Ohio man arrested for allegedly plotting to kill George W. Bush


The FBI has arrested an Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, for allegedly plotting to assassinate former President George W. Bush in the name of ISIS, Forbes reported Tuesday.
On March 23, the FBI filed for a search warrant for Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, who entered the United States in 2020 and had an asylum application pending at the time of his arrest. The FBI's search warrant application was unsealed this week.
According to that document, Shihab wanted to murder the former president to avenge the 2003 invasion of Iraq. To this end, he allegedly traveled to Dallas to surveil Bush's home and used WhatsApp to arrange for four to six ISIS operatives to be smuggled from Iraq to the U.S. via the Mexican border, per NBC News.
Subscribe to 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.
According to Forbes, the FBI's warrant application mentions a pair of confidential informants, "one who claimed to offer assistance obtaining false immigration and identification documents" and another who claimed to be a "customer of the alleged people smuggler."
Federal agents learned of the plot in November 2021, when Shihab asked an FBI informant for help obtaining fake police or FBI credentials.
Bush's chief of staff, Freddy Ford, said in a statement that the former president "has all the confidence in the world in the U.S. Secret Service and our law enforcement and intelligence communities."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
The young converts leading Catholicism's UK comeback
In the Spotlight Gen Z and younger millennials drawn to 'clarity and certainty' in an age of 'perma-conflict'
By The Week UK Published
-
North America is 'dripping' into Earth's mantle
Under the radar Things are rocky below the surface
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
8 essentials for the perfect picnic
The Week Recommends Celebrate warmer weather by dining al fresco
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
White House pushes for oversight of Columbia University
Speed Read The Trump administration is considering placing the school under a consent decree
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Supreme Court backs wrongly deported migrant
Speed Read The Trump administration must 'facilitate' the return of wrongfully deported migrant Kilmar Ábrego García from El Salvador, Supreme Court says
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Two judges bar war-powers deportations
Speed Read The Trump administration was blocked from using the Alien Enemies Act to deport more alleged Venezuelan gang members
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump pauses some tariffs but ramps up China tax
Speed Read The president suspended most 'reciprocal' tariffs for 90 days and raised his tariffs for China to 125%
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ukraine nabs first Chinese troops in Russia war
Speed Read Ukraine claims to have f two Chinese men fighting for Russia
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
IRS chief resigning after ICE deal on taxpayer data
Speed Read Several IRS officials are stepping down after the tax agency is forced to share protected taxpayer records to further Trump's deportation drive
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk and Navarro feud as Trump's trade war escalates
Speed Read The spat between DOGE chief Elon Musk and Trump's top trade adviser Peter Navarro suggests divisions within the president's MAGA coalition
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump, China up trade war risks with tariff threats
Speed Read China said it would 'fight to the end' after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published