REVEALED: San Bernardino terrorist Tashfeen Malik openly supported violent jihad on social media yet still passed THREE background checks to gain entry into America
- Malik said she supported violent jihad and that she desired to take part in it
- If officials found Malik's messages, her visa likely would have been denied
- Screened by Homeland Security and State Department after entering US
- Three national security and criminal background checks didn't find posts
- Malik and husband Syed Farook killed 14 people earlier this month after passing through customs in July 2014 and getting married the next month
If US officials had seen Tashfeen Malik's social media accounts, they wouldn't have approved her visa
San Bernardino shooter Tashfeen Malik, 29, underwent three background checks and had her K-1 fiancee visa approved even though she openly posted about committing violent jihad on social media.
Malik and husband Syed Farook killed 14 people earlier this month after passing through customs at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in July 2014 and getting married the following month.
If US officials had discovered the messages Malik posted before she applied for her visa from Pakistan last year, red flags would have gone up and she likely would not have been approved for entry.
Malik was screened by Homeland Security officials then the State Department before she entered the US and then faced a third screening after applying for a green card, the NY Times reported.
The trio of national security and criminal background screenings failed to find old postings on social media where Malik said that she supported violent jihad and that she desired to take part in it.
Her sister also made inflammatory comments on social media.
On the 10th anniversary in 2011 of the 9/11 attacks she wrote an anti-American remark next to a Facebook photo of a plane crashing into the World Trade Center.
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Malik and husband Syed Farook went through customs at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport in July 2014
Farook and Malik had a cache of weapons and ammunition when they carried out the attack that killed 14
The discovery of the postings has exposed an area law enforcement and immigration officials usually don't investigate and has prompted the Obama administration to review the K-1 process.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Thursday: 'Somebody entered the United States through the K-1 visa program and proceeded to carry out an act of terrorism on American soil.
'That program is at a minimum worth a very close look.'
Immigration officials may stop accepting new K-1 applications while the process is being reviewed and they are also looking into around 90,000 K-1 visas that have been issued in the past two years.
Homeland Security scrutinizes some applicants more than others and since Malik was a woman coming to the US to marry instead of a male scientist coming to work, she likely drew less attention.
The screening process focuses on safety and security, but it has to balance those concerns with making sure that foreigners can get into the country in order to support business and tourism.
C Stewart Verdery, a senior Homeland Security official under George W Bush, said: 'We run people against watch lists and that's how we decided if they get extra screening.
'In cases where those lists don't hit, there's nothing that distinguishes them from people we would love to welcome to this country.'
He said the department has 'moved the needle very far to the right on security' in the past 15 years.
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