More from the "he could never do such a thing" file.
His wife says he loves America, his mosque says he was a loner and quiet, and a neighbor said he seemed normal, playing with his son and treating all with respect. Yet he seemed to misunderstand his new religion and his rants on YouTube pointed to someone other than what he presented to his loved ones and those who new him.
Once again, how do we identify those who will practice jihad, and what is to be done among the Muslim communities to root out people like Abdul-Latif?
From MSNBC.com June 24
Muslims at suspect's mosque shocked to learn of terror plot
SEATAC, Wash. — One of two men charged with planning to attack a Seattle military recruiting station was proud to be American, according to his wife, while videos apparently posted by him on YouTube show a man sympathetic to al-Qaida's leader in Yemen and passionate about a radical interpretation of Islam.
Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif has a criminal background, but allegations that he plotted a terrorist attack surprised those who knew him.
"He never spoke to anybody," Aziz Junejo, a spokesman for the SeaTac mosque, said Friday as he pointed to the spot where Abdul-Latif often sat. "He was sort of anti-social in that sense. It was completely a shock to us."
Abdul-Latif's videos strayed on a range of topics — from U.S. politics to Muslim doctrine to the British royal wedding. He railed against the latter, questioning why there was so much focus on what the couple was wearing.
"We spend so much time chasing these kafirs (unbelievers) around, while at the same time they are murdering our brothers and sisters overseas," Abdul-Latif said.
He praises fighters in the videos, asking for blessings for those who struggle for the cause of Allah. And, at some points, he calls for action.
"We must establish jihad," Abdul-Latif said in a video posted in May, showing him speaking down into a steady camera. "I don't care what anybody says about that: You can turn me in to the FBI or whatever. We need to establish jihad with the tongue, with the heart and with the hand."
I'll send the poor dear the memo.
In particular, Abdul-Latif singles out U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The United States has put the radical Muslim leader, now in Yemen, on a kill-or-capture list, something that irked Abdul-Latif about President Barack Obama.
"He's made war against Islam," Abdul-Latif said. "He's even put a hit out on Anwar Al-Awlaki, our brother sheikh — may Allah protect him."
The Associated Press could not independently confirm the YouTube account was Abdul-Latif's, but the name, age, and hometown posted on the page match.
Abdul-Latif, 33, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, was arrested on Wednesday with Walli Mujahidh, 32, following an investigation prompted by an informant who told authorities the two men wanted to attack a military facility in the Seattle area. The two men were taken into custody after they showed up at a warehouse garage to pick up machine guns they planned to use in the attack, authorities said Thursday. The weapons had been rendered inoperable by federal agents and posed no risk to the public.
They are scheduled to attend a bail hearing next week.
Mujahidh voluntarily spoke with investigators after the arrests and confessed, according to the federal complaint against them.
Abdul-Latif's wife, Binta Moussa-Davis, told King 5 she was shocked.
"He's proud to be American. He loves his own country. He loves his family," she said. "I don't know if he got involved with bad people. I don't have any idea."
Uh huh.
Read it all
His wife says he loves America, his mosque says he was a loner and quiet, and a neighbor said he seemed normal, playing with his son and treating all with respect. Yet he seemed to misunderstand his new religion and his rants on YouTube pointed to someone other than what he presented to his loved ones and those who new him.
Once again, how do we identify those who will practice jihad, and what is to be done among the Muslim communities to root out people like Abdul-Latif?
From MSNBC.com June 24
Muslims at suspect's mosque shocked to learn of terror plot
SEATAC, Wash. — One of two men charged with planning to attack a Seattle military recruiting station was proud to be American, according to his wife, while videos apparently posted by him on YouTube show a man sympathetic to al-Qaida's leader in Yemen and passionate about a radical interpretation of Islam.
Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif has a criminal background, but allegations that he plotted a terrorist attack surprised those who knew him.
"He never spoke to anybody," Aziz Junejo, a spokesman for the SeaTac mosque, said Friday as he pointed to the spot where Abdul-Latif often sat. "He was sort of anti-social in that sense. It was completely a shock to us."
Abdul-Latif's videos strayed on a range of topics — from U.S. politics to Muslim doctrine to the British royal wedding. He railed against the latter, questioning why there was so much focus on what the couple was wearing.
"We spend so much time chasing these kafirs (unbelievers) around, while at the same time they are murdering our brothers and sisters overseas," Abdul-Latif said.
He praises fighters in the videos, asking for blessings for those who struggle for the cause of Allah. And, at some points, he calls for action.
"We must establish jihad," Abdul-Latif said in a video posted in May, showing him speaking down into a steady camera. "I don't care what anybody says about that: You can turn me in to the FBI or whatever. We need to establish jihad with the tongue, with the heart and with the hand."
I'll send the poor dear the memo.
In particular, Abdul-Latif singles out U.S.-born Muslim cleric Anwar al-Awlaki. The United States has put the radical Muslim leader, now in Yemen, on a kill-or-capture list, something that irked Abdul-Latif about President Barack Obama.
"He's made war against Islam," Abdul-Latif said. "He's even put a hit out on Anwar Al-Awlaki, our brother sheikh — may Allah protect him."
The Associated Press could not independently confirm the YouTube account was Abdul-Latif's, but the name, age, and hometown posted on the page match.
Abdul-Latif, 33, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, was arrested on Wednesday with Walli Mujahidh, 32, following an investigation prompted by an informant who told authorities the two men wanted to attack a military facility in the Seattle area. The two men were taken into custody after they showed up at a warehouse garage to pick up machine guns they planned to use in the attack, authorities said Thursday. The weapons had been rendered inoperable by federal agents and posed no risk to the public.
They are scheduled to attend a bail hearing next week.
Mujahidh voluntarily spoke with investigators after the arrests and confessed, according to the federal complaint against them.
Abdul-Latif's wife, Binta Moussa-Davis, told King 5 she was shocked.
"He's proud to be American. He loves his own country. He loves his family," she said. "I don't know if he got involved with bad people. I don't have any idea."
Uh huh.
Read it all
No comments:
Post a Comment