Southeast
Bahamas resort refutes American cruise ship passengers' sex attack warning
A Bahamian resort has said two American women’s allegations of drug-laced cocktails and sexual assaults “conflict” with its 16 “time-stamped surveillance videos.”
Amber Shearer and Dongayla Dobson, lifelong friends from Kentucky, were enjoying a kid-free vacation when they stopped on Grand Bahama Island during a Carnival cruise.
They said they felt woozy after a couple of sips of their drinks, lost consciousness and were sexually assaulted by resort employees, according to news outlets and their own posts on social media. They tested positive for high levels of drugs.
The resort, Pirate’s Cove in Freeport, Bahamas, said in a statement the “lengthy videos of all concerned” were handed over to local police. The FBI is also part of the investigation.
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The resort did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for more information or answer follow-up questions about what resort officials saw on their cameras that “conflict” with the women’s allegations.
“We regret that our guests experienced this incident, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to aid police in the collection of evidence in response to these allegations, including providing police access to video where the assault of the two guests allegedly occurred,” the resort said in its statement.
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The Freeport resort said it called law enforcement and medical personnel and took “swift” action by firing the two resort employees for violating resort policy.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for fraternizing with guests or behaving in a manner that is unsafe,” the resort’s statement says.
“While there is an active police investigation into these serious allegations, we have terminated the employment of the two accused, as the behavior seen on tape by management indicates that, at a minimum, they violated our zero-tolerance policy.”
“Local authorities and paramedics were called to the scene and Pirates Cove management assisted in identifying and locating the two alleged suspects,” the Freeport resort’s statement goes on to say. “In addition, after the police concluded their initial investigation, we assisted in transporting the women back to their cruise ship after guests refused transportation to the hospital.”
The women have not responded to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. The FBI confirmed their involvement, but said the Royal Bahamas Police Force is the lead agency.
“Through the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Nassau, we have strong, established relationships and stand ready to assist in any way the Bahamian government may request,” the FBI said in an emailed statement. “We refer you to Royal Bahamas Police Force, which is leading the investigation, for any comment on this matter.”
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The Royal Bahama Police Force said in a Feb. 4 statement that they arrested two men – ages 54 and 40 – in connection with the alleged sexual assault. Their names were not released.
In a follow-up statement, the Royal Bahama Police Force told the Nassau Guardian that the women declined medical assistance and signed a waiver before leaving for their cruise ship “in a private vehicle.”
“Recognizing the gravity of the incident, our officers boarded the cruise ship, providing a sexual assault kit and hospital form to the ship’s medical doctor and obtained signed statements from the victims,” the statement says.
“Preliminary reports suggest the incident occurred shortly after noon at a central Grand Bahama beach. Upon learning of the incident, our officers immediately commenced investigations, leading to the arrest of two adult males, aged 54 and 40.”
Carnival Cruise Line said the two guests aboard the Carnival Elation reported the sexual assault that occurred on “an independent shore excursion,” according to the New York Post.
“Our onboard Care Team provided support for the two guests as they sailed back to Jacksonville,” the cruise company said.
War of words and 70% of Bahamian economy at stake
As the resort fights the women’s allegations with its own statement, the United States Department of State and the Bahamian government exchanged cutting barbs over the department’s level-two travel advisory warning because of rising levels of crime.
“The majority of crime occurs on New Providence (Nassau) and Grand Bahama (Freeport) islands,” according to the State Department’s late January warning, which mentioned spikes in violent crimes like armed robberies and sexual assaults because of gang activity.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis came out swinging by saying many tourism locations share the same level two designation.
“The incidents described in the January 2024 US Embassy crime alert do not reflect general safety in The Bahamas, a count of sixteen tourist destinations, and many more islands,” Davis said on Jan. 29, five days after the U.S. warning.
He said the Bahamian government “is alert, attentive and proactive to ensure that The Bahamas remains a safe and welcoming destination.”
Nearly the entire Bahamian economy is at stake when it comes to tourism, which accounts for approximately 70% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product and employs just over half of the workforce, according to an October 2022 report by the International Trade Administration.
The Bahamas was on track to welcome over 7 million American tourists by the end of 2023, according to the state department’s most recent Investment Climate Statement, which was released in 2023.
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Southeast
Biden 'glad' Sugar Bowl being played after New Orleans terror attack
President Biden sent a message to Americans before the Sugar Bowl between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish kicked off Thursday evening.
Biden’s message was broadcast on ESPN before the College Football Playoff quarterfinal.
He offered his prayers for the victims in the New Orleans terror attack that left several people dead and dozens more injured.
“Today all of America stands with the people of New Orleans,” Biden said. “We pray for those killed and injured in yesterday’s attack, and we’re grateful to the brave first responders who raced to save lives.”
Biden said he was happy the game was back on after it was moved from Wednesday night to Thursday evening as officials swept the city for explosives after the attack.
“I’m glad the game is back on for today, but I’m not surprised because the spirit of New Orleans can never be kept down. That’s also true of the spirit of America. We just have to remember who we are. We’re the United States of America,” he said.
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“There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we’re doing it together. God bless New Orleans, and God protect our troops.”
Fans flocked to the Superdome earlier in the day in preparation for the game. Authorities opened Bourbon Street hours before the game.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he was going to attend the game.
“Security is going to be tight,” he said in an appearance on “Fox & Friends.” “We have all confidence that we’re gonna put this game on. The Superdome is completely secure. Again, the FBI continues to pour resources into the state.”
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Southeast
More Islamist terror is coming. We are woefully unprepared
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Al Qaeda first attacked the World Trade Center in 1993 with a car bomb in the underground garage. Americans heard about the attack on the evening news and then went out to McDonald’s for a burger and fries.
It was like the 911 operator called us and we put them on hold. Less than ten years later, the 9/11 attacks left 3,000 Americans dead.
We can’t make the same mistake. Even with the limited evidence we have so far, we know we have experienced a deadly, major synchronized Islamist terror attack on U.S. soil designed to send a message and inflict as many bloody casualties as possible. There is no reason why they can’t try that or worse again.
For a lot of reasons, there is cause to believe we have set ourselves up for the next Islamist campaign against America. Here are four.
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First, ISIS and others are back. Biden’s humiliating withdrawal from Afghanistan reignited the hope that America really was the paper tiger that Usama Bin Laden claimed we were. He followed that with feckless policies in the Middle East and North Africa that gave both opportunities to rebuild and recruit and fed a global narrative that it was time to rise up and strike again.
Next, open borders are a death sentence. It doesn’t matter if the Vegas or New Orleans threats crossed over from Mexico or not. Biden has created an unprecedented vulnerability with porous borders and unlimited illegal migration that leaves us more vulnerable today than we were on 9/11. An unprecedented number of individuals on the terrorist watch list have entered the U.S. under the Biden presidency. This administration’s policies have handed the terrorists too many options.
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Third, we have demobilized our counterterrorism efforts. Pretty much every instrument we established since 9/11 has been diverted, distracted, disabled or dismissed under Biden. We all know Biden’s top priorities for intelligence and law enforcement. They include persecuting his political enemies; protecting his family; investigating misdemeanors committed on January 6; surveilling school board meetings; meeting diversity, equity and climate goals; suppressing free speech; and demonizing conservatives at every opportunity.
We didn’t just take our eyes off the ball. We walked off the court.
Finally, Russia, China, and Iran are not our friends. Every round of global terrorism has had some measure of state sponsorship or support. Today, we can expect no different.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION
Beijing, Tehran, and Moscow know that Trump is going to take his heavy hand off the Bible in a few weeks and lay a meaty fist on them. They will be scrambling for underhanded ways to push back. Terrorism will be one of them. In fact, they are already doing this. Russia contracted for terrorist attacks in Germany. China dumped Israel on October 7. Iran has put out hit contracts on Americans.
We didn’t just take our eyes off the ball. We walked off the court.
Because of this administration’s weakness, today’s terrorists don’t try to think “outside the box.” They already have more deadly toys than could fit in Santa’s sleigh. The attack in New Orleans demonstrated the use of common and proven terrorist tactics that we have seen plenty of in recent years from Europe to the Middle East to North Africa. The handbook of terrorist tools is tried and proven. We can expect more of the same.
Today’s terrorists, however, can and are already starting to draw on proven modern battlefield tactics, often using dual-use technology with civilian and military applications that are being innovated in places like Ukraine, the Middle East and North Africa. We have already seen, for example, attempted attacks on energy infrastructure and the use of drones. Just like the way car bombs and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) made their way from combat situations to terror attacks, other means to create murder and mayhem could soon be coming to a community near you.
How do we stop them? By using our counterterrorism capabilities the way they were intended—not the knee-jerk response of the Bush years or the measured indifference under Obama, but the sensible, practical, and responsible actions taken during Trump’s first term that took us from lights blinking red to giving ISIS lights out.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM JAMES CARAFANO
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Southeast
New Orleans attack: Inside Bourbon Street terrorist's Houston home
HOUSTON — New photos taken by Fox News Digital provide a look inside Bourbon Street killer Shamsud-Din Jabbar’s home in Houston.
Photos of the inside of Jabbar’s mobile home in a majority-Muslim neighborhood in north Houston revealed multiple copies of the Quran, a book on Christianity and a book about teaching children about Islam.
Jabbar, 42, rammed a white truck into a crowd full of New Year’s revelers in New Orleans on Wednesday around 3:15 a.m. He then began shooting at law enforcement officers, who returned fire, killing Jabbar on the scene. The rampage, which is being investigated as a terrorist attack, left 15 dead, including Jabbar, and more than 30 people injured.
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Jabbar, who served in the U.S. Army for 13 years, including one tour in Afghanistan, was flying an ISIS flag on his truck during the attack and was inspired by the Islamic state.
The FBI and a Houston SWAT team raided Jabbar’s home early Thursday morning. The team left the front door off its hinges and cracked open, revealing much of the house’s living room, kitchen and a glimpse of a bedroom.
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From outside the front porch, Jabbar’s living room could be seen left in a state of disarray by law enforcement officers who searched the home. A black suitcase lay strewn on the floor and a dart board and fake fireplace could be seen on the far side of the wall.
Next-door neighbors described Jabbar to Fox News Digital as a quiet, respectful neighbor who was devoted to his Islamic religion. A bookshelf sitting near the front door seems to back his religious devotion, containing several copies of the Quran and books about Islam as well as one about Christianity.
On the opposite side of the house, Jabbar had an elevated desk with a computer set up and a can of pepper spray, as well as several other items. A green, military-style backpack also lay near the kitchen.
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Jabbar was born and raised in Beaumont, Texas, and was living in a rented mobile home in Houston. The house is in a neighborhood among several other mobile homes and RVs, just about a seven-minute walk from the Masjid Bilal Mosque and Darul Arqam Islamic school.
Much of the neighborhood is in an extreme state of disrepair with dilapidated houses, parts of the road ripped up and trash and stray animals present throughout the street. Jabbar’s yard had several ducks and chickens wandering about and several goats were in another yard nearby.
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A next-door neighbor, who asked not to be identified, told Fox News Digital he had seen Jabbar loading up a white pickup truck on Tuesday outside his Houston home, the morning before the attack in New Orleans, where he rammed the truck into New Year’s revelers. The neighbor said he spoke with Jabbar, who told him he had gotten a job and was moving to Louisiana. The neighbor said he was under the impression Jabbar had gotten another job in information technology.
“He said he got the job that day in Louisiana,” the neighbor said, describing how Jabbar was loading “very light stuff, handheld stuff, not heavy stuff” into the truck.
“The morning he was moving, I asked him if he needed help moving out, as a neighbor, ‘Do you need any help for moving?’ He said, ‘I’m OK,’” the neighbor told Fox News Digital.
The neighbor expressed disbelief upon learning Jabbar was accused of the Bourbon Street bloodshed.
“Blow my mind, I was shocked, somebody seized the carpet under my feet, I was just like too shocked, unbelievable. ‘This really happened?’” the neighbor said. “Like I said, we still don’t believe, we still don’t believe that that’s the person, just there’s no way, it can’t be like that.”
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