!

GLENN: So the other thing he always says is that it's always a lone wolf. Right? Always a lone wolf. There's nothing to worry about. This is just one guy. It's just this one guy.

These guys are just nothing but a bunch of guys in the back of a truck. Back of a truck. No big deal. And that shooter, he has nothing to do with Islam. It's just one guy. He's a lone wolf. How many times have you heard that? This is just a lone wolf.

I want to show you the ISIS Terror Manual. The ISIS Terror Manual. We now have it from sources at Great Britain. I found it on True Revolt today.

The terror manual that is now circulating among the refugees in Europe instructs jihadists on how to blend in with the West and avoid being detected before carrying out a terrorist attack.

The instructions include avoiding mosques, shaving your beard, and wearing Christian crosses not to appear Muslim. The how-to guide -- I'll give you the name here in a second -- relies heavily on the, quote, importance of surprise when launching an attack to cause maximum impact.

It has now been translated into English. It explains how to go to nightclubs because they are full of loud music and drunk people and they are the perfect place to discuss terror plans without being recorded or spied on.

If you can avoid having a beard -- I'm quoting now the terror manual -- if you can avoid having a beard, wearing, is it kwamas? HEP Kwamas? Using -- using HEP Miswhack. I don't even know what that is. Or having a booklet with you, it's better.

It is permissible for you to wear a necklace showing a Christian cross. As you know, Christians or even atheist westerners with Christian background, wear crosses on their necklaces. But don't wear a cross necklace if you have a Muslim name on your passport, as that will look strange.

If you want to use perfume, don't use the oily nonalcoholic perfume that Muslims use. Instead, use generic alcohol perfume as everyone else does. If you're a man, use perfume for men.

If you're wearing a watch, do not wear it on your right hand, as this is a sign that you're religious. If you have an engagement ring or something like that, it's better to wear one in gold or better yet, not wear anything at all. A silver ring tells people that you are religious as Islam forbids the wearing of gold rings for men.

In all, the booklet with burning buildings illustrated on the cover is intended for operatives already in the West, those that know their surroundings and how to behave normally day by day as a European.

What does the president say every time we have a lone gunman? That it's not part of ISIS. It's not part of jihad. It's not part of Islam. Why? Because they're a lone wolf.

The name of the terror manual from ISIS Safety and Security Guidelines for Lone Wolf HEP Mujahadines.

If this president says this is definitely not happening and you're a fool or conspiracy theorist that needs to be mocked and ridiculed if you believe it is, take that to the bank that the opposite is true.

Featured Image: Pat, Glenn, Stu and Jeffy settle in for a long night of Political Science Theater 3000 to watch President Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday, January 13, 2016. (Photo Credit: TheBlaze)

How did Trump's would-be assassin get past Secret Service?

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on TheBlaze.com.

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday was targeted in an assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. It occurred just after 6:10 p.m. while Trump was delivering his speech.

Here are the details of the “official” story. The shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks. He was 20 years old from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He used an AR-15 rifle and managed to reach the rooftop of a nearby building unnoticed. The Secret Service's counter-response team responded swiftly, according to "the facts," killing Crooks and preventing further harm.

Did it though? That’s what the official story says, so far, but calling this a mere lapse in security by Secret Service doesn't add up. There are some glaring questions that need to be answered.

If Trump had been killed on Saturday, we would be in a civil war today. We would have seen for the first time the president's brains splattered on live television, and because of the details of this, I have a hard time thinking it wouldn't have been viewed as JFK 2.0.

How does someone sneak a rifle onto the rally grounds? How does someone even know that that building is there? How is it that Thomas Matthew Crooks was acting so weird and pacing in front of the metal detectors, and no one seemed to notice? People tried to follow him, but, oops, he got away.

How could the kid possibly even think that the highest ground at the venue wouldn't be watched? If I were Crooks, my first guess would be, "That’s the one place I shouldn't crawl up to with a rifle because there's most definitely going to be Secret Service there." Why wasn't anyone there? Why wasn't anyone watching it? Nobody except the shooter decided that the highest ground with the best view of the rally would be the greatest vulnerability to Trump’s safety.

Moreover, a handy ladder just happened to be there. Are we supposed to believe that nobody in the Secret Service, none of the drones, none of the things we pay millions of dollars for caught him? How did he get a ladder there? If the ladder was there, was it always there? Why was the ladder there? Secret Service welds manhole covers closed when a president drives down a road. How was there a ladder sitting around, ready to climb up to the highest ground at the venue, and the Secret Service failed to take it away?

There is plenty of video of eyewitnesses yelling that there was a guy with a rifle climbing up on a ladder to the roof for at least 120 seconds before the first shot was fired. Why were the police looking for him while Secret Service wasn't? Why did the sniper have him in his sights for over a minute before he took a shot? Why did a cop climb up the ladder to look around? When Thomas Matthew Cooks pointed a gun at him, he then ducked and came down off the ladder. Did he call anyone to warn that this young man had a rifle within range of the president?

How is it the Secret Service has a female bodyguard who doesn't even reach Trump's nipples? How was she going to guard the president's body with hers? How is it another female Secret Service agent pulled her gun out a good four minutes too late, then looked around, apparently not knowing what to do? She then couldn't even get the pistol back into the holster because she's a Melissa McCarthy body double. I don't think it's a good idea to have Melissa McCarthy guarding the president.

Here’s the critical question now: Who trusts the FBI with the shooter’s computer? Will his hard drive get filed with the Nashville manifesto? How is it that the Secret Service almost didn't have snipers at all but decided to supply them only one day before the rally because all the local resources were going to be put on Jill Biden? I want Jill Biden safe, of course. I want Jill Biden to have what the first lady should have for security, but you can’t hire a few extra guys to make sure our candidates are safe?

How is it that we have a Secret Service director, Kimberly Cheatle, whose experience is literally guarding two liters of Squirt and spicy Doritos? Did you know that's her background? She's in charge of the United States Secret Service, and her last job was as the head of security for Pepsi.

This is a game, and that's what makes this sick. This is a joke. There are people in our country who thought it was OK to post themselves screaming about the shooter’s incompetence: “How do you miss that shot?” Do you realize how close we came to another JFK? If the president hadn't turned his head at the exact moment he did, it would have gone into the center of his head, and we would be a different country today.

Now, Joe Biden is also saying that we shouldn't make assumptions about the motive of the shooter. Well, I think we can assume one thing: He wanted to kill the Republican presidential candidate. Can we agree on that at least? Can we assume that much?

How can the media even think of blaming Trump for the rhetoric when the Democrats and the media constantly call him literally worse than Hitler who must be stopped at all costs?

These questions need to be answered if we want to know the truth behind what could have been one of the most consequential days in U.S. history. Yet, the FBI has its hands clasped on all the sources that could point to the truth. There must be an independent investigation to get to the bottom of these glaring “mistakes.”

POLL: Do you think Trump is going to win the election?

Kevin Dietsch / Staff, Chip Somodevilla / Staff, Kevin Dietsch / Staff | Getty Image

It feels like all of the tension that has been building over the last four years has finally burst to the surface over the past month. Many predicted 2024 was going to be one of the most important and tumultuous elections in our lifetimes, but the last two weeks will go down in the history books. And it's not over yet.

The Democratic National Convention is in August, and while Kamala seems to be the likely candidate to replace Biden, anything could happen in Chicago. And if Biden is too old to campaign, isn't he too old to be president? Glenn doesn't think he'll make it as President through January, but who knows?

There is a lot of uncertainty that surrounds the current political landscape. Trump came out of the attempted assassination, and the RNC is looking stronger than ever, but who knows what tricks the Democrats have up their sleeves? Let us know your predictions in the poll below:

Is Trump going to win the election?

Did the assassination attempt increase Trump's chances at winning in November?

Did Trump's pick of J.D. Vance help his odds?

Did the Trump-Biden debate in June help Trump's chances?

Did Biden's resignation from the election hand Trump a victory in November?

Do the Democrats have any chance of winning this election?

What is the Secret Service trying to hide about Trump's assassination attempt?

KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor, Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

This past weekend we were mere inches away from a radically different America than the one we have today. This was the first time a president had been wounded by a would-be assassin since 1981, and the horrific event has many people questioning the competency and motives of the supposedly elite agents trusted with the president's life.

The director of the Secret Service apparently knew about the assassin's rooftop before the shooting—and did nothing.

Kimberly Cheatle has come under intense scrutiny these last couple of weeks, as Secret Service director she is responsible for the president's well-being, along with all security operations onsite. In a recent interview with ABC, Cheatle admitted that she was aware of the building where the assassin made his mark on American history. She even said that she was mindful of the potential risk but decided against securing the site due to "safety concerns" with the slope of the roof. This statement has called her competence into question. Clearly, the rooftop wasn't that unsafe if the 20-year-old shooter managed to access it.

Glenn pointed out recently that Cheatle seems to be unqualified for the job. Her previous position was senior director in global security at America's second-favorite soda tycoon, PepsiCo. While guarding soda pop and potato chips sounds like an important job to some, it doesn't seem like a position that would qualify you to protect the life of America's most important and controversial people. Even considering her lack of appropriate experience, this seems like a major oversight that even a layperson would have seen. Can we really chalk this up to incompetence?

Former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

The Secret Service and DHS said they'd be transparent with the investigation...

Shortly after the attempted assassination, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the Secret Service, launched an investigation into the shooting and the security protocols in place at the rally. The DHS promised full transparency during the investigation, but House Republicans don't feel that they've been living up to that promise. Republican members of the House Oversight Committee are frustrated with Director Cheatle after she seemingly dodged a meeting scheduled for Tuesday. This has resulted in calls for Cheatle to step down from her position.

Two FBI agents investigate the assassin's rooftop Jeff Swensen / Stringer | Getty Images

Why is the Secret Service being so elusive? Are they just trying to cover their blunder? We seem to be left with two unsettling options: either the government is even more incompetent than we'd ever believed, or there is more going on here than they want us to know.

Cheatle steps down

Following a horrendous testimony to the House Oversight Committee Director Cheatle finally stepped down from her position ten days after the assassination attempt. Cheatle failed to give any meaningful answer to the barrage of questions she faced from the committee. These questions, coming from both Republicans and Democrats, were often regarding basic information that Cheatle should have had hours after the shooting, yet Cheatle struggled with each and every one. Glenn pointed out that Director Cheatle's resignation should not signal the end of the investigation, the American people deserve to know what happened.

What we DO and DON'T know about Thomas Matthew Crooks

Jim Vondruska / Stringer | Getty Images

It has been over a week since 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks narrowly failed to assassinate President Trump while the president gave a speech at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennslyvania. Despite the ongoing investigations, we still know very little about the would-be assassin, which has left many wondering if the agencies involved are limiting the information that Congress and the public are receiving.

As Glenn has pointed out, there are still major questions about the shooter that are unanswered, and the American people are left at the whim of unreliable federal agencies. Here is everything we know—and everything we don't know—about Thomas Matthew Crooks:

Who was he?

What we know:Thomas Crooks lived in Bethel Parks, Pennsylvania, approximately an hour south of Butler. Crooks went to high school in Bethel Parks, where he would graduate in 2022. Teachers and classmates described him as a loner and as nerdy, but generally nice, friendly, and intelligent. Crooks tried out for the school rifle team but was rejected due to his poor aim, and reports indicate that Crooks was often bullied for his nerdy demeanor and for wearing camo hunting gear to school.

After high school, Crooks began work at Bethel Park Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center as a dietary aide. In fact, he was scheduled to work on the day of the rally but requested the day off. He passed a background check to work at the facility and was reportedly an unproblematic employee. Crooks was also a member of a local gun club where he practiced shooting the day before the rally.

It was recently revealed that sometime before his attempted assassination, Crooks posted the following message on Steam, a popular computer application used for playing video games: "July 13 will be my premiere, watch as it unfolds." Aside from this, Crooks posted no warning or manifesto regarding his attack, and little other relevant information is known about him.

What we don't know:It is unclear what Crook's political affiliations or views were, or if he was aligned with any extremist organizations. Crooks was a registered Republican, and his classmates recall him defending conservative ideas and viewpoints in class. On the other hand, the Federal Election Commission has revealed he donated to a progressive PAC on the day Biden was inaugurated. He also reportedly wore a COVID mask to school much longer than was required.

Clearly, we are missing the full picture. Why would a Republican attempt to assassinate the Republican presidential nominee? What is to gain? And why would he donate to a progressive organization as a conservative? This doesn't add up, and so far the federal agencies investigating the attack have yet to reveal anything more.

What were his goals?

What we know: Obviously we know he was trying to assassinate President Trump—and came very close to succeeding, but beyond that, Crooks' goals are unknown. He left no manifesto or any sort of written motive behind, or if he did, the authorities haven't published it yet. We have frustratingly little to go off of.

What we don't know: As stated before, we don't know anything about the movies behind Crooks' heinous actions. We are left with disjointed pieces that make it difficult to paint a cohesive picture of this man. There is also the matter that he left explosives, ammo, and a bulletproof vest in his car. Why? Did he assume he was going to make it back to his car? Or were those supplies meant for an accomplice that never showed up?

The shocking lack of information on Crooks' motives makes it seem likely that we are not being let on to the whole truth.

Did he work alone?

What we know: Reportedly, Crooks was the only gunman on the site, and as of now, no other suspects have been identified. The rifle used during the assassination attempt was purchased and registered by Crooks' father. However, it is unlikely that the father was involved as he reported both his son and rifle missing the night of the assassination attempt. Crooks' former classmates described him as a "loner," which seems to corroborate the narrative that he worked alone.

What we don't know: We know how Crooks acquired his rifle, but what about the rest of his equipment? He reportedly had nearly a hundred extra rounds of ammunition, a bulletproof vest, and several homemade bombs in his car. Could these have been meant for a co-conspirator who didn't show? Did Crooks acquire all of this equipment himself, or did he have help?

There's also the matter of the message Crooks left on the video game platform Steam that served as his only warning of the attack. Who was the message for? Are there people out there who were aware of the attack before it occurred? Why didn't they alert authorities?

We know authorities have access to Crooks' laptop and cellphone that probably contain the answers to these pertinent questions. Why haven't we heard any clarity from the authorities? It seems we are again at the mercy of the federal bureaucracy, which begs one more question: Will we ever know the whole truth?

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