DOCUMENT: Crime

Shopping Mall Terror Plot Foiled

FBI: Man planned 'to disrupt Christmas' with 'acts of jihad'

View Document

Shopping Mall Terror Plot Foiled

DECEMBER 8--An Illinois man plotted to set off hand grenades at a Chicago-area shopping mall in a holiday season terror campaign that was thwarted by federal investigators. According to an FBI affidavit, Derrick Shareef, 22, told a confidential source that he wanted to 'commit violent acts of jihad,' and spoke of killing judges and blowing up public buildings. A copy of the affidavit can be found below. Shareef told the snitch that he sought 'to disrupt Christmas,' adding that, 'I swear by Allah man, I'm down for it too, I'm down for the cause, I'm down to live for the cause and die for the cause, man.' The document does not further describe the supposed cause of Shareef, who was named today in a federal felony complaint. Shareef is quoted telling the FBI source, 'I probably would have eventually ended up stabbing the shit outta some Jews or something. Just stabbing them niggers with a steak knife...Because during that war with Hezbollah, man, I had already started to look at synagogues out here...I was doing MapQuest.' In advance of a planned attack on a Rockford mall, Shareef prepared a martyr's videotape in which he let the 'enemies of Islam' know that 'the time for jihad is now.' He added, 'This is a warning to those who disbelieve, that we are here for you, and I am ready to give my life...May Allah protect me on this mission we conduct.' Shareef was arrested Wednesday afternoon, moments after trading a set of stereo speakers for four nonfunctioning grenades provided to him by an undercover agent. (11 pages)