Counterterrorism Blog
The first multi-expert blog dedicated solely to counterterrorism issues, serving as a gateway to the community for policymakers and serious researchers. Designed to provide realtime information about terrorism cases and policy developments.
 

American Jihadists?

By Bill West

Over this Memorial Day weekend, two US citizens were arrested by Federal authorities for conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda. The suspects, Tarik Ibn Osman Shah, a martial arts expert, and Rafiq Sabir, a medical doctor, were arrested in New York and Boca Raton, Florida, respectively.

The arrests culminated a two-year undercover investigation by the FBI wherein, according to the criminal complaint and news reports, the suspects told an informant and an undercover FBI agent they wanted to provide martial arts training and medical treatment to jihadists in their terror war against America. The suspects allegedly swore allegiance to al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

If the charges are proven, one of the most disturbing aspects of this case will be the fact that two older American citizens, including a well educated medical doctor, who are hardly wild-eyed misguided youth, were lured into the violent treachery of radical Islam, enough so that they were willing to help their countrys sworn enemies wage war against it. Unfortunately, this is not something new. We had such American Jihadists in the first World Trade Center bombing case and even earlier, as with the suspected radical Islamic assassin of Ali Akbar Tabatabai, a former Iranian diplomat turned dissident killed in Washington, D.C. in July 1980.

The defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence and are entitled to full due process under US law. The Governments case, however, on its face would appear strong; with what could be the suspects own words being the most damaging evidence against them. There is also a question of whether others may have been involved with these two in this scheme, and to what extent.

TrackBack

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://counterterrorismblog.org/mt/pings.cgi/1578

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference American Jihadists?:

» 2 U.S. citizens arrested on al Qaeda-related charges from Unpartisan.com Political News and Blog Aggregator
Two U.S. citizens have been arrested on federal charges of conspiring to provide material support to [Read More]

» Two U.S. citizens arrested, allegedly pledged "their support and loyalty to al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden" from rand holman's THE DAILY POLEMIC
Although we don't yet know whether my long-held theory about the long-term terrorist strategy of intentionally planting cells of al Qaeda supporters as American citizens on our soil applies in these cases, but how bitingly ironic and offensive it will ... [Read More]

» Will these upcoming trials tell us anything about terrorists or their supporters living amongst us? from rand holman's THE DAILY POLEMIC
They may all be found totally innocent of all charges, but purely for the sake of the credibility of our Government's pursuits and prosecutions of terrorists and their supporters in this country - - - on our behalf and strictly designed to protect us a... [Read More]

» Bloging On Terrorism and the War from Hyscience
Here's some blog readingw on the war and terrorism front: [Read More]

» Blog Briefs "On Terrorism and the War" (updated) from Hyscience
Here's some blog readingw on the war and terrorism front: [Read More]

» NYSUT Takes Down Terror Wannabe's from The Nose On Your Face
Two U.S. citizens were arrested earlier this week by officials from New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) on charges that they had sworn allegiance to a terrorist organization. Tarik Shah, a self-proclaimed martial arts expert and Dr. Rafik Sabir appr... [Read More]