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Press Releases

WASHINGTON –U.S. Senator John Boozman, Senator-elect Tom Cotton and Rep. Tim Griffin sent a letter today to the Secretary of the Army urging him to award the Purple Heart to victims of the June 2009 shooting at the Little Rock recruiting center - Privates William Long and Quinton Ezeagwula - based on criteria approved by Congress in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). 

Section 571 of the FY 2015 NDAA clarifies that an attack carried out by an individual will be considered an attack by a foreign terrorist organization (FTO) if the individual or entity was in communication with a FTO before the attack, and if the attack was inspired or motivated by a FTO. 

The members detail actions and statements by Abdulhakim Muhammad, the man who pled guilty to charges of capital murder and attempted capital murder for the shooting at a Little Rock military recruiting station, that meet the criteria established in NDAA. 

“Throughout his (2011) trial, Muhammad repeatedly admitted that he was a soldier in the cause of war—or jihad—against the United States and that he targeted Privates William Andrew Long and Quinton Ezeagwula because they wore the uniform of the U.S. Army.  Additionally, in 2007, Muhammad traveled to Yemen where, as he admitted, he consorted with known members of Al Qaeda including discussing attacks on American military personnel," members wrote in the letter. 

The members urged the Secretary to correct this wrong and award the Purple Heart to Private Quiton Ezeagwula and to the family of Private William Long. 

To read the letter click here.

 

 

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