Somali
American accused of plotting to bomb Oregon tree-lighting
event
(Organ, November
27,
2010 Ceegaag Online)
A 19-year-old has been arrested in connection with a plot
to detonate a vehicle bomb at an annual Christmas tree
lighting ceremony in Portland, Oregon, on Friday evening,
the Justice Department announced.
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized U.S. citizen from
Somalia, was arrested on suspicion of attempting to use a
weapon of mass destruction. He is a resident of Corvallis,
Oregon, and a student at Oregon State University, according
to the FBI.
Mohamud was arrested by the FBI and Portland Police
Bureau after he attempted to detonate what he believed to be
an explosives-laden van that was parked near the
tree-lighting ceremony in Portland's Pioneer Courthouse
Square, the Justice Department said in a written statement.
However, "the materials were not explosive," said Justice
Department spokesman Dean Boyd, who called the device a
"mock bomb."
"The threat was very real. Our investigation shows that
Mohamud was absolutely committed to carrying out an attack
on a very grand scale," said Arthur Balizan, Special Agent
in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "At the same time, I want to
reassure the people of this community that, at every turn,
we denied him the ability to actually carry out the attack."
The arrest was the culmination of a long-term undercover
operation during which Mohamud had been monitored closely as
his alleged bomb plot developed, the Justice Department
said. Officials said the public was never in danger from the
device.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit written by an
FBI special agent, Mohamud was in e-mail communication in
August 2009 with a person believed to be involved in
terrorist activities. In December, that person was "located
in the northwest frontier province of Pakistan," the
affidavit states.
The two communicated regularly, the affidavit states, and
"using coded language, they discussed the possibility of
Mohamud traveling to Pakistan to prepare for violent jihad."
Mohamud attempted to contact another associate who he
thought would help facilitate his travel overseas, the
affidavit states, but "because Mohamud used the wrong e-mail
address in his efforts to contact [the second associate], he
never successfully contacted him to arrange travel."
An undercover FBI employee contacted Mohamud in June
under the guise of being affiliated with the associate who
was in Pakistan, according to the affidavit. Mohamud met
with the undercover operative on July 30 in Portland.
Mohamud allegedly told the undercover operative that he
had written articles that were published in Jihad
Recollections, an online magazine that advocated violent
jihad.
"Mohamud also indicated that he wanted to become
'operational,'" the Justice Department said. "Asked what he
meant by 'operational,' Mohamud stated that he wanted to put
an 'explosion' together, but needed help."
At a meeting in August, the Justice Department said,
Mohamud allegedly told undercover FBI operatives he had been
thinking of committing violent jihad since the age of 15.
According to the affidavit, Mohamud then told undercover
operatives that he had identified a potential target for a
bomb: the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony in
Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Authorities said an FBI operative pointed out that lots
of children would be at such an event, but Mohamud said he
was looking for a "huge mass that will ... be attacked in
their own element with their families celebrating the
holidays." Officials said Mohamud also stated, "... it's in
Oregon; and Oregon like you know, nobody ever thinks about
it."
According to the affidavit, Mohamud and the undercover
FBI operatives traveled to a remote area in Lincoln County,
Oregon, on November 4 and detonated a bomb hidden in a
backpack as a test. During the drive back to Corvallis, the
agents asked Mohamud about whether he could look at the
bodies of those who would be killed in the upcoming attack
in Portland, the Justice Department said.
Mohamud replied, "I want whoever is attending that event
to leave, to leave either dead or injured," according to the
affidavit.
On Friday, Mohamud met one of the FBI operatives at a
predetermined location, the affidavit states. Mohamud dialed
a number "in an unsuccessful attempt to detonate the
device." Mohamud allegedly dialed the number again before he
was taken custody.
"This defendant's chilling determination is a stark
reminder that there are people -- even here in Oregon -- who
are determined to kill Americans," Dwight C. Holton, U.S.
Attorney for the District of Oregon, said in a statement .
"The good work of law enforcement protected Oregonians in
this case -- and we have no reason to believe there is any
continuing threat arising from this case."
Mohamud is expected to make his initial
appearance in federal court in Portland on Monday, the
Justice Department said. If convicted of attempting to use a
weapon of mass destruction, Mohamud faces a maximum
statutory sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
