Federal prosecutors charged an Iraqi national on May 15 with directing attacks across Europe and plotting to target a New York synagogue and Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, allegedly served as a commander for Kata’ib Hizballah, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization operating in Iraq. The group operates closely with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which the United States also designates as a foreign terrorist organization, according to DOJ.
Federal prosecutors charged Al-Saadi by criminal complaint with six terrorism-related offenses. DOJ unsealed the complaint May 15 in Manhattan federal court after authorities transferred Al-Saadi into U.S. custody overseas.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn ordered Al-Saadi detained pending trial, according to DOJ.
“Thanks to the dedication and vigilance of law enforcement, this alleged terrorist commander is now in U.S. custody,” Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in the DOJ release. “As alleged in the complaint, Al-Saadi directed and urged others to attack U.S. and Israeli interests and to kill Americans and Jews in the U.S. and abroad, and in doing so advance the terrorist goals of Kata’ib Hizballah and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.”
DOJ Alleges Attacks Across Europe
Al-Saadi and his associates allegedly planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe and two additional attacks in Canada in the name of Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a component of Kata’ib Hizballah, according to DOJ.
The alleged attacks included an explosive attack against the Bank of New York Mellon in Amsterdam on or about March 15 and an arson attack against a synagogue in Skopje, North Macedonia, on or about April 12.
Two Jewish men, including a dual U.S.-British citizen, were also stabbed and seriously injured in London on or about April 29, according to the complaint.
DOJ said Al-Saadi and Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya published videos of the attacks and claimed responsibility for them.
U.S. Jewish Institutions Allegedly Targeted
Al-Saadi also allegedly attempted to coordinate terrorist attacks in the United States in April and May, including attacks targeting Jewish institutions in New York and elsewhere.
On or about April 3, Al-Saadi communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer whom he believed could carry out attacks in the United States, according to DOJ.
Al-Saadi allegedly sent the officer photographs and maps showing the exact location of a prominent New York synagogue, along with two Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale. He also discussed whether the officer would use an improvised explosive device or set the New York synagogue on fire.
“Fortunately, no such attacks occurred at the time,” the DOJ release stated.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said officers assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force helped disrupt the alleged plot against the Manhattan synagogue.
Six Terrorism-Related Charges
Al-Saadi faces six charges: conspiring to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, conspiring to provide material support to the IRGC, conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism, providing material support for acts of terrorism, conspiring to bomb a place of public use, and attempted destruction of property by means of fire or explosive.
The most serious charge, conspiring to bomb a place of public use, carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, according to DOJ. The attempted destruction charge carries a mandatory minimum term of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years.
Congress sets statutory penalties, while a judge determines any sentence, the Justice Department said.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Treasury and State departments designated several Muslim Brotherhood chapters as terrorist organizations in January for allegedly supporting Hamas.
The FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the Al-Saadi case with support from other federal, state, and local agencies, according to DOJ.
The charges are accusations. Al-Saadi is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
