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2007 Fort Dix attack plot

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Six Muslim men planning an attack on the Fort Dix military base in New Jersey were arrested by the FBI on May 7, 2007, and charged with planning an attack against United States soldiers to "kill as many soldiers as possible."[1]

Group members

  • Dritan Duka, was the cell leader of the group. Like his two brothers, Eljvir Duka and Sulayman Shain Duka, he is from former Yugoslavia.
  • Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, Dritan Duka's brother in law, is a 22-year-old cab driver from Jordan, who became a naturalized citizen.
  • Serdar Tartar Born, born in Turkey, worked at a 7-Eleven store in New Jersey.
  • Agron Abdullahu was also born in former Yugoslavia. He provided weaponry instruction to the cell members, and worked at a ShopRite supermarket in Buena Vista Township.[2][3][4]

Target list

Preparation

The six men traveled to the Poconos where they practiced firing automatic weapons: 3 AK-47s. Authorities were alerted shortly thereafter (January 2006) by a local marksman,[5] and an informant from the FBI infiltrated the group in order to gather information.[6]

On January 31, 2006, they had recorded video footage of themselves shooting assault weapons and shouting "Allah Akbar" (God is Great")[7] However, it was only when the men brought video footage of themselves using assault weapons to a store, in order to convert it to DVD, that the owner of the store alerted authorities, and a full-scale investigation was initiated.[2]

The men considered attacking several other military bases, such as the Dover Air Force Base, and Fort Monmouth, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard building in Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Navy Yard. It is probable that the group selected Fort Dix because they knew it well from delivering pizza there;[6] one of the suspects could "[draw] a detailed map of Fort Dix from memory".[8]

As the men plotted, they continued to hold normal jobs. The Duka brothers (Eljvir, Dritan, and Shain), illegal immigrants from Yugoslavia, operated a roofing business known as Qadr. Inc., Colonial Roofing and National Roofing. Agron Abdullahu (a legal immigrant from Yugoslavia), Serdar Tatar (a Turkish legal immigrant), and Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewe (a U.S. citizen from Jordan) also held a variety of jobs, including that of a taxi driver and clerk for 7/11.[2]

Five of the men intended to attack the Fort Dix military base and kill as many servicemen as they could.[1] Abdullahu merely was there to provide weapons (aiding and abetting). The group revealed to the FBI informant (a conversation which was recorded) that the five other men intended to "hit a heavy concentration of soldiers [...] You hit four, five or six Humvees and light the whole place [up] and retreat completely without any losses".[2]

Training locations

The six men travelled to the Poconos, where they practiced firing automatic weapons.[2] The group's planning was caught on video and audio tape by federal authorities. They also trained in Gouldsboro, Pennsylvania and Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey.[9]

Weaponry sought

The cell members were in the process of obtaining weapons, including AK-47s, M16s, M60s, rocket propelled grenades, rockets, semi-automatic Sig Sauer 9 mm handguns, Smith & Wesson 9 mm, C-4 plastic explosive, and nitroglycerin. These were sought from an underground military dealer from Baltimore, Maryland who had recently returned from Egypt.[9]

Arrest

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The informant from the FBI had been aware of the group since at least a year before the incident initiated the arrest of the six men.[1]

The group purchased M16 and AK-47 rifles from the FBI informant, although the weapons were non-functional, or "dummies". Shortly thereafter (Monday night), five of the men were arrested in their home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey (approximately 20 miles, or 32 km, from Fort Dix).[10] They are charged with conspiring to kill U.S. government employees.[6]

Motivation

One of the men, Eljvir Duka, explained the group's motivation as follows:

In the end, when it comes to defending your religion, when someone is trying attacks your religion, your way of life, then you go jihad.[1]

The men claimed to be acting independently of any Islamic terrorist groups (such as the al-Qaida),[11] although it is believed that the six men were "inspired" by such groups.[12] Officials did term the group "homegrown",[13] and White House Press Secretary Tony Snow indicated that they were "not charged with being members of an international terrorism organization".[6]

The men professed a strong belief in radical Islam. They were ready to kill others and themselves "in the name of Allah",[11] and one asserted to another on a video tape that "Allah will take care of your wife and kids".[6]

Timeline of key events

  • 1/31/2006 Dritan Duka , Eljvir Duka , Sulayman Shain Duka obtain semi automatic weaponry for training . They record a video of 10 members of their group conducting militia style assault training shooting their weapons at a firing range shouting Allah Akbar. They then attempt to produce copies for propaganda purposes, at a video store, which is intercepted by the FBI.
  • 8/11/2006 Shnewer travels to Fort Dix to conduct surveillance
  • 8/11/2006 Shnewer travels to Fort Monmouth to conduct surveillance
  • 8/13/2006 Shnewer travels to Dover Air Force Base Delaware to conduct surveillance
  • 8/13/2006 Shnewer travels to U.S. Coast Guard Philadelphia Pennsilvania to conduct surveillance
  • 8/16/2006 Shnewer travels to Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst to conduct surveillance
  • 11/28/2006 Serdar Tartar, who had delivered pizza to Fort Dix before, obtains a map of the Fort Dix military installation gotten through his father Muslim Tartar's Pizza delivery restaurant "Super Mario's Italian Cuisine and Steakhouse", in Wrightstown-Cookstown Road, Wrightstown which services the military base.[14]
  • 2/2/2007 Dritan Duka, Eljvir Duka and Sulayman Shain Duka conduct weaponry training in Gouldsboro Pennsilviania
  • 2/4/2007 Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, Dritan Duka, Eljvir Duka and Sulayman Shain Duka review terrorist training materials
  • 2/26/2007 Dritan Duka and Eljvir Duka conduct weapons training in Cherry Hill New Jersey
  • 3/15/2007 Dritan Duka and Sulayman Shain Duka conduct weapons training in Cherry Hill New Jersey
  • 4/16/2007 Dritan Duka contracts arms dealer for AK-47 Kalishnikov and M-16s fully automatic and other assault weaponry.
  • 5/8/2007 Six members of the group are arrested by the FBI.[9]

Retrieved hard drive

On a retrieved laptop, the downloaded last will and testament of two September 11 hijackers[6] and militant Islamist recruiting speeches given by Osama bin Laden and others were recovered.[9]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Parry, Wayne (2008-05-08). "6 Men Charged in Plot to Attack Fort Dix". Washington Post. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Terror Suspects Arrested In N.J. After FBI Foils Fort Dix Attack". NBC 10. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ "Five Radical Islamists Charged with Planning Attack on Fort Dix Army Base in New Jersey" (PDF). United States Department of Justice. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  4. ^ "Who are the suspects?". Courier Post. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  5. ^ "Terror suspects were 'bad shots," says local marksman". Pocono Record. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-09.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "6 Charged In Alleged N.J. Terror Plot". WNBC. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  7. ^ "6 Arrested in Plot to Attack Fort Dix". The New York Times. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  8. ^ Degener, Richard (2007-05-08). "Six Islamic militants, one from Atlantic County, charged with plot to attack Fort Dix". Press of Atlantic City. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  9. ^ a b c d "US District Court Case 1:07-mj-02046-JS Document 1" (PDF). United States District Court, District of New Jeresy. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  10. ^ "Arrests over US army base 'plot'". BBC. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b "6 held on terror conspiracy charges in N.J." MSNBC. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  12. ^ "Official: Radicals wanted to create carnage at Fort Dix". CNN. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  13. ^ "Feds Arrest Six In Plot Against Army Base". CBS. 2007-05-08. Retrieved 2007-05-08.
  14. ^ Pizza shop chef: Owner distraught over son's arrest
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