This Homeland Security adviser role-plays as a terrorist to get inside the mind of jihadists

Frank Wuco has an unusual way of getting into the mind of a terrorist: He sports a keffiyeh scarf, fakes an Arab accent, and impersonates a jihadist in video blogs, on radio shows, and in live speeches.

Now, he's the Department of Homeland Security's White House senior adviser.

Wuco started at DHS when President Trump entered the White House in January. Since April, he's led the Executive Order Task Force, which is charged with "implementing the president's executive orders," per a DHS employee list obtained by Mother Jones. He has 23 years of experience in naval intelligence, and most recently served as an adviser to U.S. Central Command under former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

That's where "Fuad Wasul" came in, Mother Jones reported:

Wuco said he gave himself training sessions like what a jihadist recruit would experience, Mother Jones reported. Then he created his alter ego Wasul, a fictional terrorist released from prison to teach the U.S. about jihad. Since then, he's advised thousands of military officials and other citizens through video shows and speeches.

Wuco also hosted a radio segment called "Ask the Jihadist" as Wasul, and would often switch back to being Wuco to criticize something his terrorist persona had said. He's also discussed terrorism on Breitbart and Fox News.

You can read more about Wuco's interesting credentials at Mother Jones.