Afghan man arrested in alleged US election day attack plot
The U.S. Department of Justice has apprehended a man accused of plotting an attack on Election Day in the name of the Islamic State group.
The suspect, Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, is an Afghan citizen living in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, according to prosecutors.
“Motivated by ISIS, this defendant allegedly conspired to carry out a violent attack on Election Day in our homeland,” stated FBI Director Christopher Wray on Tuesday.
The FBI reported that Tawhedi was trying to stockpile firearms and had taken measures to liquidate his family’s assets and relocate family members overseas.
Tawhedi faces charges of providing, attempting to provide, and conspiring to provide support or resources to a foreign terrorist organization, as well as trying to acquire firearms and ammunition for use in committing a felony or an act of terrorism.
According to the FBI, Tawhedi collaborated with an unnamed juvenile co-conspirator, who is also an Afghan citizen. The agency alleges he consumed Islamic State propaganda online, based on Google records obtained by law enforcement, and donated to a charity serving as a front for IS.
“We will continue to combat the ongoing threat that ISIS and its supporters pose to America’s national security, and we will identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals who seek to terrorize the American people,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland.
According to the BBC news partner CBS, federal investigators’ affidavit alleges that Mr Tawhedi searched for surveillance cameras in Washington, and webcams showing the White House and Washington Monument. It also alleges that he researched states with more lax gun laws.
Mr Tawhedi sought AK-47 assault rifles to use in the attack, authorities claim. On 7 October, he and the co-conspirator met with individuals who actually worked undercover for the FBI to purchase the weapons and ammunition.
After the purchase, Mr Tawhedi and his co-conspirator were arrested.
In an interview conducted after his arrest on Monday, the FBI said Mr Tawhedi allegedly confirmed he planned an Election Day attack that would target “large gatherings of people” and that he planned to die carrying it out.
Mr Tawhedi arrived in the US in September 2021 on a special immigrant visa with his wife and young child. He lived in Oklahoma City at the time of his arrest.
It is not immediately clear if he has legal representation.
1 comment
He should be prosecuted and made to face the full wroth of the law. Human being are so heartless