Can Mohammed Taheri-Azar Be Prosecuted for a Terrorist Offense?
Daveed Gartenstein-Ross
On Friday, Mohammed Reza Taheri-azar drove a Jeep through a crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, hitting nine people. Fortunately, none of the nine were seriously injured. Taheri-azar has been charged with nine counts of attempted murder for his actions. The case has garnered quite a bit of press attention because Taheri-azar may have had a terrorist-type motivation. A search of his apartment suggests that Taheri-azar planned the attack for months and was disappointed that he didn't inflict more damage. He told police that he believed the U.S. was "killing his people across the sea," and that his actions reflected "an eye for an eye." Indeed, in his confession to a 911 dispatcher, Taheri-azar said that he wanted to "punish the government of the United States for [its] actions around the world," and he told the judge in his criminal case that he was "thankful for the opportunity to spread the will of Allah."
Despite Taheri-azar's statements, some question remains ...
[Read on here.]
