December 08, 2006

FBI Arrests Man Plotting Mall Attack

Not many details yet.

ABCNEWS: Dec. 8, 2006 — ABC News has learned a Chicago-area man has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack.

Sources say the man is accused of planning to use firearms and explosives to attack a specific mall in Rockford, Ill. The alleged plan was to target this mall during the holiday shopping season.

The suspect is being described as a "lone wolf" style terrorist and is not believed to have ties to any organized terrorist group.

Update: More here at MSNBC.

Derrick Shareef was arrested when he met with an undercover agent in a Rockford parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four hand grenades and a handgun...

...The plan was allegedly ideologically motivated.

Update II. More here at CBS2 in Chicago.

Authorities reported that the mall was one of several potential targets Shareef allegedly discussed with undercover agents, and the others were primarily local government facilities.

Earlier information said the case was connected to a terrorist plot against a Chicago mall, but that turned out not to be correct.

Federal authorities said the public was not in danger.

"Once the threat Shareef posed was detected by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, his activities and movements were under constant surveillance and there was no imminent risk to the public," said FBI Special-Agent-in-Charge Robert Grant.

Update III: Michelle Malkin has posted a copy of the affidavit, via the smoking gun. Apparently he is a Muslim and a Jew Hating Racist Muslime at that. I have a partial copy below the fold. See Michelle's blog for more.

Warning: Strong anti-Semitic and racist language.

ROPMA

Stop The ACLU notes the man was inspired by online jihadist propaganda.

So rather than a "lone wolf", we prefer the term al-Qaeda 3.0. This is when small groups or lone individuals perpetrate acts of terror. They are inspired by al-Qaeda and other jihadist propaganda websites.

Hat Tip: Dread Pundit Bluto.

Via comments at Ace O Spades: This is big news everywhere but....(drum rolls).....CNNJazeera.

Suspect sketch via FOXNEWS: