The following passsages are key excerpts from the Department of Justice’s initial press release.
According to an FBI affidavit supporting the complaint, Shareef became acquainted this past September with an individual in Rockford, whom he allegedly told during the course of their acquaintance that he wanted to commit acts of violent jihad against civilians as well as other crimes to obtain funds to further his goals. Unknown to Shareef was that his acquaintance (CS) was cooperating with the FBI. The CS told Shareef that he would introduce him to a friend who was able to obtain weapons. In fact, the CS’s purported friend was an undercover agent.
During the investigation, the CS recorded many conversations with Shareef. On Nov. 29, Shareef mentioned “courthouses, city hall, government places, government facilities,” as potential targets. In a conversation the following day, Shareef and the CS discussed the mall as another potential location.
…while under surveillance. They walked around the mall, discussing the layout and spots where they might set off several grenades simultaneously to create more pandemonium, according to the affidavit.
…While driving to the mall a second time in the CS’s car, they discussed shaving their body hair and meditating to prepare for an attack. When they arrived at the mall – again under surveillance – Shareef and the CS walked around, allegedly measuring the time it would take to walk from one point in the mall to other points.
…Later that day, Shareef and the CS each videotaped each other making statements that, according to the complaint, are commonly
made by individuals planning attacks on civilians as part of violent jihad.
After greeting each other, Shareef showed the agent a set of stereo speakers in the trunk of the CS’s car and moved them to the trunk of the agent’s car. The undercover agent then opened a locked case in the trunk of his car and
showed Shareef four non-functioning grenades, a 9 millimeter handgun and several rounds of nonfunctioning ammunition. Shareef took the key to the lock box, picked it up and moved the purported weapons to the trunk of the CS’s car. At that time, the undercover agent gave a pre-determined signal and JTTF agents surveilling the transaction arrested Shareef without incident.
December 9th, 2006 at 12:14 am
Linked here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2006/12/breaking-news.html