'Lone Wolf' Charged with Plotting Attack During Christmas Rush
Feds Arrest Would-Be Terrorist Allegedly Planning Attack in Chicago Suburbs

Dec. 8, 2006 — ABC News has learned a Chicago-area man has been charged with plotting a terrorist attack.

Sources say the man is accused of planning to use firearms and explosives to attack a specific mall in Rockford, Ill. The alleged plan was to target this mall during the holiday shopping season.  ...

Hat tip Allahpundit, who's tracking the story here.

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Chicago Mall Terrorist Plot Foiled By Feds

... CNN has his name:

The man — described as a U.S. citizen named Derrick Shareef — faces charges for allegedly planning to set off hand grenades in garbage cans in malls during the holiday season.

"Shareef." That's Swedish, right? And probably Hindu.

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Michelle has much more here. A Swedish Hindu, just like I figured.

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Wannabe Jihadi, Take 2
Ed Morrissey

Six months ago, the FBI took down a ring of wannabe jihadis with large aspirations for terrorism and small mental capacities to conduct it. Apparently, they discovered another benighted aspirant to radical Islam in the person of Derrick Shareef, whose brilliant cunning allowed him to get caught in a sting before he ever bought his first hand grenade:

A man has been arrested by federal agents on charges of planning to set off hand grenades at an Illinois shopping mall on Dec. 22 as part of his plan to commit "violent jihad" against civilians.

Derrick Shareef, 22, of Rockford, was arrested when he carried out a rendezvous with an undercover agent in a parking lot to trade a set of stereo speakers for four grenades and a handgun.

Federal officials said he planned to place the grenades in garbage cans at the CherryVale shopping mall in Rockford, about 90 miles northwest of Chicago. ...

... just as with the Miami ring of idiots, this guy should face charges of criminal stupidity. Michelle Malkin has excerpts from the affadavit, and they're entertaining. Shareef had already made his video will, a nice little piece of evidence that will go a long way to convincing a jury that this was no lark. He also picked his friends rather stupidly, as he spilled his entire plan to a partner that had already started working with the FBI. This criminal mastermind then traded his stereo speakers to buy four grenades and a gun instead of using somewhat less traceable cash -- but given that the FBI conducted the transaction, it made little difference.

This is not to say that Shareef didn't pose a danger to the community. Had he acquired his grenades without detection, he likely would have killed several people in the crowded mall. We were fortunate that Shareef couldn't jihad his way out of a paper bag,  ...

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Would-Be Terrorist was Member of Nation of Islam
John Hinderaker

The Riehl Story reports that Derrick Shareef, who was recently arrested for plotting to attack a shopping mall in suburban Chicago with hand grenades, was a member of the Nation of Islam. I don't find it surprising that this radical group would spawn terrorists and terrorist sympathizers.

It is worth mentioning, perhaps, that Congressman-elect Keith Ellison is or was a long-time member of the Nation of Islam. In 1998, he ran for the Minnesota legislature as "Keith Ellison-Muhammad," an open member of the NOI. I wonder whether anyone will ask Ellison to comment on the Nation and whether it encourages terrorism.

Coincidentally, today is the 25th anniversary of the murder of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner by Mumia Abu-Jamal. Michelle Malkin remembers. ...