Iraqi National Charged with Terror Plots Across Europe and North America
An Iraqi national, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, has been arrested and faces charges in the United States after planning numerous terror attacks in Europe and North America. The attacks were reportedly in retaliation for the conflict involving the U.S., Israel, and Iran. Among the foiled plots were plans to attack a bank in Amsterdam and to stab Jewish individuals in London.
The federal court in Manhattan revealed on Friday that Al-Saadi had targeted a synagogue in New York City last month, providing an undercover officer with images and maps of Jewish centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, as part of his plans. His alleged involvement extends to recent incidents in Canada, including an assault on a synagogue and a shooting at the U.S. consulate in Toronto earlier this year.
Prosecutors assert that Al-Saadi encouraged others to attack U.S. and Israeli targets, aiming to harm Americans and Jewish communities. He reportedly discussed these plans openly on Snapchat and Telegram and outlined them in phone conversations with an FBI informant.
Al-Saadi, aged 32, faces charges of conspiracy to provide material support to Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iraqi Shia militant group backed by Iran, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Both are recognized as foreign terrorist organizations by the U.S. government. Al-Saadi is identified as a commander within Kata’ib Hizballah.
Additional charges include conspiring to commit acts of terrorism and plotting to bomb public venues. A conviction could lead to a life sentence. FBI Director Kash Patel labeled Al-Saadi a “high-value target responsible for mass global terrorism” and praised the FBI’s successful operation.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch emphasized the global threats posed by Iranian proxies like Kata’ib Hizballah, which were highlighted in this case. Al-Saadi appeared in court, maintaining his silence but smiling, while his lawyer portrayed him as a political prisoner due to his ties with the late Qasem Soleimani, a former Revolutionary Guard leader.
Al-Saadi’s arrest occurred in Turkey, from where he was transferred to the U.S. He is currently held in solitary confinement at a federal jail in Brooklyn, according to his attorney, Andrew Dalack. Dalack noted the isolation is unusual given the charges.
The complaint details Al-Saadi’s association with Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, a Kata’ib Hizballah faction, in coordinating attacks post-February 28. These include a mid-March bombing of a Bank of New York Mellon building in Amsterdam and a thwarted Paris bombing attempt on March 28, both involving teenage suspects.
In Amsterdam, the attack led to significant damage but no casualties. Al-Saadi celebrated an explosion outside an Amsterdam Jewish school on social media. Meanwhile, Paris police uncovered an incendiary device poised to create a large blaze.
Last month, Al-Saadi proposed simultaneous attacks on U.S. Jewish sites, offering $10,000 in cryptocurrency for the execution. He urged the undercover officer to act swiftly, expressing his impatience in a text message dated April 6.
