The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force has arrested an Iraqi man living in Ohio for aiding and abetting a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush. Authorities say the man, Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, told an FBI informant in November that he wanted to target Bush because he was “responsible for killing many Iraqis and breaking apart the entire country of Iraq.”
:shoe:
Authorities say Bush’s life was never at risk.
:shocked-pikachu:
Two undercover informants played key roles in the alleged plot by providing Shihab with cellphones and cellphone data cards and by helping Shihab devise a plan, that never materialized, to smuggle members of ISIS into the country to assist him.
:thinky-felix:
https://soundcloud.com/citationsneeded/ep-31-fake-isis-plots-and-the-selling-of-forever-war
edit: additional details in the DoJ release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An Iraqi citizen living in Columbus, Ohio, has been charged federally with an immigration crime and with aiding and abetting a plot to murder former United States President George W. Bush.
Shihab Ahmed Shihab Shihab, 52, was arrested by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents this morning and appeared in federal court here at 2:30pm. His case was unsealed at that time.
Shihab originally entered the United States in September 2020 on a visitor visa, and in March 2021, he filed a claim for asylum with United States citizenship, which is pending review. He lived in both Columbus, Ohio, and Indianapolis and worked at markets and restaurants in both cities. It is alleged that Shihab exchanged money with others in an attempt to illegally bring foreign nationals to the United States.
For example, in August 2021, Shihab allegedly intended to help who he thought was another Iraqi citizen enter the United States for a fee of $40,000. Shihab provided specific instructions on how he would smuggle the person into the United States after 60 days. In October and December 2021, Shihab accepted tens of thousands of dollars for the purported smuggling. In reality, the individual was fictitious, and the interaction was coordinated under the direction of the FBI.
The charging document also alleges that Shihab planned to smuggle four additional Iraqi foreign nationals into the United States for the purpose of killing former President George W. Bush in retaliation of Iraqi deaths during “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” Shihab then allegedly planned to smuggle the four out of the United States via the United States/Mexico border after they carried out the assassination.
In furtherance of the assassination plot, Shihab allegedly traveled to Dallas in February 2022 to conduct surveillance of locations associated with the former President. In March 2022, it is alleged Shihab met with others in a hotel room in Columbus, Ohio, to look at sample firearms and law enforcement uniforms.
Yeah but gen pop isn't going to do that.
Gen pop wasn't going to do this search to begin with. Not unless someone was whispering "Read this book by Russ Baker in their ear.