Kellyanne Conway, a top aide to President Donald Trump, cited the 2011 “Bowling Green massacre” to defend the president’s travel ban – a “massacre” that actually never happened.
In an interview with MSNBC’s Chris Matthews which aired Thursday night, Conway was pressed about Trump’s executive order to temporarily ban immigration and restrict travel from seven Muslim-based countries last week.
Conway cited former President Barack Obama and a “massacre” in defending Trump’s travel ban.
“I bet there was very little coverage, I bet it’s brand new information to people that President Obama had a six-month ban on the Iraqi refugee program after two Iraqis came here to this country, were radicalized, and they were the masterminds between the Bowling Green massacre. Most people don’t know that because it didn’t get covered,” Conway said in the interview.
Problem is, Obama never ordered a “ban” on refugees from Iraq and there is no such event as “Bowling Green massacre.” It never happened.
Conway may have been alluding to the 2011 arrests of two Iraqi citizens who lived in Bowling Green, Kentucky and were charged with terrorism-related offences.
Waad Ramadan Alwan and Mohanad Shareef Hammadi were sentenced in January 2013, for attempting to send money and weapons to Al-Qaeda in Iraq “for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers.”
According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), both men admitted to using improvised explosive devices against U.S. soldiers while they were living in Iraq.
Hammadi, who was 25 at the time of sentencing, was handed a life term in federal prison while Alwan, who was 31 at the time, was sentenced to 40 years followed by a life term of supervised release.
Both men pleaded guilty to terrorism charges.
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“These two former Iraqi insurgents participated in terrorist activities overseas and attempted to continue providing material support to terrorists while they lived here in the United States. With today’s sentences, both men are being held accountable,” Assistant Attorney General Monaco said in the 2013 statement.
The DOJ said both admitted to the FBI “to participation in the purported material support operations in Kentucky, and both provided the FBI details of their prior involvement in insurgent activities while living in Iraq.”
In a series of tweets Friday morning, Conway said she made a mistake during the interview.
“I meant to say ‘Bowling Green terrorists,’ Conway tweeted.
“NBC reporter texted me at 632am re:a diff story; never asked what I meant on @Hardball b4 slamming me on @TODAYshow Not cool,not journalism,” Conaway tweeted.
After Conway’s comments, social media roasted Trump’s aide for referencing the “Bowling Green massacre” that never happened.