It seems like every other day we hear of another “heavily vetted refugee” planning a heinous attack in the United States. Omar Faraj Saeed Al Hardan, who came to the United States as a refugee in 2009, has been arrested for trying to bomb two Texas malls. Hardin appeared in court on Wednesday charged with attempting to provide support to a designated terrorist organization and two the charges. He pleaded not guilty to all three charges. The judge refused to allow him bail because he is obviously a flight risk.
Hardan was learning how to make transmitters and was planning on using cell phones in order to detonate them. Authorities found several cell phones when they raided Hardan’s apartment. Hardan wanted to set off bombs in two Houston malls, including the popular Galleria mall in order to maximize fatalities. He would then travel to Syria where he would officially join ISIS.
Hardan’s brother spoke to the media and said his brother insisted he was innocent and that no one in the family was aware of his brother being radicalized, but that is at odds with a recording of a message that he had sent to his wife that said:
“Once I get the passport I will leave America, I will leave. I will make a widow of you. I will go to Syria. I am not wacko. I am not wacko. I am speaking the truth. I want to blow myself up. I want to blow myself up … I am against America.”
Prosecutor Ralph Imperato questioned Homeland Security Special Agent Herman Wittliff in order to convince the judge not to let Hardan out on bail.
Al Hardan wanted use cellphones – a collection of which were found in his apartment – to detonate the transmitters, Wittliff said.
“He wanted to build them (the transmitters) for ISIL,” Wittliff said.
“For what purpose?” asked prosecutor Ralph Imperato.
“So he could kill people,” Wittliff replied.
If convicted, Hardan will face 25 years in a federal penitentiary.
There have been 117 Muslims arrested for terrorism in the last couple of years but the Obama caliphate refuses to release their immigration status.