U.S. expels Saudi cadets

Following an investigation into last month’s deadly shooting at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, the United States sent home 21 Saudi military students on Monday. The U.S. Department of Justice decided not to press charges against any of the trainees at this time.

How did the DOJ decide whom to expel? Of the 21 students, 17 had expressed jihadist or anti-American sentiments on social media, and 15 had “contact with child pornography,” U.S. Attorney General William Barr said. The Justice Department has not accused the students of any involvement or knowledge of Saudi Air Force officer Mohammed Alshamrani’s plan to carry out a mass shooting at the base on Dec. 6. The Pentagon reviewed its vetting procedures for international military students following the attack.

Dig deeper: Alshamrani killed three U.S. sailors and injured eight other people when he opened fire at the Florida base. Read my report in The Sift on the FBI’s investigation into the shooting, which it eventually deemed an act of terrorism.