Local media coverage of Tarek Mehanna, the Sudbury, MA "wannabe" terrorist,was extensive yesterday, covered on radio, TV and news websites, but it was rather limited in scope. The media stories focused on how shocked, shocked people were that an educated, affluent young Muslim was accused of planning to commit terrorist activities. And especially Tarek Mehanna, that gentle soul, his neighors and classmates couldn't believe that he wanted to wage jihad and kill kufirs (non-believers). The other angle frequently reported was that Tarek was an incompetent wannabe terrorist: he couldn't get his hands on good weapons, he was turned away by terrorist groups, he was a "tinhorn terrorist." The unspoken conclusion for many folks was that Mehanna probably never would have committed such a terrorist act. People wouldn't be so smug though, if Tarek and co-conspirator Ahmed Abousamra had pulled off a Mumbai-type attack. From the DOJ press release:
"Acting U.S. Attorney Michael K. Loucks and Warren T. Bamford, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI - Boston Field Division, announced today that Tarek Mehanna, 27, of 6 Fairhaven Circle, Sudbury, Mass., was charged in a complaint with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists."
".... It is alleged that, among other things, that would prepare them for armed jihad against U.S. interests, including U.S.Mehanna and two of his associates traveled to the Middle East in February 2004, seeking military-type training at a terrorist training camp that would prepare them for armed jihad against U.S. interests, including U.S. and and allied forces in Iraq. The complaint also alleges that one of Mehanna's coconspirators made two similar trips to Pakistan in 2002."
"According to the complaint affidavit, Mehanna and the coconspirators had multiple conversations about obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people in a shopping mall, and that the conversations went so far as to discuss the logistics of a mall attack, including coordination, weapons needed and the possibility of attacking emergency responders."
There is much more that the media could be looking at in this case. I'll start with reviewing FBI Special Agent Heidi L. Williams affadavit, and pulling out the elements that caught my eye:
- There's more info on this case than what the DOJ and FBI have revealed so far. The affidavit states that "it does not, however, include all the information known to me with respect to this investigation, but only that information which is necessary to establish the requisite probable cause." We'll have to wait for a trial to get more of the scoop.
- The affidavit supports the criminal complaint against Tarek Mehanna with conspiring with AHMED ABOUSAMRA ("ABOUSAMRA") and others to provide material support to terrorists. There's lots of background on Mehanna. I've not heard or read one single news story that tells us who Ahmed Abousamra is, not a one. Ahmed skipped the country in December 2006 after he was interviewed by the FBI, reportedly fleeing to Syria. Ahmed is the eldest son of Dr. Abdul Abousamra, an endocrinologist who was a Big Kahuna in the local Muslim community, now unfortunately so dominated by the Muslim American Society (MAS)/Muslim Brotherhood. Dr. Abousamra was the president of the Islamic Academy of New England and he hired Muhammed Masood at the IANE school (more on Masood here! ). The good doctor was also a MAS director , a "Free Imam" offerred to local Boston colleges, and on the Board of Directors of the Islamic Center of New England (ICNE) in Sharon, MA. We will come back to Abousamra in another blogpost, but isn't it worth looking at the background of the co-conspirator as well as Mehanna's background? Isn't it remarkable that the son of one of the leading Muslim "leaders" has been throroughly radicalized, and the father didn't notice? Like I said, more to come on Abousamra. The Dr. recently moved to Dearborn, MI, I'm told.
There are a two cooperating witnesses mentioned in the affidavit, CW1 and CW2. We will find out who they are of/when there's a trial. I find it a good sign that there are Muslims who are cooperating with the feds and helping to expose and thwart radicalism is their midst.
There's a lengthy footnote on jihad on page 4 of the affidavit. It seems to cover all the bases of what jihad could mean, and what is specifically meant in the affidavit: "When used in this Affidavit, the term applies to offensive acts of violence by groups such as Al Qa'ida against military and civilian targets."
Page 5, paragraph 11 - more on Ahmed Abousamra lying to federal agents (Joint Terrorism Task Force, JTTF) about his trip to Yemen. Abousamra told members of the JTTF that he went to study Arabic language and religious studies, when he actually went there in 2004 - along with Tarek Mehanna - to find a terrorist training camp. Neither set of parents knew what their 20-something sons were doing in Yemen?
Abousamra also traveled to Pakistan twice in 2002, in April and November. The purpose of those trips was to seek training to wage jihad. Again, his parents had no clue? How did he know who to stay with, what contacts to make in Pakistan? Abousamra's family is Egyptian, not Pakistani. The unstated but obvious conclusion is that that there had to have been people here in Massachusetts helping these young men go off on their excellent jihadi adventures.
In 2004, Abousamea, Mehanna and Cooperating Witness 1 went to Yemen trying to find a terrorist camp which would take them in. No one back here in the South shore of Boston knew what they were up to? All three wealthy Americans went off to poverty-stricken, war torn Yemen and no one back here knew what their plans were? Unlikely, I'd say. The affadavit states that some of their associates knew what they were doing. Did anyone advise them not to go?
The affidavit notes that an individual then living in California (Individual A) helped the young men find terrorist training camps in Yemen. That person was a white convert to Islam who worked in an Islamic school in California (Zaytuna??). Individual A lived in Pakistan and attended an LeT training camp. Again, there is clearly an active network of radicalized Muslims in the U.S. helping other Muslims to train for violent jihad. Where is the condemnation from the Muslim American Society about this??
As part of the Yemen trip in 2004, Abousamra traveled through the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Iraq and Syria, from February to August. Who supported that? Who helped him make contacts in all these countries?
Mehanna met Daniel Maldonado, a Muslim convert from Methuen MA who received weapons training at al Al Quaeda camp (in Somalia, I believe) and who lived in Egypt, Somalia and Kenya. Before Maldonado's jihadi experiences overseas, he had pal'ed around Mehanna, Abousamra and CW2 from 2002 to 2004. Aldonado met Mehanna through Abousamra, and they frequently discussed Islamic jurisprudence, that is, when they weren't watching jihadi snuff films. What does the MAS, ISB and ICNE have to say about watching snuff films?
Page 11, paragraph 29: "Maldonado, MEHANNA, ABOUSAMRA and CW2 would talk about fighting jihad, and how wonderful it would be to die on the battlefield....ABOUSAMRA and Maldonado discussed the religious justification for suicide bombings. ABOUSAMRA and MEHANNA often debated the legality of suicide bombings that resulted in the death of innocent civilians. Ultimately, they agreed that it was permissible if the benefit was greater than the loss. ABOUSAMRA, MEHANNA and Maldonado all approved of the attacks of September 11, 2001. They were happy when they heard about American deaths in Iraq." Lovely. And what do the MAS, ISB and ICNE have to say about that?
Both Abousamra and Mehanna were turned away from terrorist training camps. Abousamra made contact with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), which probably wasn't hard, given all the family members of LeT founder Hafiz Saeed who were imams in Massachusetts. According to the affidavit, the LeT camp wouldn't accept him because he was an Arab (not Pakistani). The Taliban camp wouldn't accept him because of his lack of experience. Poor Abousamra!
After the rejection by the LeT and Taliban, the "poor little rich boy" American Muslims began to "explore other options" including committing terrorist acts on American soil. They talked about killing two members of the "executive branch of the U.S. government" (Bush & Cheney??). They also discussed, on multiple occasions, obtaining automatic weapons and randomly shooting people at a shopping mall. Logistics planning included coordinating attacks from different entrances and attacking the emergency responders.
Page 16, paragraph 44: "They were inspired by the success of the Washington, D.C. area snipers who were successful in terrorizing the public. ABOUSAMRA justified attacks on civilians, such as the September 11, 2001 attacks. ABOUSAMRA stated that civilians were not innocent because they paid taxes to support the government, and because they were Kufar (non-believers)." As you read this affidavit in support of the complaint against Mehanna, you realize that the wackiest Islamist radical crazy shit was said by Ahmed Abousamra, son of MAS head honcho Dr. Abdul Abousamra. Too bad the feds didn't catch Abousamra.
Well, it's getting late and I've only gotten as far as Page 19. I'll have to continue tomorrow. But rest assured, these young men truly sought out terrorist training, with one of them (CW2) making a "good bye" videos for his family. Mehanna said that he wanted to be a soldier for jihad and he wanted to kill American soldiers. There is clearly a support network here in Massachusetts and across the country for this. While the jihadi wannabes didn't commit any mass murders at a shopping mall, who's to say they wouldn't try again or think up something even worse? I'm pretty happy the feds stopped that from happening. I'll finish up reviewing the Hedidi Sullivan affidavit tomorrow.
There are a few more gems in there ("You don't tell your parents , 'I'm going to fight jihad.'...you just tell them 'I'm leaving.' ")
Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we first practice to deceive! (quotation from Sir Walter Scott)
Dynamic breakdown. I CC'd to Bruce Tefft OSINT the announcement by CJ with a suggestion he look at the above.
The question came up if Mehenna was mis-spelled in the news, some one thinking he was McKenna - Irish.
Well, almost thirty, single, and living with his mother.
Again, great synapsis. Dynamic, actually.
Posted by: Shawmut (David O'Connor) | October 24, 2009 at 01:01 AM
Yeah, that's "Tarek Mehenna," not "Tommy McKenna." My single 74-year old Irish uncle lives with his married 70-year old sister in the house they grew up in. Sometimes they never leave home!
I hope this goes to trial soon. There's bound to be much more interesting stuff coming out.
Posted by: Kelly | October 24, 2009 at 03:51 PM