The FBI reportedly sought up to two dozen men for questioning in the days after the May 3rd Islamist terror attack on a ‘Draw Muhammad’ free speech event in Garland, Texas , including one man whose arrest on Tuesday revealed a wider conspiracy on U.S. soil was involved in the attack. The attack was thwarted as it began with the two shooters being killed by police.
Accused Garland attack accomplice Abdul Kareem in Pho. Fed Court pic.twitter.com/ULbqD0Tvkh
— Mike Watkiss (@mikewatkiss3tv) June 17, 2015
While the federal government has not made the claim of a terror cell, the federal grand jury indictment of Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem dated June 10, included claims that persons known and unknown participated in Arizona on planning and practices for the attack–indicating that a terror cell affiliated with ISIS is active on U.S. soil. An FBI agent testified in court Tuesday that Kareem had ISIS related material on his computer, according to Mike Watkiss with KTVK-3TV.
FBI agent tells Judge: Abdul Kareem had ISIS material on computer-much of Case based on two confidential sources/witnesses #garlandshooting
— Mike Watkiss (@mikewatkiss3tv) June 16, 2015
Islamic partisans took responsibility for the attack soon after it took place.
Usami Shami, president of the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix which was attended by Kareem and the two shooters killed in the attack, Elton Francis Simpson and Nadir Hamid Soofi, told the Arizona Republic the FBI showed pictures of about two dozen men sought for questioning about the attack.
“The president of the mosque, Usama Shami, said Monday he was not surprised by news of the arrest.
“”When the FBI came, they were talking about him. He was one of the people they asked about,” Shami recalled.
“Agents passed around photos of Kareem and those of about two dozen other people, he said.”
At a detention hearing for Kareem on Tuesday afternoon an FBI said “witnesses” confirmed the three weapons in the attack were used by Kareem and the two attackers in weapons training. The agent also stated Kareem had considered attacking the Super Bowl, according to KPNX-TV.
“The first to take the stand in the detention hearing was FBI agent Dina McCarthy, who is with the Joint Terrorism Task Force. She made the statement that Kareem considered a Super Bowl attack and said that witnesses confirmed that the three weapons used in the Garland shooting were used by Kareem, Soofi and Simpson for weapon training in the desert.”
Pam Geller, who along with Robert Spencer co-hosted the Draw Muhammad event, has been targeted by ISIS for assassination. The group sent out Geller’s home address on Twitter recently with the hashtag command #GoForth.
Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem mugshot by Maricopa Cpounty Sheriff’s Office via KPHO-TV
An excerpt from the indictment (copy hosted at Breitbart):
“Count 1
“Beginning on or about January 7, 2015, and continuing through May 3, 2015, at or near Phoenix, in the District of Arizona, and elsewhere, KAREEM, together with other persons known and unknown to the grand jury, conspired to violate Title 18, United States Code, § 924(b ), in that they knowingly and intentionally conspired to transport firearms and ammunition in interstate commerce with the intent to commit crimes punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year and with knowledge and reasonable cause to believe that an offense punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year was to be committed therewith, including murder in violation of Texas Penal Code § 19.02 and aggravated assault in violation of Texas Penal Code§§ 22.0l(a) and 22.02(a) & (b).
“Overt Acts
“In furtherance of the conspiracy and to effect the objects of the conspiracy, the following overt acts, among others, were committed in the District of Arizona:
“1. On dates between January 7, 2015, and May 3, 2015, KAREEM, Simpson, Soofi, and other persons known and unknown to the grand jury traveled to remote desert areas near Phoenix, Arizona, to practice shooting firearms.
“2. On dates between January 7, 2015, and May 3, 2015, KAREEM provided firearms to Simpson and Soofi.
“3. On dates between January 7, 2015, and May 3, 2015, KAREEM hosted Simpson, Soofi, and other persons known and unknown to the grand jury inside his home to discuss the Muhammad Art Exhibit and Contest and their plan to travel from Phoenix, Arizona, to Garland, Texas, to conduct an attack on the contest.
“All in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371.”
The other two counts in the indictment charge Kareem of violating federal firearms laws and of lying to the FBI while being interviewed about the attack on May 5th.
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