Dallas bomb plot suspect speaks little English, but tells court he understands charges

Dallas Morning News ^ | September 25, 2009 | JASON TRAHAN, TODD J. GILLMAN and SCOTT GOLDSTEIN

[FTJM]

A 19-year-old Jordanian citizen accused of trying to blow up a downtown Dallas skyscraper told a federal magistrate this morning at his first court appearance that he understands the charges against him.

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi, who was provided a court-appointed attorney, is charged with trying to detonate a weapon of mass destruction. He is expected to enter a plea at a later hearing.

Smadi was arrested Thursday after he parked a vehicle laden with government-supplied fake explosives in the underground parking garage of Fountain Place, a 60-story tower at Ross Avenue at Field Street, authorities said. [Hosam Maher Husein Smadi] Hosam Maher Husein Smadi

The arrest was part of an FBI sting operation that began after an agent monitoring an online extremist Web site discovered Smadi espousing jihad against the U.S. more than six months ago.

Smadi was handcuffed and in shackles during a 20-minute initial appearance in the court of U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez. He spoke in halting English when responding to the judge, who had to ask him to speak up several times.

“There are some concepts that he understands in English, but he speaks Arabic,” said Richard Anderson, the federal public defender for the Northern District of Texas.

The judge asked Smadi if he understood his right to not make statements and to have an appointed lawyer and, after a pause, he answered, “Yes, I don’t have any questions.”.

When the judge asked Smadi if he had read the lengthy arrest warrant affidavit against him, Anderson replied that Smadi read what he could, then “we gave him an oral summary of the complaint.”

[evets]

The 'teenager'

Hosam Maher Husein Smadi

[happinesswithoutpeace]

/

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Anybody know how he "got here" .... legal, illegal, visa, etc. ... just curious. Haven't seen anything yet on this. Hopefully, this isn't one of the scenarios we've feared.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Don’t speak English...that’s BS...he worked as a cashier at a gas station/convenience store. A couple of his neighbors claimed they he was their friend...and those folks I’m sure didn’t speak farsi or arabic. He will speak English when those bad boys in the big house get him bent over!

[Infidel Heather]

Any ties to al-quaida or those guys they arrested in NYC?

[KarlInOhio]

Setting up for the appeal because he didn't know enough English to understand the case and the trial.

[ThePatriotsFlag]

Smadi, a Jordanian citizen illegally living in the U.S. in the small town of Italy, about 45 miles south of Dallas, pledged allegiance to Osama bin Laden and expressed a desire to kill Americans, authorities said.

It was right there in the full article, sorry.

[RVN Airplane Driver]

Hosum will speak English when the bad boys in jail come with hosum in hand and bend him over. BTW...he was illegal and was thrown in jail for not having a license and insurance a couple of weeks ago....and of course let out!

[CaptRon]

Good enough for me.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

And then there is this guy:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2347477/posts

[Marty62]

Oh no you don’t buddie. Get him an interpretor. And make SURE he understands the charges. NO APPEALS Kuby.

[Gaffer]

A 19-year-old Jordanian citizen accused of trying to blow up a downtown Dallas skyscraper told a federal magistrate this morning at his first court appearance that he understands the charges against him.

He said calmly as he stood satisfied in the knowledge that the "Guantanamo" of today is a Condo in the Bahamas....

[tioga]

works for me.......

[aruanan]

The judge asked Smadi if he understood his right to not make statements and to have an appointed lawyer and, after a pause, he answered, “Yes, I don’t have any questions.”.

The judge asked Smadi if he understood his right to not make statements and to have an appointed lawyer and, after a pause, he answered, “Where are the virgins?”

[fishtank]

Middle name is Hussein.

I wonder if I’ll ever be able to get used to something like that.................

[tet68]

What is it with these people’s eyes?

Dead eyes, like a doll’s eyes...

[Mr. Jazzy]

Another deranged Amish youth, I see...

[PLMerite]

“...U.S. Magistrate Judge Irma Ramirez.”

I see a SNL skit here. An illegal Arabic-speaking prisoner being questioned by a Spanglish-speaking “wise Latina” judge.

You heard it here first.

[DallasDeb]

I heard that he is here illegally—don’t know if he came here legally or not.