Mousa M. Abuelawi was massing arms in St. Charles, Missouri outside of St. Louis for what his friend said was a “war” he was planning.
** He collected automatic weapons and a Claymore anti-personnel mine and was negotiating for 30 hand grenades!
The context of the word “war” was not explained in court filings.
Maybe, try “jihad”!
Thaer Abde Sumad, who is named in a FBI affidavit, talks to a reporter Thursday. The FBI says Thaer Abde Sumad met with Mousa Abuelawi and a government informer to negotiate the purchase of fully automatic weapons and explosives.
(Huy Richard Mach/P-D)
The St. Louis Post Dispatch is reporting more on the arrest of a local Palestinian immigrant who was massing small arms and grenades for “war”:
A St. Charles man obtained fully automatic weapons and tried to buy as many explosives as possible in preparation for what an associate called “war,” the FBI says in court documents.
He bought three rifles and a Claymore anti-personnel mine and negotiated for a case of hand grenades, documents obtained by the Post-Dispatch show.
Mousa M. Abuelawi, 22, of Franjoe Court, was arrested Dec. 29 and charged on complaints accusing him of three counts of illegal possession or distribution of a machine gun and conspiracy to violate machine gun statutes.
Abuelawi, a Palestinian immigrant free on $50,000 bond, could not be reached. His brother declined to comment on his behalf. His lawyers, Scott Rosenblum and Gil Sison, did not return calls.
The man to whom the word was attributed, Thaer Abde Sumad, said in an interview Thursday that the purchases were not intended for terrorism but to make money supplying street gangs in a St. Louis turf war.
Umm… Sounds reasonable except that the last time gangs used grenades in St. Louis turf war was like never.
But, this could just be a case of “Islamophobia”.
The young men think “they were targeted” because of the sound of their names:
Sumad suggested that he and Abuelawi attracted special attention because of the sound of their names and their Arab ethnicity.
Abuelawi’s lawyers have said he is a Palestinian immigrant.
Sumad is of Palestinian descent but was born in Indiana and raised in St. Louis, he said.
The FBI thinks it’s a “terrorist thing,” Sumad said, “especially after 9/11. They’re trying to make it bigger than what it is.” Sumad said Abuelawi was “trying to make a few extra bucks.”
…On Nov. 29, the informer offered Abuelawi a chance to buy 30 hand grenades for $15,000, or $500 per grenade. Abuelawi haggled the price down to $400 per grenade and asked the informer to get him more M-16s and some AK-47 assault rifles.
Abuelawi wanted four grenades immediately but the informer had only pictures.
Abuelawi told the informer, “this is not my first time dealing with this (expletive),” according to the affidavit.
Trending: Captain and Crew of DALI Cargo Ship Were Taken to Walmart Before Ship Crashed into Key Bridge
U.S. Magistrate Judge Audrey Fleissig told Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Drake that prosecutors had 30 days to obtain a grand jury indictment against Abuelawi or she would dismiss the charges.