Dallas Target: Texas Resident Arrested on Charge of Attempted Use of Weapon of Mass Destruction

KDAF ^ | Feb. 24, 2011 | DOJ

[fightinJAG]

Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was arrested late yesterday by FBI agents in Texas on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his alleged purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets.

The arrest and the criminal complaint, which was unsealed in the Northern District of Texas, were announced by David Kris, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas; and Robert E. Casey Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Dallas Field Division.

Aldawsari is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court in Lubbock at 9:00 a.m. on Friday morning. Aldawsari, who was lawfully admitted into the United States in 2008 on a student visa and is enrolled at South Plains College near Lubbock, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

According to the affidavit filed in support of the complaint, Aldawsari has been researching online how to construct an IED using several chemicals as ingredients. He has also acquired or taken a substantial step toward acquiring most of the ingredients and equipment necessary to construct an IED and he has conducted online research of several potential U.S. targets, the affidavit alleges. In addition, he has allegedly described his desire for violent jihad and martyrdom in blog postings and a personal journal.

[aces]

Don’t you think its time we just boot these students etc out?

[HiTech RedNeck]

Oh, those Amish.

[BikerJoe]

Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari? From where DO Christians come up with these names?

Usually happens when I knock over the scrabble board.

Back to the topic of the thread, when did trying and failing to MAKE something become attempted USE?

To me, attempted USE is "I lit the fuse but it went out..."

[Seruzawa]

Silly laws. What is the use of a punishment of life in prison AND a $250,000 fine?

[HiTech RedNeck]

This would be more like a “conspiracy to...”

But is it legally possible to have a one-man conspiracy?

[OpusatFR]

Darn Quakers!

They must be taking lessons from the Mennonites.

[GSP.FAN]

Jeez out on bail already? :>)

[goodnesswins]

Interesting little tidbit of info...kinda related...a business magazine (Bottomline Personal) my husband gets had an article on “How to survive a Nuclear Attack”...in its recent issue. Just thought it interesting that they decided to publish it in their magazine.

[FourPeas]

when did trying and failing to MAKE something become attempted USE?

Did he actually try to make anything? Unless I missed something (which is entirely possible) he gathered the necessary items, failing on one account to get it the "easy" way.

[bill1952]

looks like the singer from The Cure.

Just needs a gay eye to make him over.

[FourPeas]

Kudos to the chemical supplier and freight company.

[bill1952]

>What is the use of a punishment of life in prison AND a $250,000 fine?

Confiscate anything you own up to that amount

[Old Grumpy]

They’re here and they want to destroy us. This article is being mailed by me to everybody on my email list who will be interested. How many more like this fanatic are already here?

[Kartographer]

Didn't they take this guy down after a high speed chase?

[Hotlanta Mike]

Amish in Texas? They’re branching out.

---

Probably was against the new healthcare law...

[bill1952]

The problem I have with this type of charge is that is “dumbs down” the law.

To me a WMD is something like volume weaponized lethal chemicals or nuclear devices, or even poison gas delivery systems.

By their stretch anything that kills more than one person could be a “weapon of mass destruction.”
Like a stick of TNT.
Or a grenade.

Or any weapon that can shoot more than one bullet or shell.
The slippery slope goes a long way...

Charge him with attempted murder(s)and conspiracy to commit multiple muders and be done with it.

[MamaDearest]

Reminder of Saudi immigrant connections in America's past (and of this administration's Muslim outreach for students in retrospect):

Identity and Immigration Status of 9/11 Terrorists

Snips:

. Hani Hasan Hanjour (26) - Saudi Arabian - pilot
. Khalid al-Mihdhar (or Almidhar) - Saudi Arabian
. Nawaf al-Hamzi (or Alhamzi) - Saudi Arabian (brother of Salem)
. Salem al-Hamzi (or Alhamzi)- Saudi Arabian (brother of Nawaf)
. Majed Moqed - Saudi Arabian
. Mohamed Atta - Egyptian (43) - pilot
. Satam al-Suqami (25) - Saudi Arabian
. Waleed al-Shehri (or Alshehri) (21) - Saudi Arabian (brother of Wail)
. Wail (or Wael) al-Shehri (or Alshehri) (25) - Saudi Arabian (brother of Waleed)
. Abdulaziz al-Omari (or Alomari) - Saudi Arabian
. Marwan al-Shehhi (or Alshehhi) - United Arab Emirates- pilot
. Fayez Ahmed Rashid Ahmed al-Qadi Banihammad (aka Fayez Ahmed) - United Arab Emirates 
. Ahmed al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) - Saudi Arabian
. Hamza Saleh al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) (20) - Saudi Arabian
. Mohand al-Shehri (or Alshehri) - Saudi Arabian
. Ziad Samir Jarrah - Lebanese - pilot 
Saeed al-Ghamdi (or Alghamdi) - Saudi Arabian
Ahmed Ibrahim A. al-Haznawi (or Alhaznawi) (21) - Saudi Arabian
Ahmed Abdullah al-Nami (or Alnami) (23) - Saudi Arabian
Khalid Sheikh Mohamed (Coordinator) -Had a Saudi Arabian passport (although not a Saudi national)

Obama's Muslim outreach fiasco

President Obama‘s outreach to the Muslim world has failed to reap the benefits once expected. The latest report from the Pew Global Attitudes Project indicated that Muslims in the Middle East are less impressed with Mr. Obama now than they were when he first delivered his message of hope and change to Cairo last year.

[null and void]

We need to close our borders for five years until we sort out these people. Deport the illegals. Have planes standing by for anyone that doesn’t have the proper paperwork. Deport them immediately.

From your lips to President Palin's ears...

[SparkyBass]

"Isolated and Unexpected."

~ Hussein Obama

[Cindy]

ON THE INTERNET:

GSN.NTI.org: "Saudi National Says Not Guilty of WMD Charge" (SNIPPET: "Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, was arraigned in federal court in Lubbock, Texas. A trial date has been set for May 2.") (March 28, 2011)

INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - IPT News: "SAUDI INDICTED FOR PLOT TARGETING BUSH, NUCLEAR PLANTS" (SNIPPET: "Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari") (March 11, 2011, 3:26 pm)

INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - For The Record - The IPT Blog: "STUDENT CHARGED IN TERRORIST PLOT MAY HAVE TARGETED BUSH" (February 24, 2011, 12:56 pm)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "BOMB MAKING SAUDI BOY LEAVES BEHIND A FACEBOOK PAGE...and a list of 104 friends." (SNIPPET: "UPDATE: And speaking of Charlotte, it really should surprise no one that Khalid is a friend of a friend of Samir Khan.")

Complaint-Affidavit - Link (pdf)

Link

Dallas.FBI.gov - DOJ Press Release: Washington - "TEXAS RESIDENT ARRESTED ON CHARGE OF ATTEMPTED USE OF WEAPON OF MASS DESTRUCTION Suspect Allegedly Purchased Bomb Materials and Researched U.S. Targets" (SNIPPET: "Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, a citizen of Saudi Arabia and resident of Lubbock, Texas, was arrested late yesterday by FBI agents in Texas on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction in connection with his alleged purchase of chemicals and equipment necessary to make an improvised explosive device (IED) and his research of potential U.S. targets.") (February 24, 2011)

TENNESSEAN.com: "TERROR SUSPECT STUDIED ENGLISH AT VANDERBILT IN 2008-09" by Brian Haas (February 25, 2011, 3:12 am)