Alleged Terror Plot Seen as Homegrown
The federal indictment of four Los Angeles men for allegedly plotting a string of attacks on military and Jewish targets concerns officials because it suggests that Islamic extremists can take root in the United States without the help of international terrorists, federal authorities said Wednesday.
"This summer, Americans watched so-called homegrown terrorists unleash multiple bombings in the city of London. Some in this country may have mistakenly believed that it could not happen here," U.S. Atty. Gen. Alberto R. Gonzales said at a Washington news conference to announce the charges. "Today we have chilling evidence that it is possible."
Kevin Lamar James, 29; Levar Haney Washington, 25; and Gregory Vernon Patterson and Hammad Riaz Samana, both 21, were charged with crimes including conspiracy to kill U.S. and foreign government officials, firearms violations and conspiracy to levy war against the U.S. through terrorism.
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III said that to date, the plot appeared to have no connections to international terrorist organizations such as Al Qaeda or Pakistani militant groups.
"We do not have currently ties to international terrorist groups, but in the same breath I'll tell you the investigation is continuing," Mueller said.
The indictment says the plot was designed behind the walls of California State Prison, Sacramento, in Folsom. Investigators say the prison served as a kind of incubator for a potentially violent brand of Islam.
Until now, Muslim terrorists operating in the United States have generally originated abroad. This investigation, however, could realize long-expressed fears by terrorism experts that American Muslim converts serving time in prison could be lured into extremism.
It was unclear how close the men were to executing any of the attacks they allegedly planned. Some counterterrorism investigators believe they were within weeks of an assault, others said nothing was imminent.
At a Los Angeles news conference, however, law enforcement officials made it clear they thought the plot was ready to go.
"The evidence in this case indicates that the conspirators in this case were on the verge of launching their attack," said U.S. Atty. Debra Wong Yang.
"Make no mistake about it," added Los Angeles Police Chief William J. Bratton, "We dodged a bullet here. Perhaps many bullets."
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