Who are they?
The 6 held in N.J. terror plot
The six were arrested in coordinated raids Monday night and taken to federal court in Camden yesterday for initial hearings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joel Schneider.
Four, including three brothers, lived in Cherry Hill. Another lived in Buena Vista Township in Atlantic County, and the sixth lived in an apartment in the Bustleton section of Philadelphia.
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Two of the suspects, brothers Dritan Duka, 28, and Shain Duka, 26, were arrested after arriving home in Cherry Hill, where they allegedly had arranged to buy AK-47 and M-16 rifles. One of the FBI informants had set up the deal.A third brother, Eljvir Duka, 23, was arrested at the family home on Mimosa Drive in Cherry Hill. Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, 22, was arrested at his home in the 1000 block of Tampa Avenue in Cherry Hill.
The raids by federal authorities and state police also netted Agron Abdullahu, 24, in Buena Vista Township, and Serdar Tatar, 23, who lives in an apartment in the 2100 block of Tremont Street in Philadelphia.
The Duka brothers, Shnewer and Tatar were charged with conspiring to kill uniformed military personnel. The brothers were also charged with possession of a firearm by an illegal immigrant. All three were in the country illegally, authorities said.
Abdullahu was charged with aiding and abetting the Duka brothers in the weapons-possession offense.
The Dukas and Abdullahu were described as ethnic Albanians from the former Yugoslavia. Abdullahu had legal resident status. Shnewer is a U.S. citizen born in Jordan. Tatar, born in Turkey, is also a legal resident.
Immigration Customs Enforcement agents also arrested the Dukas’ father on immigration charges. His name was not released.
Fox 29 news just mentioned that one of the men arrested worked at the 7-11 at the Temple University campus.
The timeline:
The Philadelphia Inquirer has a timeline; its most important item is this:
Jan. 31, 2006
A shopkeeper alerts the FBI about a “disturbing” video he was asked to copy onto a DVD. The video shows 10 young men shooting assault weapons at a firing range earlier that month. The group calls for jihad (a holy war) and shouts “Allahu Akbar” (God is great).
Awareness:
If you think ‘This doesn’t happen in Gouldsboro, Pa.’, think again.
OF COURSE, the papers and TV stations always follow reports on arrests with the customary friends and families of the arrested bearing witness to what great guys they are, and this case is no exception: “They’re good people,” said one friend at the courthouse, a man who declined to give his name. “They provide for their families.”
Fortunately there are people who are more realistic:
‘This is definitely a reminder that we are at war,” said Carolee Nisbet, a Fort Dix spokeswoman. “We’re trying to encourage everyone to be more aware of their surroundings.”
Dan Riehl has a question.
And more:
A Jacksonian has detailed information on the lawyer to terrorist suspects
Today we have a lawyer Sohail Mohammed kept on by the 6 men who were preparing to attack Ft. Dix. Luckily the 6 were caught before their plot could come to fruition. Now we have Mr. Mohammed who has previously been an advocate for other detainees on terrorism, especially after 9/11.
Sohail Mohammed is counsel for the American Muslim Union, which is connected to Hamas. (h/t Larwyn)
Pajamas Media has a huge round-up.
Update National Review Symposium
While most Muslims have never met militants like those arrested, Muslim organizations should understand that only Muslims hold the keys to the way to overwhelm and counter the ideology which fuels these radicals
Update 2 Repeat after me…
