Posted on 10/09/2004 11:13:12 AM PDT by Mount Athos
Federal authorities said Friday they arrested an Iraqi-born Nashville resident on illegal weapons charges during a sting operation set up after he made threats about "going Jihad."
Ahmed Hassan Al-Uqaily, 33, was arrested Thursday afternoon as he was putting weapons he had purchased from an undercover agent into his car, according to an affidavit from FBI agent Greg Franklin.
Authorities said the suspect paid $1,000 to buy two disassembled machine guns, four disassembled hand grenades and hundreds of rounds of ammunition from the agent, who was working with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
"This arrest demonstrates our ability to thwart potential threats to our communities before an attack can be carried out," U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a statement.
According to the affidavit, the investigation began in August after federal authorities were tipped by an acquaintance of Al-Uqaily that he was seeking to buy weapons.
According to the affidavit, Al-Uqaily told the acquaintance that he was angry about the state of affairs in Iraq, that he was "going Jihad," and that he was going to blow up something.
In conversations over the next few weeks, Al-Uqaily pursued efforts with the informant to purchase machine guns, grenades, handguns and missiles. The informant set up a meeting with Al-Uqaily and the undercover agent, authorities said.
"This case underscores the significance of information and assistance provided to law enforcement by the good people of the United States," Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray said in a statement.
The affidavit says that during the later conversations with the informant, Al-Uqaily "expressed animosity towards the Jewish community" and discussed "two Jewish facilities in the Nashville area," but made no specific threats, according to a release from the U.S. Justice Department. Authorities declined to say at a news conference on Friday what two Jewish facilities Al-Uqaily mentioned.
"This was a wake-up call to the fact that the system we're been trying to build ... works," said U.S. Attorney Jim Vines. "We're very dependent on the public coming to us to tell us what they know."
Al-Uqaily had his initial appearance before Magistrate Judge E. Clifton Knowles on Friday.
According to Nashville police, Al-Uqaily was arrested for assault in 1997.
The terrorist cells that are in place in the US won't need to rely on black-market arms and explosives. They've likely brought most of their toys with them, are having them smuggled in, or will "mix" them here.
So...exactly what crime did he commit? Define please, 'disassembled machine guns and hand grenades'. Were the grenades simply inert paperweights like the Branch Davidians used to sell? Were the machine guns capable of being reassembled into functional class III firearms? And what, is it now illegal to buy a couple hundred rounds of ammo, or God forbid, a case of ammo?
This article reeks of anti-gunner paranoia and BS.
Al Ugly....could this creep have a more appropriate name?
Tall tree and a short rope.
At least a partial thanks can be given to the anti American press..Michael Moore...and JOHN F KERRY for giving more aid and comfort to the enemy in the form of their anti war pro terrorist lies
Kerry stating that American troops should be ashamed for setting foot on holy Muslim soil
Kerry again gave aid and comfort to the enemy....and those who any offense regardless of how minor must be addressed with violence and preferably the death of the alleged offender..especially if the alleged offender is a Jew a Christian an American or Westerner
imo
Way to go once again John F Kerry....your anti American rhetoric just might get some more people killed as you did in SE Asia
There are many unnamed heros in this war.
According to the affidavit, the investigation began in August after federal authorities were tipped by an acquaintance of Al-Uqaily that he was seeking to buy weapons.
I thought for amoment it was 'Eu-Kalaylee'.
You can buy two machine guns, and get some grenades and ammo thrown into the deal, for only a thousand bucks?
"I thought for amoment it was 'Eu-Kalaylee'."
Haha, thanks for making me laugh.
Federal law treats certain parts of a machine gun as prohibited items. Selling the tools and parts to turn an AK-47 fully automatic can get a guy in trouble.
Not everything is about anti-gun stuff.
The FBI was not going to give this guy REAL machine guns & hand grenades....what if he got away? Your anti-gun take on this is out of line.
You are much too kind.
Report for insensitivity training..immediately ;-)
You might have overlooked this part:
"...after he made threats about "going Jihad."
You are much too kind.
Report for insensitivity training..immediately ;-)
skip it ! I'll take the job to swat the horse....
When you're a Muslim who announces you're going jihad and going to blow something up, then proceed to buy machine guns and grenades, disassembled or whole, it's illegal. This is not a second amendment issue. You don't even know if this Iraqi is a citizen. At any rate, jihadis do NOT have the right to keep grenades and blow things (and us) up. Period.
"Throwin the Key Away" comes to mind for this, and all similar cases.
"Disappeared" might be a term for the phase just after release from 30 years in federal prison.
Anything else endangers Americans needlessly.
Good questions. Also, is it legal for foreign residents to own firearms?
Yeah, and how many more of these types are all over the place that haven't vocally made "going jihad" threats b/c they are smarter than that?
I'm curious to know what his target would have been. American born too. So much for freedom impacting Islam!
Sadly, the only solution to this issue is banning Islam/muslims from this country. That will never happen however for numerous reasons.
As I see it, Islam is nothing more than a KKK except on a larger and more organized order. They terrorize others hidden behind masks and pretend to be normal citizens went out in public otherwise. They have their closed meetings which are protected by the Constitution.
The biggest difference is the wide-spread nature and global plan for takeover that Islam has. It's only a matter of time before some state, likely Michigan in a decade or two, becomes enough muslim so that we start seeing horrendous political ramifications and much more extensively horrific terroristic activities aimed at our own citizens, likely women, children, and anyone that isn't capable of defending themselves ala the "Allahu Akbar" theme of spreading through fear.
Honestly, can anyone state the clearcut differences between the KKK and Islam? So, they hate slightly different types of people. Big deal! Their methodologies have historically been very similar. Haning, beheading. No big difference there.
How long before the ACLU, Alan Dershowitz, Nadler, Sharpton and the remaining "usual suspects" cry foul and rush to this terrorists defense? I give it two days, then we will start to hear: "He was a wannabe nutcase; He wouldn't have done anything anyway; The Feds entrapped the poor guy; Abuse of authority; Racial profiling; They picked on him because he has dark skin...", etc., ad nauseum.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.