Congressman: Social Media Screening Could Have Stopped Bombings

Press Release

Bombings in New Jersey and New York City might have been prevented had Homeland Security officials vetted social media accounts held by the perpetrator before he immigrated to the United States, according to a Republican congressman who has unsuccessfully pushed for legislation to require the screening.

"Terrorists are using the digital battlefield to their advantage, and we're one step behind," Florida Rep. Vern Buchanan said Monday, referring to Ahmad Khan Rahami, the 28-year-old man suspected of planting bombs in Manhattan and New Jersey

The remarks threaten to reignite a debate over whether the Obama administration allowed officials to engage in adequate screening of visa applicants.

Reports have indicated that Rahami, who came to the United States as an Afghani immigrant in 2011, kept journals and other material on social media praising Anwar Awlaki, a top al Qaeda leader, the Islamic State and past terrorist attacks including the Boston Marathon bombings and the Fort Hood shooting.

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