Federal authorities have filed terrorism charges against an Iraqi citizen who prosecutors say orchestrated numerous planned attacks across multiple continents as revenge for American military actions in Iran.
Court documents made public Friday in Manhattan federal court reveal that Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi allegedly planned to strike a synagogue in New York City within the past month and shared photographs and location details of Jewish community centers in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, Arizona, with an undercover federal agent as potential targets.
Prosecutors allege Al-Saadi was behind no fewer than 18 planned terrorist operations throughout Europe, which included attempting to firebomb a financial institution in Amsterdam and carrying out knife attacks against Jewish individuals in London.
The defendant also faces accusations of participating in two recent incidents in Canada: an assault on a synagogue and gunfire directed at the U.S. consulate in Toronto during March.
Federal charges include conspiracy to support Kata’ib Hizballah, an Iran-backed Iraqi Shia militant group, and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, both organizations labeled as foreign terrorist groups by the U.S. government.
Additional charges encompass conspiracy and material support for terrorist activities and conspiracy to detonate explosives at public locations.
During his first court hearing, Al-Saadi remained silent, though his attorney stated that he considers himself a political prisoner and prisoner of war, claiming U.S. officials are targeting him due to his connection with Qasem Soleimani, the Revolutionary Guard commander eliminated in a U.S. drone attack in Baghdad in 2020.
No plea was entered at this time. Al-Saadi will stay in custody but may request bail at a later date.
Defense attorney Andrew Dalack revealed that Al-Saadi was apprehended in Turkey before being transferred to U.S. custody. Dalack noted his client has been held in isolation since arriving at a federal detention facility in Brooklyn on Thursday evening.
