Jihad in America
The Associated Press is reporting the indictment of four members of a radical Islamic gang who were plotting to carry out terrorist attacks in the U.S. The plan included shooting up synagogues on the High Holy Days in order to “maximize casualties.”
Named in the indictment were Levar Haley Washington, 25; Gregory Vernon Patterson, 21; Hammad Riaz Samana, 21; and Kevin James, 29.
The four conspired to wage war against the U.S. government through terrorism, kill armed service members and murder foreign officials, according to the indictment.
Prosecutors contend the plot was orchestrated by Washington, Patterson and Samana at the behest of James, an inmate at the California State Prison-Sacramento who founded the radical group Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh.
According to the indictment, Washington pledged his loyalty to James “until death by martyrdom” and sought to establish a JIS cell outside prison with members with bomb expertise.
Washington, Patterson and Samana—who attended the same Inglewood mosque—allegedly conducted surveillance of the Los Angeles targets, as well as Internet research on Jewish holidays. Law enforcement officials have previously said that the military facilities included National Guard sites, though the indictment does not specify.
The attacks were to be carried out with firearms and other weapons at synagogues during Jewish holidays “to maximize the number of casualties,” authorities said. Patterson allegedly bought a .223-caliber rifle in July.
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