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

Frank Wuco.
(Image credit: Screenshot/Vimeo/Larry Willette)

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.

Subscribe to The Week

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

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

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.

Explore More

Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.