Police say that Mohamud was not in touch with any foreign terrorist group. They also said that he was determined to see the plot through and planned the attack on his own. They claim that he wanted to park the van to hurt as many people as possible.
"I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave dead or injured," said Mohamud, according to an affidavit.
The agents also claim that Mohamud felt that Oregon would be a good target because most acts of terrorism are expected to occur in large urban areas. He was going to attack the thousands of people who gather at Pioneer Courthouse Square every year for the Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
Mohamud grew up in Beavertown and was previously enrolled at Oregon State University. He withdrew in October, 2009. After receiving a tip about suspicious behavior, the FBI began to monitor Mohamud's email to find that he was reaching out to people overseas and asking about fighting for the jihad.
Mohamud was eventually reached by an undercover FBI agent, who pretended to be affiliated with the person to whom Mohamud had been reaching out via email. During their conversations, agents say they warned Mohamud several times about the serious nature of his plan and that a lot of people would be hurt. But according to officials, Mohamud allegedly said, "Since I was 15 I thought about all this" and "It's gonna be a fireworks show ... a spectacular show."
Mohamud has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction, which can give him life in prison. Police say they allowed the plot to continue long enough to get evidence on Mohamud before bringing him in. They say that he sent bomb components to undercover agents, thinking that they were constructing a device for him to use in the plot. He then gave authorities even more evidence when he attempted to set off the bomb with a cell phone, finding that it didn't work.
Mohamud's case is interesting in that one has to wonder why there haven't been more terrorist plots in smaller communities across America. I've always thought that attacking a movie theatre in the middle of Iowa would have tremendous impact without the security one might encounter at a larger target. This particular incident is a daunting reminder of the challenging world in which we live, where the lives of countless American have been perpetually altered.
Sadly enough, as we consider the horror being imposed by a man who wants to kill women and children at Christmas, we must also wonder what kind of horror our nation imposes on others who've seen their own children die from American bombs at birthday parties or watched their communities be destroyed by American soldiers sent by businessmen hungry for additional oil. Peace inspires more peace and war breeds war. Let's hope that our nation changes its policies so we can live in peace with our global neighbors. In other words, we are all in jeopardy if we support governmental policies that are destructive.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.