Marathon Pundit: Feds bust jihadist in plot to blow up Chicago bar; Walsh statement

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Feds bust jihadist in plot to blow up Chicago bar; Walsh statement

While much of the Middle East was rioting over the sub-Ed Wood quality anti-Islam YouTube video, federal authorities have nabbed a teen jihadist from suburban Chicago.

From the Chicago Tribune:

Adel Daoud, 18, of Hillside, was arrested Friday night when he tried to blow up what he thought was a car bomb in front of a downtown bar after undercover federal agents supplied him with a Jeep fitted with fake explosives, prosecutors announced today.

Daoud was charged today with trying to use a weapon of mass destruction and trying to destroy a building using explosives. Daoud had come to the FBI’s attention this spring after he posted something online, and after an FBI undercover agent contacted him, he “expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, either in the United States or overseas,” according to a news release from the U.S. attorney's office.

Starting last October, Daoud started using an email account "to obtain and distribute material, some of which he purported to author, relating to violent jihad and the killing of Americans," according to court documents.

In May, two undercover agents started communicating with Daoud, and in May and June, he sought guidance about carrying out a terror attack. Based on his research on the topic, Daoud "confirmed his belief in the propriety of killing Americans in a terrorist attack," to one of the undercover agents, according to an affidavit in the case.

Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL-8th), who has taken much heat for his statements denouncing radical Islam, issued a statement about the arrest:

Saturday, prosecutors announced a terror suspect from Hillside, IL was arrested late Friday in Chicago. The suspected left Villa Park with an undercover agent and fake explosives and attempted to detonate a bomb outside a bar in downtown Chicago. A news release from the U.S. Attorney's office stated the suspect "expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, in either the United States or overseas."

Congressman Walsh reacted in a statement, "Fortunately, due to the great work of the FBI and law enforcement, a threat against Illinoisans and America was thwarted. We owe our law enforcement officers a debt of gratitude for their efforts and vigilance. As a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, I have spoken about this threat, and this event is an alarming reminder on the threat of homegrown terror. However, my opponent, Tammy Duckworth continues to condemn my remarks for political gain at the expense of national security."

"This is not a political issue," Walsh continued. "The issue of homegrown terror is an issue that Attorney General Eric Holder says keeps him up at night. I find it ironic that during the same time this attempted attack took place, Ms. Duckworth was trying to score political points during our joint appearance by criticizing my concerns about this very real threat. I challenge Ms. Duckworth to instead join me in urging our government to do more in addressing this issue and spend less time worrying about political correctness."

Walsh concluded, "It's my hope Ms. Duckworth will stop shamelessly exploiting my efforts to draw attention to this issue. We must continue to remember the vast majority of Muslims are a patriotic, peace-loving people. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, I vow to pursue and expose this radical strain of Islam. This issue is far too vital to our country to allow political correctness to prevent us from addressing this threat."