Saudi Citizen in Texas Charged in Suspected Bombing Plot
Lubbock Sheriff's Office
Khalid Aldawsari, a 20-year-old college student near Lubbock, Texas, allegedly targeted the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush.
A college student from Saudi Arabia studying chemical engineering in Texas has been arrested by the FBI for allegedly planning a terrorist attack on U.S. targets using explosive chemicals.
Khalid Aldawsari, who is legally in the U.S. on a student visa, allegedly targeted the Dallas home of former President George W. Bush. He was arrested late Tuesday on a federal charge of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.
“Yesterday’s arrest demonstrates the need for and the importance of vigilance and the willingness of private individuals and companies to ask questions and contact the authorities when confronted with suspicious activities,” said James T. Jacks, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
Aldawsari, 20, entered the U.S. in October 2008 from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to study at Texas Tech University, then transferred earlier this year to nearby South Plains College.
Federal prosecutors say Aldawsari had been researching online how to construct an improvised explosive device using several chemicals as ingredients. Authorities say Aldawsari's diary indicated the young man had been plotting an attack for years and obtained a scholarship so he could come directly to the United State to carry out jihad.
"It is war ... until the infidels leave defeated," Aldawsari wrote in online postings.
In e-mails Aldawsari apparently sent himself, he listed the names of 12 reservoir dams in Colorado and California. He also wrote an e-mail that mentioned "Tyrant's House" with the address of President Bush's home. The FBI's affidavit said he considered using infant dolls to hide explosives and was possibly targeting a nightclub with a backpack filled with explosives.
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