Very interesting post! Well, I hadn't heard about the beard yet, but on another thread, someone posted a link to a site that claimed they'd found Islamic materials in his apartment along with all the bomb making items.
I don't know how true the Islamic materials part is - it was posted on NEIN, which is sort of like Debka - sometimes right on target and ahead of the pack, and sometimes raving. However, someone else said that the Islamic materials may have come from his search for a way to build a suicide vest, which is apparently a common feature of Muslim websites...
The bomb making stuff has been reported elsewhere, so it seems legit. Go to the NEIN website to see a picture of the special armored bomb cannister being taken away from his apartment, according to NEIN, laden with explosives.
Thanks for the ping!