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."
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.
-
July 14 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday’s political cartoons include the price of produce without migrants, Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein reunited, and what happens when you call DHS
-
What happened to Air India Flight 171?
Today's Big Question Preliminary report reveals 'fundamental reason' why jet crashed, but questions remain about whether it was 'deliberate, accidental or if a technical fault was responsible'
-
Why the world's busiest shipping routes are under threat
The Explainer Political tensions, mega ships and global warming offer new challenges – and opportunities
-
Trump set to hit Canada with 35% tariffs
Speed Read The president accused Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney of failing to stop the cross-border flow of fentanyl
-
Mahmoud Khalil files $20M claim over ICE detention
Speed Read This is the 'first damages complaint' brought by an individual targeted by the Trump's administration's 'crackdown' on Gaza war protesters
-
Trump threatens Brazil with 50% tariffs
Speed Read He accused Brazil's current president of leading a 'witch hunt' against far-right former leader Jair Bolsonaro
-
AI scammer fakes Rubio messages to top officials
Speed Read The unknown individual mimicked Rubio in voice and text messages sent to multiple government officials
-
SCOTUS greenlights Trump's federal firings
speed read The Trump administration can conduct mass federal firings without Congress' permission, the Supreme Court ruled
-
New tariffs set on 14 trading partners
Speed Read A new slate of tariffs will begin August 1 on imports from Japan, South Korea, Thailand and more
-
Elon Musk launching 'America Party'
Speed Read The tech mogul promised to form a new political party if Trump's megabill passed Congress
-
Judge blocks Trump's asylum ban at US border
Speed Read The president violated federal law by shutting down the US-Mexico border to asylum seekers, said the ruling