Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Afghan-Born Man Charged with Jihad Conspiracy in Massachusetts

FOX News report here and local Boston news station coverage here. The story is still developing so there is plenty more to read.

I know this area well. He lived in a suburban, upscale neighborhood less than 5 miles from an large Islamic Center of Boston property, and about 10 miles from the Islamic Center of Burlington, which is located at the edge of a major shopping mall.

He is a citizen, and his father is a professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in Boston.

Mass. Man Charged With Alleged Terror Plot to Attack U.S. Shopping Malls
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

A 27-year-old Massachusetts man has been charged with conspiring with others to support and plan violent jihad in and outside the United States, including terror plots to attack U.S. shopping malls and U.S. military in Iraq.

Federal officials in Boston say Tarek Mehanna of Sudbury worked with others from 2001 to May of 2008 to provide support and resources in a conspiracy to "kill, kidnap, main or injure" people in foreign countries and to kill prominent U.S. politicians.

Mehanna was charged in a complaint with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, according to the Department of Justice. The complaint further alleges that the co-conspirators attempted to radicalize others and inspire each other by, among other things, watching and distributing jihadi videos.

The charges accuse the suspects of talking about their desire to participate in Islamist holy war and of their desire to die on the battlefield.The case comes less than a month after an Afghan-born man, Najibullah Zazi, was accused of plotting a bomb attack against the United States.

Federal prosecutors say Mehanna and his conspirators planned the logistics of a mall attack — including the possibility of attacking emergency responders. However, authorities say the plot was not carried out because they could not get automatic weapons.

4 comments:

revereridesagain said...

Well, he had been arrested last year and now they have the charges nailed down in sufficient detail to arrest him again. His father is a professor at the pharmacy college and the house looks to be worth I'd say at least 1/2 to 3/4 of a million dollars. I'd like to know where these people went to "worship" -- was it the ISB center down the road in Wayland? Did these young men spend any time over at the Islamic Center of Burlington, which is literally across the street from a very major mall in the area?

Epaminondas said...

I read they were going to blow up the Taco joint at the north shore mall and then head over to Borders

revereridesagain said...

Ha. First place, they would never find their way out of the North Shore Mall, it's like a maze in there.

Then they have to get across Rte. 114 alive and without getting nailed by the cops whilst pushing the WALK button in their little jihadist mall-bomber getups.

Then they have to get by the "greeter" at the Borders doors who will spend 10 minutes trying to sell them that month's 2 "make books" and the new Dan Brown.

Much better plan: Send them to Salem, MA, on Hallowe'en night around 9:30 when the drunk teenage boys start getting off the train from Boston by the thousands. They'll blend right in.

Epaminondas said...

Actually they are aggravated about the prices at the light sale at Restoration Hardware.

This is the beginning of consumer terrorism!