Operation Arabian Knight: Difference between revisions

On June 5, 2010, two New Jersey Muslim men,^[1][2] Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos "Omar" Eduardo Almonte, who were bound for Somalia with "the stated intention of joining an Islamic extremist group to kill American troops", Al Shahab, were arrested at Kennedy International Airport in New York City.

The arrests followed those of other radicalized Americans charged with terrorism-related offenses, such as Faisal Shahzad, charged in the failed Times Square bombing, and Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspected Fort Hood shooter.^[3][4][5]

The two men had checked in and were preparing to board separate connecting flights to Cairo, Egypt, and from there to travel to Somalia by boat, to join Al Shahab.^{[6][7][8][5][9][10]} The two were allowed to make it to the jetway boarding ramps before they were apprehended.^[11] Federal prosecutors had insisted that they be allowed to go to the airport and begin boarding process, to limit the chance they could later say they had abandoned their plans.^[11] It also increased the possibility the Federal Bureau of Investigation could hear any last-minute phone calls the men made before boarding their flights..^[6] Both reportedly resisted arrest.^[12][9]

The arrests were coordinated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the investigation began as two separate probes after the FBI and New Jersey Homeland Security detectives received separate tips about the two men.^[11] The arrests, part of an investigation known as "Operation Arabian Knight", were followed by raids on two homes in New Jersey.[1]

The two, both of whom are U.S. citizens, lived 12 miles apart in New Jersey.^[13]

Alessa, born in the U.S. to Palestinian and Jordanian parents, was 20 years old at the time of his arrest, and from North Bergen, New Jersey.^[13][4][9] As a teenager, he had attended ninth grade at the Al-Huda School, a private Islamic school in Paterson, New Jersey, and then transferred to North Bergen High School in December 2004.^[2] In September 2005, he transferred to KAS Prep, an alternative high school in North Bergen, which he attended for one semester.^[2] He was reportedly attending Bergen County Community College.^[14]

As a teenager Alessa began to spend time with a group of boys who called themselves the P.L.O. or the Arabian Knights.^[13][4] He seemed like an observant Muslim to neighbors, but one neighbor said he had seen Alessa drink alcohol.^[13] While his beard was generally long, he occasionally shaved it off according to the neighbor.^[13] His landlord said Alessa visited Jordan about two years prior to his arrest for six months.^[13]

Alessa reportedly said: “They only fear you when you have a gun and when you — when you start killing them, and when you — when you take their head, and you go like this, and you behead it on camera.” He added: “We’ll start doing killing here, if I can’t do it over there.”^[4] And: “Only way I would come back here is if I was in the land of jihad and the leader ordered me to come back here and do something here. Ah, I love that.”^[4] He allegedly would wield a large knife, and boast to family members that he would kill U.S. agents.^[15] Speaking of Nidal Malik Hasan, who allegedly killed 13 Americans at Fort Hood, he reportedly was recorded saying he would outdo him: "He's not better than me. I'll do twice what he did."^[10] According to court documents he also said: "My soul cannot rest until I shed blood. I wanna, like, be the world's known terrorist."^[14]

Almonte, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Santiago in the Dominican Republic, arrived in the U.S. at the age of five.^[16] He was 24 years old at the time of his arrest, and lived in Elmwood Park, New Jersey, where he had graduated from Elmwood Park Memorial High School in 2005.^{[13][4][1][16]} He converted to Islam a few years prior to his arrest, renaming himself "Omar".^{[4][17][17][18]} At the end of 2006 FBI agents talked with Almonte and a family member, and in March 2007 the FBI conducted a consensual search of his computer, which contained documents advocating jihad.^[14]

The two had been under Federal Bureau of Investigation scrutiny since October 2006.^[4][2] Recordings of them discussing their plans at a number of meetings were made by a New York Police Department undercover officer.^[4] The two reportedly traveled to Jordan in February 2007, tried without success to get into Iraq, and according to Almonte tried unsuccessfully to become mujahedeen to fight against U.S. troops, and were “upset with the individuals who failed to recruit them".^[4][9][10][3]

They had simulated combat at paintball facilities and engaged in tactical training, trained in hand-to-hand combat, and acquired military gear and combat apparel, according to the complaint against them.^[19][4][20] The allegation about their paintball training was similar to the use by the 11 men comprising the Virginia Jihad Network of paintball to simulate small-unit tactical operations, according to prosecutors.^[20][21] It was also reminiscent of the 2007 use of paintball by five Muslims preparing for an attack on Fort Dix, New Jersey, officials said.^[21]

They talked about what they said was their obligation to wage violent jihad, expressed a willingness to commit acts of violence in the U.S., and talked of the best ways to chop off their victims' heads, according to the federal complaint.according to the complaint.^[4][4] Regarding the U.S. soldiers overseas, Almonte reportedly said: "I just want the troops to come back home safely and cozily." "In body bags – in caskets," Alessa said. "In caskets," Almonte agreed. "Sliced up in a thousand pieces, cozy in the grave, in hell," added Alessa.^[22]

Authorities said Anwar al-Awlaki's ability to sway young Western men to wage jihad is at the heart of plot by the two New Jersey men.^[23] The men watched video and audio recordings promoting violent jihad, including lectures by Anwar al-Awlaki, who is suspected of inciting Muslims to violence.^[4] Almonte reportedly kept audio recording of al-Awlaki on his cell phone, in which al-Awlaki lectured about the importance of violent jihad and different types of martyrs, watched a jihadist video in which al-Awlaki justified the killing of civilians in the course of waging violent jihad, and shared with others a pamphlet on jihad by al-Awlaki.^[20][5]

Al-Awlaki has also praised al-Shabab.^[20] Authorities said the two were among a number of U.S. terrorism suspects inspired by al-Awlaki, who is believed to have helped inspire the Fort Hood shooting, the failed Christmas Day bombing, and the failed Times Square bombing.^[14]

The suspects were charged with conspiring to kill, maim, and kidnap people outside the U.S.^[4] If convicted, they could each face a sentence of life in prison, and fines of up to $250,000.^[4]

On June 7, 2010, they appeared before Magistrate Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in federal court in Newark, New Jersey.^[12] Lawyers were appointed to represent them, and a bail hearing was scheduled for June 10 and a preliminary hearing for June 21 on the charges they face.^[12]

The two were seeking to join the violent hard-line Islamic extremist group al-Shahab in Somalia when they were arrested.^[3][5][10] Al Shahab, which was designated a terrorist group by the U.S. in 2008, claims ideological kinship with al-Qaeda, has recruited hundreds of foreign fighters to help fight a civil war in Somalia, and some of the recruits had been killed.^[3][4][10] Approximately 20 Americans have joined Al Shabab, and at least six have been killed, according to friends and relatives.^[3]

The group's Islamist ideology calls for amputations and public stonings for violations of Islamic law, and prohibits music and television.^[3] Osama Bin Laden has also praised al-Shabab.^[20]

Its leaders have reputedly worked closely with terrorists of al-Qaeda in Yemen and Pakistan.^[3] It is thought to have harbored al-Qaeda terrorists responsible for the 1998 Kenya and Tanzania U.S. embassy bombings.^[4]