Ex-Marine cites Trump’s Jerusalem decision in planned ISIS attack on Christmas: FBI

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The Islamic State claims pre-Christmas suicide bombing of Pakistan church
Video provided by AFP
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A former U.S. Marine and expert marksman was charged Friday in a foiled ISIS-inspired attack planned for Christmas on San Francisco’s Pier 39, according to federal court documents. 

Everitt Aaron Jameson, a Muslim convert living in Modesto, Calif., cited President Trump’s decision to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel as one of his reasons behind the plot on the famed pier, which the FBI says would have included explosives and guns. 

Jameson first attracted FBI attention after the agency received a tip that he’d been interacting with Facebook posts praising the Islamic State, including one showing an image of Santa Claus in New York and a box of dynamite with the words, “We meet at Christmas in New York…soon,” a federal affidavit states. 

An undercover FBI agent talked with Jameson over the Internet. They eventually met in person and talked about Jameson possibly traveling overseas to fight for ISIS or initiating an attack in the U.S., a criminal complaint states. 

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More: Backlash, protests continue over Trump’s Jerusalem decision

Court documents show Jameson told the undercover agent he was “well versed” in the Anarchist Cookbook, a book detailing the construction of explosives. 

The agent told him “to go home and think about what he was saying,” the documents say, but Jameson instead said he was ready and wanted to do something similar to recent attacks in New York and San Bernardino, Calif.

Jameson told the agent he wanted to place explosives on Pier 39 and use them to corral people toward a location where he could continue killing. He said Christmas at the tourist attraction “was the perfect day to commit the attack,” according to the federal court documents. 

He said he didn’t need an escape plan because he “was ready to die,” the affidavit states. 

The agent asked, according to the complaint, whether he could help get any supplies for Jameson, to which he replied that he’d need a rifle, ammunition, powder, tubing, nails and remote detonators. 

Two days after their meeting, an FBI employee “mistakenly” called Jameson using a Washington, D.C., phone number but hung up when Jameson answered the phone in Arabic. 

Jameson called back and got the employee’s voicemail, federal court documents show.  

Later that night, according to his arrest report, Jameson told the undercover agent he couldn’t talk and “I also don’t think I can do this after all. I’ve reconsidered.”

Jameson was then arrested and the FBI got search warrants for his home.

Jameson left behind a signed letter citing Trump’s decision to name Jerusalem the capital of Israel as one of his reasons behind the planned attack, court documents state. 

Jameson also wrote, “long live ISIL” and said others will continue to attack because “we have penetrated and infiltrated your disgusting country.” 

Trump’s Jerusalem decision, which led to violence and several deaths across the Middle East, was repudiated by the United Nations Thursday. The U.N. instead called for the future of Jerusalem to be decided through negotiations between Israel and Palestine, which also sees the city as its capital. 

Authorities found three firearms and ammunition in his home, court records show. 

Jameson faces a charge of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. 

Follow Christal Hayes on Twitter: @Journo_Christal

 

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Papa John’s CEO, pizza titan John Schnatter, steps down

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John Schnatter is leaving as CEO of Papa John’s Pizza. No reason was given for Schnatter’s decision, but he recently faced criticism for blaming protesting NFL players for slumping pizza sales.
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Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter, who overcame the odds to build his home-delivery pizza chain into a national powerhouse against entrenched rivals, is stepping down.

Schnatter, who founded the pizza chain in 1984, will remain as chairman of the board. No immediate reason was given for his decision, which takes effect Jan. 1. He is being replaced CEO is company President Steve Ritchie.

As the founder, Schnatter has been one of the biggest names in fast food. But he recently ran into controversy when he blamed NFL players’ mass move to drop to one knee during the playing of the national anthem as affecting his company’s sales.

Schnatter has been one of the last CEOs who also act as their brand’s advertising pitchman, a list that once included Col. Harland Sanders for Kentucky Fried Chicken and Dave Thomas of Wendy’s. By stressing that Papa John’s had better ingredients and a better tasting product, he was able to turn the burgeoning chain into a national force against giants like Domino’s Pizza and Pizza Hut.

Papa John’s, which lays claim to being the nation’s third-largest pizza chain, could not be reached immediately for comment. 

The company, which has more than 5,000 locations worldwide, said in a statement that Schnatter will continue to “pursue his personal passion for entrepreneurship, leadership development and education.”

But his impending title change caught restaurant industry watchers by surprise.

“At the very least, it was distracting and I’m wondering whether this was board-driven or if it was John’s choice,” said restaurant consultant John Gordon of the Pacific Management Consulting Group.

CFRA equity analyst Efraim Levy said he had anticipated a shift was coming soon in the company.

“I see mostly strategic continuity, but I expect Steve Ritchie to also put his own imprint” on Papa John’s,” he said.

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Louisville-based Papa John’s is the official pizza sponsor of the National Football League, which Schnatter slammed in November for not dealing with players who’ve been kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner to protest racial injustice. The movement began with then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in 2016.

“The NFL has been a long and valued partner over the years. But we’re certainly disappointed that the NFL and its leadership did not resolve the ongoing situation to the satisfaction of all parties long ago,” Schnatter said during a Nov. 1 analyst call. “This should’ve been nipped in the bud a year-and-a-half ago.”

On Nov. 14, the company sent out an I’m-sorry tweet: ”The statements made on our earnings call were describing the factors that impact our business and we sincerely apologize to anyone that thought they were divisive.”

Schnatter isn’t the first founder to step away recently from CEO duties at the company he built from scratch. Last month, Chipotle Mexican Grill CEO Steve Ells would become executive chairman and Panera Bread’s Ron Shaich announced that he would step down, but retain his position as board chairman.

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Pizza and beer is a pretty iconic combination, and one pizza chain is now testing out delivering both to your door. Josh King has the story (@abridgetoland).
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And Schnatter himself has said goodbye to the CEO gig before. He stepped down in 2005, but returned in 2008. In 2010, he took on a co-CEO, Jude Thompson, but that arrangement ended the following year.

Now Papa John’s may decide to find a new pitchman besides Schnatter.

“He’s in every ad,” Gordon said. “That’s very CEO-centric marketing, which is pretty unusual these days. We’ll see if he steps back from that.”

He added, “He and/or the board see the need to get him out of the line on fire and to continue his involvement in a less visible way.”

Papa John’s stock closed at $59.23, down 2 cents or 0.03% on Thursday.The CEO announcement was made after the market has closed.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Zlati Meyer on Twitter: @ZlatiMeyer

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