Massachusetts Man Accused of Plotting ‘Violent Jihad’

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Oct. 21 (Bloomberg) -- A Massachusetts man was charged with plotting terrorist attacks that included shooting up shopping malls and targeting two unidentified U.S. officials as part of a “violent jihad” against Americans.

Tarek Mehanna, 27, was arrested this morning at his home in Sudbury, about 17 miles (27 kilometers) west of Boston, Acting U.S. Attorney Michael K. Loucks said at a press conference. Mehanna had been out on bail on a charge of lying to authorities about the location of a man who trained with al-Qaeda members intent on overthrowing the Somali government, Loucks said.

Loucks said Mehanna, Ahmad Abousamra, who is currently in Syria, and a third man who is cooperating with authorities wanted to obtain automatic weapons and attack U.S. shopping malls. The trio abandoned the plans before 2006 because they couldn’t get the weapons, Loucks said.

“The killing of civilians was considered OK because civilians are taxpayers and are non-believers,” Loucks said. He wouldn’t disclose where the attacks were supposed to take place.

Mehanna was ordered held without bail in an appearance today before Magistrate Judge Leo Sorokin in federal court in Boston. He is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 30.

When initially asked by Sorokin to stand, Mehanna, dressed in black running pants and a black hooded sweatshirt, refused. He rose to his feet after being prompted by his father and his lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr., who later said Americans shouldn’t rush to judgment about his client’s guilt.

‘Challenges Our Faith’

“This is the type of case that challenges our commitment and faith in the U.S. Constitution,” Carney said in a press conference in front of the courthouse. Mehanna was born in the U.S., Carney said, without saying where.

If convicted of today’s charge of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. Mehanna may be imprisoned for as long as 15 years and fined $250,000, according to a statement from Loucks’s office.

Mehanna allegedly tried to get the weapons through Daniel Maldonado, who was living in New Hampshire at the time, Loucks said. Maldonado eventually moved to Somalia and later fled to Kenya, where he was arrested by the military, Loucks said. The Federal Bureau of Investigation interviewed Maldonado in Kenya.

‘Desire to Die’

The U.S. complaint alleges that “Mehanna and coconspirators discussed their desire to participate in violent jihad against American interests and that they would talk about fighting jihad and their desire to die on the battlefield,” prosecutors said in today’s statement.

The trio also wanted to assassinate two members of the U.S. Executive Branch who are no longer in office, Loucks said. He wouldn’t identify the targets.

The three men met sometime between 2000 and 2001, before the Sept. 11 terror attacks, and discussed the idea of traveling to Pakistan to receive terrorist training, according to an affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Heidi L. Williams.

Loucks said the conclusion of an investigation by officials over the weekend made today’s arrest possible. He wouldn’t disclose the details and said the arrest had nothing to do with President Barack Obama’s visit to Boston the day after tomorrow.

The case is the U.S. v. Mehanna, 09-0119-LTS, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts (Boston).