Mosque in Missouri Burns to Ground, One Month After Arson Attack

NBC NEWS
By Kari Huus

MISSOURI---A mosque in Joplin, Mo. that was the target of an apparent arson attack a month ago burned to the ground on Monday. About 30 federal investigators from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms were working with local officials to determine whether Monday's fire at the Islamic Society of Joplin was arson. It will take a few days to determine the cause of the blaze, officials said at a news conference Monday afternoon. "If this fire is determined to be deliberate in nature it will be investigated to the fullest extent possible," said FBI Special Agent in Charge Michael Kaste. "Any act of violence to a house of worship is taken very seriously by law enforcement and threatens the very core of the safety and security that our communities enjoy." [link]