Car Bomb Terror Suspect Appears In Court
By Samantha Abernethy in News on Sep 17, 2012 10:45PM
The 18-year-old Hillside man accused of attempting to detonate what he thought was a car bomb outside of a downtown Chicago bar appeared in court this afternoon. Attorney Thomas Durkin says his client Adel Daoud is "an immature 18-year-old," and he says he plans to challenge whether authorities had cause to detain him.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation started tracking Daoud in October 2011 after he sent some troubling emails. Agents then contacted him in May, and the New York Times reports that "during these conversations he 'expressed an interest in engaging in violent jihad, either in the United States or overseas,' according to the affidavit." Authorities say Daoud conducted surveillance, planned the attack and on Friday night he attempted to detonate the fake device the FBI had given to him. That's when he was arrested and charged with "attempting to destroy a building by means of an explosive and attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction."
[Durkin] said he was troubled that an undercover FBI agent apparently invented an overseas Imam to give his blessing to the bomb plot when Daoud’s own Imam, a second Imam and Daoud’s own father had all counseled him against violent jihad, according to the complaint.“It’s suspicious,” he said. “I have a lot of questions.”
The Sun-Times reported that Daoud had worshipped at the Islamic Foundation mosque in Villa Park, but he became radicalized on the internet. He clashed with his imam over the question of violent jihad. The mosque's Vice Chairman Arshad Zaheer said Daoud had been brainwashed and misled. Another worshipper at the mosque cast doubt Daoud could even do this on his own. The Sun-Times writes:
“He was intellectually challenged and he seemed a lot younger than 18,” said Junaid Ahmed, 36. “He was told to stop talking about that garbage.”Ahmed said he saw Daoud daily at the mosque during Ramadan and found him “sweet” and easily-led, though Daoud never discussed terrorism in his presence. He repeatedly had to be told to be quiet while other worshippers were praying, Ahmed said.
Asked if he believed Daoud could have built a bomb without the FBI’s help, Ahmed laughed. “He was retarded,” Ahmed said. “I’m not a doctor, but I’d bet my life that he couldn’t.”
While authorities have been careful not to say which downtown Chicago bar was the target, one of the co-owners of Cal's Liquors claims his bar was and that perhaps the bar's Jewish ownership figured into Daoud's decision. Co-owner Mike Feirstein reported seeing authorities gathered around a Jeep Cherokee outside of his bar on Friday and put two-and-two together. Reports did say the target included a bar, a liquor store and a music venue, and Cal's is all of those things. However those who know it have lovingly joked it's maybe not "crowded" enough to be the target. The Sun-Times writes:
According to the complaint, Daoud selected his target because alcohol was being served, which is against the Muslim religion, and because many people would be there. The target would be filled with “the evilest people . . . all the kuffars are there,” he allegedly wrote.Feirstein, whose family has owned the venue for 47 years, laughed at that. “The evilest of the evil?” he said. “He’s maybe the most ignorant of the ignorant.”