New terrorism convictions in Northern Ohio. DOJ Press Release: (Hat tip to Bobby Chesney)
A federal jury in the Northern District of Ohio has convicted three Ohio residents, Mohammad Zaki Amawi, 28, Marwan Othman El-Hindi, 45, and Wassim I. Mazloum, 27, of conspiring to commit terrorist acts against Americans overseas, including U.S. military personnel in Iraq, and other terrorism-related violations.
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Today’s verdicts were announced by Patrick Rowan, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security; William J. Edwards, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; and C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge, Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
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At trial, the government proved that all three defendants engaged in a conspiracy, beginning sometime prior to June 2004, to kill or maim persons outside the United States, including U.S. armed forces personnel in Iraq. As part of the conspiracy, the defendants conducted firearms training and accessed and copied instructions in the construction and use of explosives – including IEDs and suicide bomb vests. In addition, the defendants conspired to recruit others to participate in jihad training; researched and solicited funding sources for such training; and proposed sites for training in firearms, explosives and hand-to-hand combat to prospective recruits.
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“Today’s verdicts should send a strong message to individuals who would use this country as a platform to plot attacks against U.S. military personnel in Iraq and elsewhere,” said Patrick Rowan, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This case also underscores the need for continued vigilance in identifying and dismantling extremist plots that develop in America’s heartland.”
Acting United States Attorney William J. Edwards said: “These verdicts are testament to the hard work and dedication of all the federal, state and local law enforcement officers who have spent years investigating this case and to the tireless efforts and perseverance of an extremely talented team of federal prosecutors who, with their law enforcement partners, keep this country safe from terrorists.”
“This case demonstrates the stark reality of home grown terrorism. If a plot like this can be developed in Toledo, OH, it can happen anywhere. With radical extremists in our midst, the FBI works day and night with our law enforcement and intelligence partners to pursue suspected terrorists and their supporters,” said C. Frank Figliuzzi, Special Agent in Charge, Cleveland Division, FBI.
