Convert To Islamist Jihad : Truth and Consequences

"Mr. Marquez conspired with Mr. Farook to commit vicious attacks, as set forth in today’s charges."
"Even though these plans were not carried out, Mr. Marquez’s criminal conduct deeply affected San Bernardino County, Southern California and the entire United States when the guns purchased by Marquez were used to kill 14 innocent people and wound many others."
United States attorney, Eileen M. Decker

"Marquez spent most of his time at Farook’s residence, where he read, listened to lectures and watched videos involving radical Islamic content."
F.B.I. agent, Joel T. Anderson

"My life turned ridiculous. Involved in terrorist plots, drugs, antisocial behavior, marriage, might go to prison for fraud [marriage fraud; immigration charges], etc."

"My neighbor. He did the San Bernardino shooting. [Mr. Farook] used my gun in the shooting, they can trace all the guns back to me."

Enrique Marquez, Jr.

The reverberations from the December 2 San Bernardino, California attacks that left 14 people dead at a workplace holiday conference put the spotlight on a long-time neighbour of Syed Rizwan Farook. Syed Farook performed two of the most basic Islamic requirements for the faithful in Islam; he helped to convert a non-Muslim to Islam, and he indoctrinated him in the same strain of jihad that he had himself adopted.

Enrique Marquez Jr. was obviously a malleable teen looking for a close friend and mentor and he found that person in the older teen that Syed Farook was at the time he moved to Riverside, California in 2005. Radical Islamic ideology led them to share plans to stage attacks that would distinguish them as genuine jihadis; one born to the way of jihad, the other a convert who was readily manipulated by a schemer who rejected the values of the West.

The two watching videos together, reading the al-Qaeda online magazine Inspire, and being inspired to plan their own attacks in southern California; how much more exciting could life get for two young men? Enrique Marquez informed investigators of the decision that he would be the one to buy the pair of AR-15 rifles because his appearance would not arouse the suspicion that Farook's would.

And with the rifles as backup they would bomb a library, fire rounds on a freeway; whatever would be guaranteed to result in the most casualties. "Farook planned to move among the stopped vehicles, shooting his rifle into them, and killing people. [Mr. Marquez was to shoot motorists and emergency medical workers arriving on the scene, and] according to Marquez, his priority was to shoot law enforcement personnel before shooting lifesaving personnel", a statement tabled by agent Anderson said.

In the hours after the San Bernardino shootings, Marquez called 911 to tell the person at the other end he was on the verge of suicide because a neighbour had taken the firearms owned by him and used them in the commission of a crime. "He used your gun?", said the operator after asking "Why do you feel like you want to kill yourself?" "Yes. Oh my God", Marquez affirmed, before heading out to sign himself in to a mental institution.

But his voluntary and likely enthusiastic interaction with his friend where they both avidly read Inspire magazine to learn how to make bombs, led him to figure out how to make a detonation device with the use of Christmas lights. And in 2012 he bought the smokeless power used by Mr. Farook to build pipe bombs. Accessory to the crime of multiple murders at Inland Regional Center?