Cleveland
Three Ohio men of Middle Eastern descent studied the use of suicide belts and improvised explosives in a plot to carry out terror attacks against U.S. troops in Iraq, federal prosecutors charged this week. Officials declined to say how advanced the scheme was, but according to a five-count indictment, the suspects’ plans were foiled by an undercover operative who was working with them as they trained at shooting ranges and sought to sign up recruits. It did not appear the three, all legal U.S. residents, were connected to any organized insurgent groups in Iraq. “This case stands as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance in the war on terror,” Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a news conference in Washington. A lawyer for one of the defendants, 26-year-old Mohammad Zaki Amawi, said his client, a Jordanian-American, was singled out because of his nationality. “He’s caught up in the Justice Department’s vigorous work,” said lawyer Steve Hartman.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Ex-South Korean leader gets life sentence for insurrectionSpeed Read South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison over his declaration of martial law in 2024
-
At least 8 dead in California’s deadliest avalancheSpeed Read The avalanche near Lake Tahoe was the deadliest in modern California history and the worst in the US since 1981
-
Political cartoons for February 19Cartoons Thursday’s political cartoons include a suspicious package, a piece of the cake, and more
