Bombing suspect’s father told police his son was a terrorist in 2014: report

The father of bombing suspect Ahmad Khan Rahami told New Jersey police that his son was a terrorist in 2014, according to a new report.

{mosads}Rahami was arrested during a domestic dispute and accused of stabbing his brother, The New York Times reported, at which point his father Mohammad told police that Rahami was a terrorist.

New Jersey police then relayed the claims to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Newark. Officers responded by opening an assessment, the most basic FBI investigation. It’s not clear if Rahami was ever interviewed by the FBI.

Mohammad Rahami ultimately recanted his accusations during subsequent interviews with FBI agents, The New York Times reported, and an official said Rahami made the claims out of anger at his son.

The FBI on Tuesday said its scrutiny of Ahmad Khan Rahami over two years ago did not uncover any links to extremism.

“In August 2014, the FBI initiated an assessment of Ahmad Rahami based on comments made by his father after a domestic dispute that were subsequently reported to authorities,” the agency told The Hill in an emailed statement.

“The FBI conducted internal database reviews, interagency checks, and multiple interviews, none of which revealed ties to terrorism.”

Ahmad Khan Rahami spent over three months in jail over charges from the domestic dispute, but a grand jury eventually decided not to indict him.

A manhunt for Rahami began over the weekend after homemade bombs exploded in New York and New Jersey and several more were discovered before they detonated.

An explosive first detonated along a charity race route Saturday in Seaside Park, N.J.

A second blast later that evening occurred in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood, injuring 29. Another explosive was found nearby, and multiple bombs were discovered in a backpack in Elizabeth, N.J.

Rahami was taken into custody Monday and is now facing five charges of attempted murder following a shootout with police in Linden, N.J.

One officer was shot in the vest and another was wounded in the hand.

Last weekend’s attacks have sparked fears of future homegrown terrorism or plots orchestrated from overseas.

Mohammad Rahami told reporters Tuesday his son is not a terrorist.

“No,” he said outside his family’s restaurant in Elizabeth when asked if his son has engaged in extremism, according to the Times. “And the FBI, they know that.”

— Updated at 3:48 p.m.