HOME GROWN TERRORIST STILL A THREAT
Feb. 2007
Below are key points form an article recently appearing on ABC News by reporter Mike Robinson. It is a grim reminder that terrorism is still not quite a thing of the past and still has the potential to ignite right here on our soil - much like 9-11! Only this time, it could be in a more deadly way.
On our own soil
Two cousins were arrested Wednesday on federal charges of conspiring to wage holy war against Americans overseas, including U.S. military forces in Iraq.
Zubair A. Ahmed, 27, of suburban North Chicago, and Khaleel Ahmed, 26, of Chicago, were indicted by a grand jury in Cleveland.
The indictment claims that, between June 2004 and February 2006, the cousins and the other three men Mohammad Zaki Amawi, 27, and Marwan Othman El-Hindi, 42, both formerly of Toledo, and Wassim I. Mazloum, 22, formerly of Sylvania, Ohio conspired to "kill or maim persons in locations outside of the United States, to including U.S. armed forces personnel serving in Iraq."
The conspiracy included finding fresh recruits to commit terrorism and seeking out sites for training in firearms, hand-to-hand combat and the use of explosives, the charges say.
The men are accused of agreeing to raise funds for "jihad training" and downloading Internet information on improvised explosive devices, or IEDs.
A figure described in the indictment only as the Trainer a U.S. citizen with a military background met with the cousins in July 2004.
The trainer discussed sniper tactics, counter-surveillance techniques and the use of heavy machine guns.
The three Ohio men, who are in federal custody, were charged in the initial indictment with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.
One of the men was charged with distributing information, downloaded from the Internet, about explosive chemicals and charged El-Hindi with distributing information about explosives and making false statements to officials.
In addition, El-Hindi and Ashraf Zaim, 39, of Ottawa Hills, Ohio, are charged in a separate, seven-count indictment with conspiring to commit theft of public funds, making false statements and wire fraud in connection with a $40,000 federal grant.
The government contends that no clinics were ever operated.
Get the full scoop
2 Cousins Nabbed on Terror Charges
Our Take
We must never take the absence of terrorist strikes to lull us into a false sense of security. Yes, the Bush Administration deserves overdo appreciation for not one bomb or plane crashing since 9-11, but we can never take it for granted. We are in the middle of a war. Our enemies are constantly plotting; constantly scheming on the next big one. We must never let up on our resolve to stay vigilant in the fight against global terrorism.
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