Military jihadist at Pentagon had prior record of shootings
0 Comments Published by Avi Green on Friday, June 24, 2011 at 3:45 AM.
An update on the earlier story about Yonathan Melaku. From the Pocono Record (via IBA):
WASHINGTON -- A Marine Corps reservist arrested for suspicious activity near the Pentagon last week has been charged in connection with a spate of shootings at military sites in the Washington, D.C., area last fall, federal officials said Thursday.This tells that it really can be very dangerous to allow people like to serve in the army.
Yonathan Melaku videotaped himself shouting "allahu Akbar" after firing shots at the US Marine Corps museum and documents concerning bomb-making were found in his home, FOX News reported.
He is charged with two counts of willfully injuring property of the United States, and two counts of carrying and discharging a firearm, FOX said.
In a press conference Thursday, Neil MacBride, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, said that the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are possible.
The 22-year-old Marine Corps reservist, who is a Muslim believed to be a naturalized US citizen originally from Ethiopia, was arrested by US Park Police last week with a backpack full of suspicious items.
Melaku fled from law enforcement when he was approached at Arlington National cemetery early Friday. During the chase, he dropped a backpack, which contained spent 9mm shell casings, clear plastic bags containing a powdery substance, spray paint, and a spiral notebook containing references to the Taliban, al Qaeda and Usama bin Laden, among other references to terrorism.
An FBI chemist found that the powdery substance was mostly ammonium nitrate, FOX said.
A search of his home turned up a list of items used to make an improvised explosive device, or IED, as well as a laptop computer holding documents concerning bomb-making, FOX reported. Officials also found a videotape showing Melaku repeatedly firing a handgun while driving near the National Museum of the Marine Corps.
According to FOX, he says in the video: "That's what they get. That's my target. That's the military building. It's going to be attacked." He also yells, "allahu Akbar" repeatedly after firing.
Forensic evidence linked him to five shootings at four military buildings in October and November of 2010, FOX News reported Wednesday.
Labels: anti-americanism, islam, jihad, terrorism, United States, war on terror
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