Orlando shooter's father is running for president of Afghanistan, has backed the Taliban, hosts talk show in California and visits the corridors of power in DC
PUBLISHED: 14:46 EST, 12 June 2016 | UPDATED: 12:16 EST, 13 June 2016
Mass shooter Omar Mateen’s father Seddique Mateen recently visited Congress, the State Department and met political leaders during a trip to Washington, DC.
Mateen, who made the trip in April, is seen in social media posts posing in front of the State Department and Democratic Foreign Services Committee offices.
The Afghanistan native, who also regularly writes open letters to President Barack Obama, has expressed gratitude Afghan Taliban who hosts the Durand Jirga Show on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California.
Reporter asks shooter's father about pro-Taliban statements
+18
+18Mass shooter Omar Mateen’s father Seddique Mateen visited Congress, the State Department and met political leaders during a trip to Washington, DC, in April
+18
Mateen, pictured above in front of US Rep for South Carolina Mark Sanford in Washington, DC, has made more than one trip to the nation's capital
+18
Mateen also attending a hearing for Afghanistan security in Washington, DC, in March (pictured above)
Photo captions from his DC trip describe meetings with the Foreign Relations Committee and a trip to a hearing for Afghanistan security, according to the Independent Journal.
Pictures from 2015 show Mateen meeting Reps Charlie Rangel, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce. Royce is the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Dozens of videos are posted under Mateen’s name on YouTube, where he speaks on a range of political subjects in the Dari language.
One video shows him declaring his candidacy for the Afghan presidency.
Posts include topics such as 'Rise Afghan people against Pakistan' and 'Intelligent service and Military of Pakistan real Enemy of the USA (sic)'.
In one video the elder Mateen holds up a sign that reads: 'ISI Pakistan and Military is Destroying 14 years of US work in Afghanistan to cut AID to killers'.
+18
Seddique Mateen, (pictured) the father of mass shooter Omar Mateen, who opened fire at a Florida nightclub killing 49 people, is a strong supporter of the Afghan Taliban
+18
Mateen posts open letters to President Barack Obama on Facebook, primarily focusing on Pakistan and Afghanistan
+18
Seddique Mateen is an Afghan man and also hosts the Durand Jirga Show on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California. Pictured: Mateen (left) holds up a sign to camera
+18
+18On a Facebook page associated with Mateen , he has posted a video of himself in army camouflage where he appears to be pretending he is the president of Afghanistan
+18
Another photo from his Facebook page shows Mateen wearing Army fatigues while saluting and holding a flag
And in another, he tells the camera: 'Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in [the] Taliban movement and national Afghan Taliban are rising up.
'Inshallah the Durand Line issue will be solved soon', according to a translation by The Washington Post.
He is also filmed expressing gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.
Only hours before the massacre in Orlando, Seddique posted a video called Provisional Government of Afghanistan on a Facebook page, which he describes as 'social activity for communities to develop a good relationship'.
The video is of himself dressed in army camouflage, where he appears to be pretending he is the president of Afghanistan, and orders the arrest of several high profile Afghan figures
Mateen is pictured above with US Rep for California Ed Royce (left) and US Rep for California Dana Rohrabacher (right)
+18
Mateen is pictured above with US Representative for New York Charlie Rangel in an undated photograph
- Seddique Mateen is the father of mass shooter Omar Mateen, 29
- Mateen Snr is an Afghan man who hosts the Durand Jirga Show
- The show is aired on YouTube channel Payam-e-Afghan, from California
- He visited Congress, the State Department and met political leaders during a trip to Washington, DC, in April
- He also attended a hearing on Afghanistan security while in the capital
- Pictures from 2015 show Mateen meeting Reps Charlie Rangel, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce
- Police seen searching his home, located close to where his son lived
- See more Orlando shooting news at www.dailymail.co.uk/orlandoshooting
PUBLISHED: 14:46 EST, 12 June 2016 | UPDATED: 12:16 EST, 13 June 2016
Mass shooter Omar Mateen’s father Seddique Mateen recently visited Congress, the State Department and met political leaders during a trip to Washington, DC.
Mateen, who made the trip in April, is seen in social media posts posing in front of the State Department and Democratic Foreign Services Committee offices.
The Afghanistan native, who also regularly writes open letters to President Barack Obama, has expressed gratitude Afghan Taliban who hosts the Durand Jirga Show on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California.
Reporter asks shooter's father about pro-Taliban statements
Need Text
+18
+18
+18
Mateen, pictured above in front of US Rep for South Carolina Mark Sanford in Washington, DC, has made more than one trip to the nation's capital
+18
Mateen also attending a hearing for Afghanistan security in Washington, DC, in March (pictured above)
Photo captions from his DC trip describe meetings with the Foreign Relations Committee and a trip to a hearing for Afghanistan security, according to the Independent Journal.
Pictures from 2015 show Mateen meeting Reps Charlie Rangel, Dana Rohrabacher and Ed Royce. Royce is the Chairman of the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Dozens of videos are posted under Mateen’s name on YouTube, where he speaks on a range of political subjects in the Dari language.
One video shows him declaring his candidacy for the Afghan presidency.
Posts include topics such as 'Rise Afghan people against Pakistan' and 'Intelligent service and Military of Pakistan real Enemy of the USA (sic)'.
In one video the elder Mateen holds up a sign that reads: 'ISI Pakistan and Military is Destroying 14 years of US work in Afghanistan to cut AID to killers'.
+18
Seddique Mateen, (pictured) the father of mass shooter Omar Mateen, who opened fire at a Florida nightclub killing 49 people, is a strong supporter of the Afghan Taliban
+18
Mateen posts open letters to President Barack Obama on Facebook, primarily focusing on Pakistan and Afghanistan
+18
Seddique Mateen is an Afghan man and also hosts the Durand Jirga Show on a channel called Payam-e-Afghan, which broadcasts from California. Pictured: Mateen (left) holds up a sign to camera
+18
+18
+18
Another photo from his Facebook page shows Mateen wearing Army fatigues while saluting and holding a flag
And in another, he tells the camera: 'Our brothers in Waziristan, our warrior brothers in [the] Taliban movement and national Afghan Taliban are rising up.
'Inshallah the Durand Line issue will be solved soon', according to a translation by The Washington Post.
He is also filmed expressing gratitude toward the Afghan Taliban, while denouncing the Pakistani government.
Only hours before the massacre in Orlando, Seddique posted a video called Provisional Government of Afghanistan on a Facebook page, which he describes as 'social activity for communities to develop a good relationship'.
The video is of himself dressed in army camouflage, where he appears to be pretending he is the president of Afghanistan, and orders the arrest of several high profile Afghan figures
Mateen is pictured above with US Rep for California Ed Royce (left) and US Rep for California Dana Rohrabacher (right)
+18
Mateen is pictured above with US Representative for New York Charlie Rangel in an undated photograph