Home-grown terrorAWOL soldier arraigned in Fort Hood bomb plot

A defiant Pfc. Naser Jason Abdo was arraigned today, charged by federal prosecutors with possession of an illegal firearm. As he was leaving the courtroom, Abdo shouted “Nidal Hasan Fort Hood 2009!”

The 21-year old AWOL airborne infantryman, was arrested on Wednesday by Killeen, Texas, police following a tip from gun shop employees suspicious of his behavior and his purchase of six pounds of gunpowder. The shop was the same store where army Major Nidal Hasan had purchased the gun, laser sighting device and ammunition used in his attack on Fort Hood personnel in November 2009, leaving thirteen dead in his wake.

At the time of his arrest, police found the gunpowder, a handgun with a spare magazine, ammunition including shotgun shells, Christmas lights, a pressure cooker and battery-powered alarm clocks. Most concerning of the discoveries was a copy of an article, “How to build a bomb in your kitchen,” from Inspire, the English-language jihadist magazine published by an al-Qaeda affiliate in Yemen.

Killeen Police Chief Dennis Baldwin said that the initial arrest was made on charges of possession of obscene material and AWOL. During investigation following the arrest, the weapons, ammunition and bomb-making material was found in his motel room and in a backpack in his possession.

During the arrest announcement, Chief Baldwin confirmed that the plan was considered a terrorist attack, but that Abdo apparently was acting alone.

Australia’s Sydney Morning Herald, reports that Abdo allegedly intended to use the munitions to detonate a bomb at locations outside the base where soldiers gathered, then follow on with gunfire to kill any survivors. There are many such locations where soldiers and their families gather, though none has been identified as the target.

According to Los Angeles Times, Abdo, attached to the 101^st Airborne Division, had gone AWOL from the division’s base at Fort Campbell, Kentucky on 4 July of this year. He had not been heard of since, until his arrest Wednesday.

Abdo, from Dallas-suburb Garland, joined the army in 2009. As his deployment to Afghanistan approached, he appealed the army for conscientious objector status, maintaining that his Muslim faith would not allow him to engage Muslims in combat.

In May of this year, he was granted the conscientious objector status, but his discharge was held up when the army charged him with possession of child pornography, a charge he disputes. In July, he went AWOL, disappearing until his arrest.