About the jihadist character of the Beltway shootings, see here. An update on this story. "Beltway sniper alleged inspiration for terror suspect," by Laura Crimaldi and Laurel J. Sweet for the Boston Herald, October 21 (thanks to James):
The Sudbury man accused of terrorism - who still lives at home with his parents - wanted to gun down mall shoppers in a plot inspired by the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks, according to court records connected to today's arrest.The 27-year-old also aimed to kill two members of the executive branch of the government, records state.
But Tarek Mehanna, of 6 Fairhaven Circle, could never obtain the guns he desired to carry out his twisted attack.
Mehanna is accused of conspiring with Ahmad Abousamra and others to obtain the automatic weapons needed to carry out a shopping mall ambush in which they planned to open fire at random, said acting U.S. Attorney Michael K. Loucks. Their crimes allegedly took place between 2001 and 2008.
State Department of Early Education and Care licensing records show Mehanna's mother, Souad Mehanna, has held a license to run a home day-care center since Dec. 11, 1990. Her license allows for up to six children.
The mother spoke briefly to reporters this afternoon before climbing into a livery car outside her Sudbury home.
"He's the best son. He's the best guy. Very good heart," said Souad Mehanna.
Her son, a member of the Worcester Islamic Center in Shrewsbury, had been out on bail since December, when his parents, Souad and Ahmed Mehanna, put up the two-story family home as an $836,000 personal bond following his Nov. 10 federal arrest last year on charges of lying during a terrorism probe....
The mall plot was inspired by the 2002 Beltway sniper attacks and was hatched the second half of 2003, according to an affidavit signed by FBI Agent Heidi L. Williams.
Abousamra, Mehanna and a cooperating witness sought out Daniel Maldonado to provide the gun power for the attack, which would also target emergency responders. The cooperating witness traveled to New Hampshire to meet Maldonado, 31, who had gang contacts before converting to Islam. The plan was abandoned, however, because Maldonado could only provide handguns, and not the automatic weapons sought for the attack, the affidavit said.
Maldonado is serving 10 years in prison for receiving firearms and explosives training at an Islamic Courts Union camp in Somalia. Mehanna was charged last year with lying to FBI agents investigating Maldonado....
In 2004, Mehanna and Abousamra traveled to Yemen to seek jihad training. The men prepared for the trip by hiking, trimming their beards and watching jihad videos, including some from the Chechnyan jihad, the affidavit said.
Mehanna told a cooperating witness the trip was a "failure" because the people they were instructed to seek out were either on a pilgrimage to Mecca or in jail. Despite this, Mehanna told the informant he did not regret the trip because "it was the best two weeks of his life."...
The men are also accused of participating in violent jihad against American interests and their desire to die on the "battlefield."...
This guys is one lost dude. Come to America, give us your poor, your dispossessed, your hungry, the land of liberty... But for this dude it meant 'kill the kuffr' once here. It is time to take off the rosy glasses of multiculturalism and accept the inconvenient truth, that Islam is incompatible with American values. Restrict Muslim immigration now.
Earlier I wrote, This confused wanabe jihad Boston dude.. it seems even more pertinent:
"Forget the romance of the Arabian Nights, or mystique of Casablanca, or quaintness of Ishtar. Educate yourself of the real Islam with cold narrowed eyes, because this is the real enemy. Islam is an evil creed when seen in the cold light of day."
No one should rest because this clown couldn't find automatic weapons. With the proper tactics and easily obtained semi-automatic weapons, just about any bozo can wreak havoc like Mehanna planned. Do not let your awareness wane or your guard down.
http://www.spike.com/video/shopping-day/3266183
And, I understand a mother's love and all that, but is it just me who wants to bitch-slap Mehanna's mommy?
The link I posted above might be to just the short intro video on mall shooters. Search around the Spike TV site for the entire 42 minute version.
"He's the best son. He's the best guy. Very good heart," -Mom
The mind boggles.
"He's the best son. He's the best guy. Very good heart," -Mom
The mind boggles.
It is a small world.
Tarek Mehanna was a member of the Worcester Islamic Center in Shrewsbury, whose former spiritual leader was Muhammad Masood.
Muhammad Masood is the brother of Hafiz Saeed, the founder of Lashkar-e-Toiba, the group believed to be responsible for the Mumbai attacks.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/br0nc0s/managed-mt/mt-search.cgi?search=%22Lashkar-e-Toiba%22&IncludeBlogs=1&limit=20
From the article: - '"He's the best son. He's the best guy. Very good heart," said Souad Mehanna.'
You wrote - 'the mind boggles'.
It shouldn't. She's telling the truth as she sees it. He was 'the best son, the best guy'...Of course he was, for he was piously imitating Mohammed (only she knows the silly kafir don't know that that's the definition of 'best'). 'Very good heart'. Of course - only under her breath she adds, 'toward his fellow Muslims, just like it says in Surah 48: 29, 'those who follow him [Mohammed] are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another'. Al-wala we al-bara - loyalty [to Muslims only], enmity [toward non-Muslims].
In August 2008 Mr Spencer's friend and colleague, Raymond Ibrahim, author of The Al-Qaeda reader, posted a little article on the naivety of some inter-faith enthusiasts.
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2008/08/baptists-and-muslims-working-together-for-a-peaceful-world.html
At the bottom of the article he included this very useful link to an Islamic site which discusses al-wala we al-bara.
http://salafiyyah-jadeedah.tripod.com/wala_wal_bara/Alee_Imran.htm
ALL new non-Muslim readers today and in the future, who have not heard of that particular Islamic concept, should click on the link, and read.
You have monsters and a community that seeks to protect them.
"the attack, which would also target emergency responders"
The only feasible way to do this, it seems, would be the following scenario:
You have several Muslims in the shopping mall, let's say four. Two of them stand far apart and begin shooting people, as many as they can, knowing at some point they will be shot themselves. Among the crowd being shot are their other two Muslim accomplices, dressed in normal unremarkable clothing but in some color the shooters can easily spot. The shooters make sure not to shoot their accomplices. The accomplice Muslims immediately fall to the floor. The shooters are finally apprehended or shot dead. Emergency responders arrive. The accomplice Muslims who are lying on the floor among the dead whip out the rifles they had under their stomachs and start shooting as many emergency responders as they can before themselves being "martyred" for Satan.