Steve Emerson’s Investigative Project on Terrorism has now posted the criminal complaint against Antonio Martinez, a/k/a “Muhammad Hussain,” the 21-year-old American convert to Islam arrested today for attempting to bomb the Armed Forces recruiting station on Route 40 in Cantonsville, Maryland. IPT has also posted the government’s press release, announcing and explaining the charges.
The case appears strikingly like the attempted bombing in Portland thwarted on Thanksgiving weekend. Martinez came to the government’s attention in October because he was urging jihad on social Internet sites, such as Facebook. Based on these tips, the FBI was able to insert a confidential informant and an undercover agent. They learned that Martinez was hot to commit violent jihadist attacks, particularly targeting U.S. military personnel. Martinez told them he had chosen the recruiting station in Cantonsville as an ideal target. After Martinez repeatedly reaffirmed his plans, the government operatives convinced him to allow them to take care of pulling together the bomb components. An inert bomb was constructed, which Martinez allegedly tried to detonate today near the recruiting center, after which he was placed under arrest.
The heartening aspect of the story is that Martinez appears to have appealed to a number of area Muslims to join in his plot. They uniformly turned him down, telling him his actions were wrong and would profoundly harm Muslims. At least some of these people appear to have contacted the FBI to report the goings on.
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INVESTIGATIVE PROJECT.org - IPT News: "THE JIHADIST SOCIAL NETWORK UNDERWORLD" (SNIPPET: "A friend of Martinez who goes by the name Mohamed Momo, lists Faisal Shahzad, Anwar al-Awlaki, and As-Sahab Media among his interests. Momo's list of friends on Facebook includes a smorgasbord of likely jihadist-sympathizers--judging from the contents of their profiles--mixed in with well known American Islamists.") (December 10, 2010)
Baltimore.FBI.gov - DOJ Press Release: Baltimore - "MARYLAND MAN CHARGED IN PLOT TO ATTACK ARMED FORCES RECRUITING CENTER Inert 'Bomb' Provided by Undercover FBI Agent Posed No Danger to Public" (SNIPPET: "Antonio Martinez, aka Muhammad Hussain, age 21, of Baltimore, a U.S. citizen..." SNIPPET: "After learning from the CS that Martinez was seeking to attack and kill military personnel, the FBI recorded a series of conversations between Martinez and the CS. During the conversations, Martinez identified his target as the Armed Forces recruiting station on Route 40 in Catonsville, Maryland.") (December 8, 2010)