Could that Left-wing hate rhetoric be responsible for this?
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FBI agents say the Preston Hollow home of former President George Bush and first lady Laura Bush was among the potential bombing targets listed by a Saudi Arabian citizen arrested Wednesday on charges of attempting use a weapon of mass destruction.
By Jason Trahan
A 20-year-old Saudi Arabian national arrested by the FBI in Lubbock for allegedly plotting to carry out terrorist attacks planned to target the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush, documents show.
Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, a Saudi citizen, was arrested late Wednesday and is scheduled to appear before a federal judge in Lubbock on Friday morning.
Special Agent Mark White, a spokesman for the Dallas FBI, whose jurisdiction includes Lubbock, said the terrorism investigation is ongoing, but “the federal complaint contains no allegations that he received direction from or was under the control of a foreign terrorist organization.”
“We are confident that we have eliminated the alleged threat by Aldawsari,” White said.
Aldawsari, who came to 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.
Aldawsari is in the U.S. legally, authorities said.
Aldawsari attended Texas Tech University before leaving due to bad grades, authorities said. Aldawsari then began attending South Plains College near Lubbock.
According to an arrest warrant affidavit, FBI agents learned of Aldawsari’s alleged plotting on Feb. 1, when a chemical supplier reported that a man named Khalid Aldawsari was attempting to purchase concentrated phenol.
Phenol can be used to make explosives. Aldawsari had successfully purchased concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids in December, authorities said.
Agents say he also allegedly purchased items including a gas mask, a Hazmat suit, a soldering iron kit, glass beakers and flasks, wiring, a stun gun, clocks and a battery tester.
In online blog entries agents found, Aldawsari allegedly wrote of his plans to carry out violent jihad, or holy war, in the United States.
“You who created mankind. … grant me martyrdom for Your sake and make jihad easy for me only in Your path,” he wrote, according to the FBI.
Agents also found lists of various targets, including reservoir dams in Colorado and California, and nuclear power plants.
On Feb. 6, agents say, Aldawsari sent himself an e-mail titled “Tyrant’s House,” in which he listed the Dallas address for Bush.
The affidavit also alleges that Aldawsari conducted research that could indicate he considered using infant dolls to conceal explosives, and was considering targeting a nightclub with an explosive concealed in a backpack.
A search of his Lubbock residence revealed a journal, which showed he had been allegedly plotting for years, authorities said.
One entry describes how Aldawsari sought and obtained a particular scholarship because it allowed him to come directly to the United States and helped him financially, which he said “will help tremendously in providing me with the support I need for Jihad.” The entry continues: “And now, after mastering the English language, learning how to build explosives and continuous planning to target the infidel Americans, it is time for Jihad.”
Authorities were not immediately able to confirm this is the suspect’s Facebook page. Among the other Facebook pages linked on the profile page are: one devoted to the city of Al Kharj in Saudi Arabia , Texas Tech University, the website "ILoveAllaah.com," a group called “STOP Israel's War Crimes in Gaza," one about "Agatha Christy,” which is a misspelling of the famous crime novelist’s name, and pages called “Arab Revolution” and “Wake Up Muslims.” He listed among his “likes” the Al Jazeera television news network.
David Kris, assistant attorney general for national security, lauded investigators for the arrest.
“Aldawsari purchased ingredients to construct an explosive device and was actively researching potential targets in the United States,” Kris said. “Thanks to the efforts of many agents, analysts and prosecutors, this plot was thwarted before it could advance further. This case serves as another reminder of the need for continued vigilance both at home and abroad.”
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