21 military cadets from Saudi Arabia told to leave the U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – More than 20 military cadets from Saudi Arabia will have to leave the U.S. after investigators uncovered disturbing material linked to the students.

The information was discovered while investigators looked into a Saudi military student who opened fire at a Naval air station in Florida last December killing three sailors before he was killed.

More than a month after the shooting, Attorney General William Barr announced 21 Saudi military cadets are being expelled.

“17 had social media containing some jihadi or anti-American content,” Barr explained. “15 individuals—including some of the 17 just mentioned—had had some kind of contact with child pornography.”

Saudi authorities believe the material demonstrated conduct unbecoming of an officer and disenrolled the cadets.

The information was uncovered during the investigation into the December 6th shooting at the Pensacola Naval Air Station. Barr called the shooting an “act of terrorism.”

FBI Deputy Director David Bodich said, “Social media attributed to the shooter suggests he harbored anti-U.S. military and anti-Israel sentiments and that he thought violence was necessary to defend Muslim countries”

The investigation is not over. Two iPhones that belonged to the shooter were recovered but investigators now need help from Apple.

Attorney General Barr said, “We have asked Apple for their help in unlocking the shooter’s iPhones. So far, Apple has not given us any substantive assistance.”

The attorney general did not say if the government plans to take Apple to court to force the tech giant to cooperate.

 

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