A guest on CNN, billed as a “counterterrorism expert,” said Tuesday that he had reservations that the Orlando shooting should be classified as terrorism.
The guest, Philip Mudd, said more information is needed about the shooter’s mental health history.
“It’s not clear to me,” said Mudd, whose personal website identifies him as a former member of the CIA and FBI. “In many cases like this you can see a clear link between the shooter and a group like [the Islamic State] or al Qaeda and therefore we can jump to the conclusion that it was an act of terror. It’s not even clear to me in this case yet that we have an act of terror.”
Mudd referred to reports that the shooter, identified by authorities as Omar Mateen, frequented the gay club Pulse that he shot up and interviews from an ex-wife in which she said that he had physically abused her in the past.
“We’re suggesting as we debate the mental state of the individual — what his relationship was with an ex-wife he abused at one point, with his visits to the club before — we’re suggesting we understand the mental state of the subject well enough to be confident we know why he committed that act, and therefore to know he was a terrorist,” said Mudd. “I’m not confident.”
FBI Director James Comey, however, has said the investigation into the shooting revealed “strong indications of radicalization by this killer” who was likely at least partly influenced by outside influences.
“The reason for that is there are strong indications of radicalization by this killer, and of potential inspiration by foreign terrorist organizations,” he said.
It was also reported that Mateen had been listed on terror-watch lists and visited Saudi Arabia twice before being placed on the lists.
