Man was arming for 'war,' FBI says

St. Louis Post-Dispatch ^ | 02/02/2007 | Robert Patrick

[Mount Athos]

A St. Charles man obtained fully automatic weapons and tried to buy as many explosives as possible in preparation for what an associate called "war," the FBI says in court documents.

He bought three rifles and a Claymore anti-personnel mine and negotiated for a case of hand grenades, documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch show.

Mousa M. Abuelawi, 22, of Franjoe Court, was arrested Dec. 29 and charged on complaints accusing him of three counts of illegal possession or distribution of a machine gun and conspiracy to violate machine gun statutes.

Abuelawi, a Palestinian immigrant free on $50,000 bond, could not be reached. His brother declined to comment on his behalf. His lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Gil Sison, did not return calls.

The context of the word "war" was not explained in court filings; the FBI declined to comment.

The man to whom the word was attributed, Thaer Abde Sumad, said in an interview Thursday that the purchases were not intended for terrorism but to make money supplying street gangs in a St. Louis turf war.

Sumad, 23, is not charged, although he is identified in an FBI affidavit as being present for one of the transactions.

He told a reporter he had no role in handling the firearms or explosives. He said he was at a meeting between Abuelawi and a federal informer outside a St. Louis gas station where Sumad works only because he knows both and wanted to say hello.

Sumad suggested that he and Abuelawi attracted special attention because of the sound of their names and their Arab ethnicity.

Abuelawi's lawyers have said he is a Palestinian immigrant.

Sumad is of Palestinian descent but was born in Indiana and raised in St. Louis, he said.

[Loud Mime]

Abuelawi, a Palestinian immigrant free on $50,000 bond, could not be reached. His brother declined to comment on his behalf. His lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Gil Sison, did not return calls.

Lawyers, Guns and Money - - What a mix.

[Always Right]

Sumad suggested that he and Abuelawi attracted special attention because of the sound of their names and their Arab ethnicity.

Good, and apparently that special attention was warranted.

[SolidWood]

Mousa M. Abuelawi a Palestinian

Why are these people living here? Why doesn't his cult mentioned in the headline? I fear I know the answer...

[L98Fiero]

He was just exercising his 2nd amendment rights. These knee-jerk over-reactions are getting old. What, a Pakistani can't enjoy the freedoms of the second amendment?

/tone of FR as of late.

[2ndClassCitizen]

Sounds like profiling to me. (sarcasm)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

They hate the West. Why are they here ?

[mad puppy]

"Abuelawi, a Palestinian immigrant free on $50,000 bond, could not be reached."

Could not be reached and will not be found. Why do they let people like this out on bail? Insane.

[NonValueAdded]

free on $50,000 bond

Are they insane???

[wizecrakker]

Abuelawi, a Palestinian immigrant free on $50,000 bond

WTF, over.

[wastedyears]

Who paid for his bond is what I want to know.

[r9etb]

Why are these people living here?

Because he was born in Indiana, maybe?

[ButThreeLeftsDo]

"the purchases were not intended for terrorism "

Okay.

[Just A Nobody]

were not intended for terrorism but to make money supplying street gangs in a St. Louis turf war.

One mans' terrorism is another mans' turf war.

The so called "palistinian's" MO.
Hello Arafat...PLO. Take what you want by intimidation...er... turf war... oh, terrorism.

[kinoxi]

He bought three rifles and a Claymore anti-personnel mine and negotiated for a case of hand grenades, documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch show.

And $5,000 sets him free. The bond amount should have much higher or non existent as there is no purpose for those other than inflicting mass casualties.

[Just A Nobody]

Why are they here ?

Think real hard ... you know the answer to that ... I know you do. ;*/

[Lazamataz]

What the hell are Palestinians doing immigrating to our country?

[NRA2BFree]

The Prez just committed Americans to millions more to give to the Palestinians, while at the same time he's opening the door for thousands more Muslims to immigrate to America!! I honestly believe that it's us that needs to be arming ourselves for a war, because Muslim terrorists are going to bring it to our neighborhoods!!

[Trailerpark Badass]

Could not be reached and will not be found. Why do they let people like this out on bail? Insane.

Hopefully, they track this person and see who he leads to.

Hopefully....

[chesty_puller]

How does one go about buying a claymore?