U.S. soldier accused of planning bomb attack on Texas restaurant

[News_Editor]

U.S. soldier accused of planning bomb attack on Texas restaurant

2011-07-30 16:29:40 GMT+7 (ICT)

HOUSTON (BNO NEWS) -- A U.S. soldier has been arrested and charged in relation to allegations that he possessed an explosive device which he intended to use to bomb a restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood, prosecutors said on Friday.

Naser Jason Abdo, 21, was arrested on Wednesday afternoon at a Killeen, Texas hotel on a warrant charging him with Possession of Obscene Material and Absent Without Leave (AWOL). He was charged on Friday with one federal count of possession of an unregistered destructive device.

According to the criminal complaint, Abdo made statements to the arresting officers that he intended to conduct an attack against Killeen and Fort Hood, a military post nearby. He also indicated in response to questioning that there were explosives in the backpack he was carrying and in his room.

"The backpack being carried by Naser Jason Abdo was searched," said Special Agent James Runkel of the FBI in the criminal complaint. "Some of the items found inside the backpack searched by the officers were as follows: two clocks; two pools of auto wire; Winchester .40 caliber ammunition; Springfield .40 caliber handgun, model XD."

Also included in the backpack was an article entitled 'Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom' and a handwritten list in a composition notebook which included items described as 'red black green wire', '160 gunpowder' and '1 small box of shotgun shells'.

An FBI bomb technician later confirmed that the items found in Abdo's hotel room can be used to construct a destructive device. "Other FBI personnel interviewed Naser Jason Abdo on July 27, 2011, subsequent to his arrest by the Killeen Police Department," Runkel wrote. "Affiant learned from the FBI personnel that Naser Jason Abdo admitted that he planned to assemble two bombs in the hotel room using gun powder and shrapnel packed into pressure cookers to detonate them inside an unspecified restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas."

As a result, Abdo has been charged in federal court with possession of an unregistered destructive device and, if convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.

Fort Hood has been targeted previously. In November 2009, 13 people were killed and 29 others were injured when Major Nidal Malik Hasan opened fire at the military post. Hasan survived the killing spree and has been charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-30

[Steely Dan]

Hardly worth commenting except for the ridiculous politically motivated refusal to mention facts central to the case. Here is a more honest piece of reporting.

http://www.salon.com/news/us_military/?story=/news/feature/2011/07/29/us_awol_soldier

As Pfc. Naser Abdo beseeched officials to grant him conscientious objector status and release him from the military, he condemned a fellow Muslim soldier accused of shooting 13 people to death at Fort Hood. Such acts, he wrote, "run counter to what I believe in as a Muslim."

Less than a year later, officials say Abdo has admitted planning to launch another attack on Fort Hood with a bomb in a backpack and weapons stashed in a motel room where he was arrested Wednesday, about 3 miles from the Texas Army base's main gate.

Yes he was a Muslim, we all guessed that. He also lied when condemning the 2009 Fort Hood shootings and even shouted out the name of the Fort Hood murderer when lead out of court.

What else? Yes the 'possession of obscene material' mentioned in the news item somehow failed to mention it was child pornography which was found.

So the religion of the accused, his lying in condemning violence and his predilection for child pornography were all omitted. Well they wouldn't want to give people the right wrong idea would they now?

[geriatrickid]

Also not mentioned is that the gun store where he was trying to buy smokeless gunpowder tipped off authorities. This was the same gun store where the 2009 madman purchased his weapon(s). The accused killer in this case was about to be discharged and then the child pornography was discovered resulting in a delay in the discharge. The rest is history as they say.

[KeyserSoze01]

Hardly worth commenting except for the ridiculous politically motivated refusal to mention facts central to the case. Here is a more honest piece of reporting.

http://www.salon.com...us_awol_soldier

As Pfc. Naser Abdo beseeched officials to grant him conscientious objector status and release him from the military, he condemned a fellow Muslim soldier accused of shooting 13 people to death at Fort Hood. Such acts, he wrote, "run counter to what I believe in as a Muslim."

The question has to be asked, why did he join the military in the first place if he is a conscientious objector? Joining the US military is 100% voluntary.

[Ulysses G.]

I would guess that he wanted military experience to facilitate terrorism.

[sbk]

I would guess that he wanted military experience to facilitate terrorism.

And indeed that would be a complete guess, wouldn't it?

[koheesti]

I would guess that he wanted military experience to facilitate terrorism.

And indeed that would be a complete guess, wouldn't it?

It would be interesting to know why he joined in the first place.

[Scott]

He's the first conscientious objector I've heard of who engages in violence.

[Pakboong]

I would be interesting to know how he funded his plan. He bought things and traveled with no known income source. He had been in Kentucky a few days before he was arrested. He took a cab to the gun store.

I have been in that gun store by the way and it is pretty much the only game in town. The guy who owns it is a police veteran who tipped off the local police.

[Steely Dan]

I would be interesting to know how he funded his plan. He bought things and traveled with no known income source. He had been in Kentucky a few days before he was arrested. He took a cab to the gun store.

I have been in that gun store by the way and it is pretty much the only game in town. The guy who owns it is a police veteran who tipped off the local police.

Perhaps he had an expense account.