2010 Portland car bomb plot

Failed bombing plot June 2025 Mohamed Osman Mohamud 1991 Somalia American Arrested as prime suspect in 2010 Portland car bomb plot Attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction 30 years federal imprisonment and lifetime supervision Incarcerated The 2010 Portland car bomb plot was a failed Islamic terrorist plot that occurred on November 26, 2010 in Portland, Oregon, in the United States, in which Mohamed Osman Mohamud (born 1991), a 19-year old Somalian-born naturalized Muslim U.S. citizen, was arrested in an FBI sting operation after attempting to set off what he thought was a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting in Portland, Oregon.Associated Press (November 27, 2010). Somali-born teen nabbed in Oregon bomb plot. USA TodayStaff report (November 27, 2010). US 'foils Oregon bomb plot.' Al-Jazeera He was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.BBC staff report (November 27, 2010). US teenager held in Oregon over Christmas 'bomb plot.' BBCSomali-American accused of plotting to bomb Oregon tree-lighting event http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/11/27/oregon.bomb.plot/index.html?hpt=T2 November 27, 2010 CNN November 27, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20121109000657/http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/11/27/oregon.bomb.plot/index.html?hpt=T2 November 9, 2012 live An attorney for Mohamud argued that his client was entrapped.https://www.npr.org/2010/11/30/131704930/alleged-portland-bomber-to-claim-entrapment National Public Radio, November 30, 2010 Npr.org 2010-11-30 2013-01-07 Duara Nigel Portland bomb suspect pleads not guilty as attorney, public question FBI tactics Associated Press November 30, 2010 http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/111047654.html December 5, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20110718232122/http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/111047654.html July 18, 2011 dead On January 31, 2013, a jury found Mohamud guilty of the single charge against him. He was scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2013, however the sentencing was cancelled in anticipation of the filing of new motions by the defense.http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/11/portland_bomb_plot_mohamed_moh_2.html The Oregonian Portland bomb plot: Mohamed Mohamud sentencing canceled pending FISA motions November 26, 2013 In September 2014, Mohamud was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison with credit for time served, as well as lifetime supervision upon release in 2040. Background and incident Mohamud was born in Somalia in 1991, came to America as a refugee,http://www.opb.org/news/article/sentencing-in-may-for-mohamud-convicted-in-bomb-plot-case/ Sentencing In May For Mohamud, Convicted In Bomb Plot Case . News OPB www.opb.org dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150911053611/http://www.opb.org/news/article/sentencing-in-may-for-mohamud-convicted-in-bomb-plot-case/ 2015-09-11 and grew up in Beaverton, Oregon, a suburb of the Portland metropolitan area.Redden, Jim (November 27, 2010). Police, FBI say bomb plot over. https://web.archive.org/web/20161024134939/http://thetribonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=129089314174585500 2016-10-24 Portland Tribune. Retrieved April 20, 2013. He is a naturalized U.S. citizen. Mohamud graduated from Westview High School in Beaverton.https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/us/28portland.html F.B.I. Says Oregon Suspect Planned Attack of 'Grand Scale' Robbins Liz November 28, 2010 The New York Times November 28, 2010 He attended Oregon State University, but dropped out on October 6, 2010, without having declared a major.Bomb suspect to classmate: 'I hate Americans', NBC News, November 28, 2010 At the time of the incident, he was a resident of Corvallis, Oregon.Markon, Jerry (November 27, 2010). Man charged with plotting to bomb Portland, Ore., tree lighting ceremony. The Washington Post Under the pen name Ibnul Mubarak, Mohamud had written articles on physical fitness for the English-language publication Jihad Recollections as part of his earlier attempts to be associated with violent jihad ideology. He maintained contact with a former American student living in Pakistan.Drogin, Bob (November 27, 2010). Teen held in alleged Portland bomb plot. Los Angeles Times Mohamud had been monitored by the FBI for months. He reportedly attracted the interest of the FBI after agents intercepted e-mails he was exchanging with a man who had returned to the Middle East, and whom law enforcement officials described as a “recruiter for terrorism.” The man had previously lived in Oregon, where Mohamud reportedly met him, before moving first to Yemen and then to Pakistan. A year prior to his arrest, he was accused but not charged with date raping an intoxicated woman on the Oregon State University campus.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/oregon-bomber-suspect-had-date-rape-accusation/ Oregon Bomber Suspect Had Date Rape Accusation CBS News November 29, 2010 November 29, 2010 Prior to Mohamud's arrest, an undercover FBI agent, posing as a terrorist, had been in contact with him since June 2010. The FBI put him on a no-fly list, preventing him from traveling to Kodiak, Alaska from Portland International Airport on June 10, 2010.Brooks Caryn http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2033372,00.html https://web.archive.org/web/20101130130202/http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2033372,00.html dead November 30, 2010 Mohamed Mohamud, Portland Bomber Suspect: Young Radical? TIME January 25, 2010 November 29, 2010http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/apArticle/id/D9JP8S581/ Duluth, Minnesota Duluth News Tribune November 29, 2010 https://archive.today/20130122010929/http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/apArticle/id/D9JP8S581/ January 22, 2013 dead mdy-all Prosecutors said he was instead interviewed by the FBI, whom he told he wanted to earn money fishing and then travel to join "the brothers," and that he had earlier hoped to travel to Yemen but had not obtained a ticket or visa.https://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/28/nation/la-na-portland-bomb-plot-20101128/2 https://web.archive.org/web/20101202015113/http://articles.latimes.com/2010/nov/28/nation/la-na-portland-bomb-plot-20101128/2 dead December 2, 2010 Teen held in alleged Portland bomb plot – Page 2 – Los Angeles Times Articles.latimes.com November 28, 2010 November 29, 2010 Bob Drogin April Choi thumb|right|Pioneer Courthouse Square, the site of the attempted bombing, with Christmas tree in 2011 In preparation for the planned bombing of a public gathering, Mohamud and undercover FBI operatives drove to a remote area of Lincoln County, Oregon, where they conducted a test run on November 4 by detonating a real bomb Mohamud believed to have been hidden inside a backpack. The attempted main bombing took place at Portland's Pioneer Courthouse Square at the corner of Southwest Yamhill Street and Sixth Avenue, as tens of thousands of people gathered for the city's annual Christmas tree lighting. The fake bomb was in a white van that carried six 55-gallon drums with what appeared to be real detonation cords and plastic caps.Robbins, Liz and Wyatt, Edward (November 27, 2010). Somali-Born Teenager Held in Oregon Bomb Sting. The New York Times Mohamud tried to detonate the bomb by dialing a cell phone that was attached to it. When the device failed to explode, the undercover agent suggested he get out of the car to obtain better reception. When he did so he was arrested. Because the FBI ensured that the device had no explosive components—even the detonating caps were inert—the public was never in any danger.Denson, Bryan (November 26, 2010). FBI thwarts terrorist bombing attempt at Portland holiday tree lighting, authorities say. The Oregonian According to an affidavit, Mohamud told the agents, "I want whoever is attending that event to leave, to leave either dead or injured."Cherry, Matt (November 27, 2010). Somali-American accused of plotting to bomb Oregon tree-lighting event. CNN Analysis Early analysis questioned whether entrapment by FBI operatives was involved,Duin, Steve (November 27, 2010). Jihad at Pioneer Courthouse Square. The OregonianGreenwald, Glenn (November 28, 2010). The FBI successfully thwarts its own Terrorist plot. Salon.com an Oregonian columnist asking "how far would Mohamud have traveled down that road without the help of those very operatives?" Noting "astonishing similarities" to a simultaneous case near Baltimore, Maryland, The Oregonian quoted a New York University expert that such cases were "a strategy the FBI set upon years ago."Denson Bryan December 13, 2010 http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/12/fbi_arrest_in_maryland_paralle.html Portland, Maryland plots eerily similar: FBI stings that snagged accused would-be bombers appear to be from the same playbook The Oregonian A1 Presumably aware of legal defenses based on issues of entrapment, FBI agents reportedly offered Mohamud multiple alternatives to a bombing with mass casualties, including prayer. Mohamud reportedly insisted he wanted to play an "operational" role, and even wanted to pick the target for the bombing.Washington Monthly (Nov. 28, 2010). "DETAILS EMERGE ON THWARTED OREGON BOMB PLOT" https://web.archive.org/web/20101205095918/http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_11/026817.php 2010-12-05 He had also been told several times that his planned bomb could kill women and children, and was given multiple opportunities to back out, but he told agents: "Since I was 15 I thought about all this... It's gonna be a fireworks show... a spectacular show." Christopher Dickey of Newsweek said the FBI "took no chances with the court of public opinion" to make sure that Mohamud did not appear to be a victim of entrapment.Dickey, Christopher (November 27, 2010). Spooking the Terrorists – and Ourselves. Newsweek Noting that key evidence from an alleged July 30 meeting may already be missing, a court ordered the FBI to preserve remaining media and recording equipment. Noting past behavior by the FBI in similar cases, New York lawyer Martin Stolar asserted the absence of such recordings was intentional. "Once somebody's been induced, and they agree to do the crime, that's when the recording starts.... He's already been induced to commit the crime, so everything on the tape is shit."Pitkin James December 8, 2010 Missing Links: Experts Say Key Facts Could Be Missing in Portland's Terrorism Case Willamette Week http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-16521-missing_links.html 7 April 20, 2013 A The Washington Post feature traced the radical roots of the ideology held by young Somalis such as Mohamud to the Islamicization of Somalia following the collapse of the socialist government of Mohamed Siad Barre.Raghavan, Sudarsan (November 27, 2010). A Somali teen's path to jihad. The Washington Post Somali Foreign Minister Mohamed Abdullahi Omar said "Mohamud's attempt is neither representative nor an example of Somalis. Somalis are peace-loving people," adding that the Somali government was "ready and willing" to assist in preventing future attempts.McCall, William and Pickler, Nedra (November 27, 2010). Feds: Somali-born teen plotted car-bombing in Ore. Miami Herald Trial Mohamud was charged with a single count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. His trial began on January 10, 2013 and concluded on January 31 with the jury finding him guilty. He faced up to life in prison and was initially scheduled to be sentenced on June 27, 2013.Denson Bryan Mohamed Mohamud sentencing re-set for June http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/03/mohamed_mohamud_sentencing_re-.html Oregon Live 21 April 2013 March 15, 2013 However, in a motion filed on June 17, federal prosecutors requested that sentencing be delayed two to three months because the government needs more time to prepare its sentencing recommendations.http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/06/portland_bomb_plot_government.html Portland bomb plot: Government prosecutors seek delay in Mohamed Mohamud sentencing June 17, 2013 Denson Bryan The Oregonian Mohamud's sentencing was subsequently rescheduled for December 18, 2013, then cancelled in anticipation of defense motions. In October 2014, Mohamud was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison along with credit for time served since his arrest, as well as lifetime supervision upon his scheduled release in 2036. He is being held at the Federal Correctional Institution, Sandstone, a low-security federal prison in Minnesota.Inmate Locator: Inmate # 73079-065 http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=73079-065&x=82&y=24 Federal Bureau of Prisons 1 January 2015 19 October 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131019045045/http://www.bop.gov/iloc2/InmateFinderServlet?Transaction=IDSearch&needingMoreList=false&IDType=IRN&IDNumber=73079-065&x=82&y=24 dead Mosque arson The Salman Al-Farisi Islamic Center in Corvallis, Oregon, where Mohamud occasionally attended services, was set on fire on November 28, 2010. Police determined that arson was the cause and investigated it as a possible hate crime.Fire set at mosque where terror suspect worshipped https://www.nbcnews.com/id/40407714 Associated Press 28 November 2010 August 2024 medicmedic In response, the Council on American-Islamic Relations called on authorities to increase their presence in Muslim communities in Oregon.CAIR: Oregon Mosque Arson Prompts Call to Protect Muslims http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cair-oregon-mosque-arson-prompts-call-to-protect-muslims-110942284.html PR Newswire 28 November 2010 On August 24, 2011, federal agents arrested Cody Seth Crawford, 24, on a federal hate crimes indictment in what they stated was a racially motivated arson at the mosque. A federal judge ordered that Crawford be detained as a danger to the community due to his prior arrest history.Man accused of hate crime in Corvallis mosque arson | OregonLive.com http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/08/man_accused_of_hate_crime_in_corvallis_mosque_arson.html The Oregonian https://web.archive.org/web/20130705190607/http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/08/man_accused_of_hate_crime_in_corvallis_mosque_arson.html July 5, 2013 live 2013-06-18 August 25, 2011 Crawford's court-appointed attorneys stated that he suffers from alcohol and mental illness issues.http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/08/suspect_in_corvallis_mosque_arson_has_history_of_mental_illness_and_alcohol_problems_lawyers_say.html The Oregonian Suspect in Corvallis mosque arson has history of mental illness and alcohol problems, lawyers say August 25, 2011 Crawford was convicted of a federal charge of damaging religious property and sentenced to 5 years probation.http://www.gazettetimes.com/news/man-convicted-of-firebombing-corvallis-mosque-gets-probation/article_0732c879-ed02-5d3a-bc66-1bce67f0f917.html The Gazette Times Man convicted of firebombing Corvallis mosque gets probation March 2, 2016 See also Amine El Khalifi Faisal Shahzad Farooque Ahmed Hemant Lakhani Hosam Maher Husein Smadi Liberty City Seven References External links Teen charged over 'bomb attempt' at US Christmas celebration FBI arrest warrant and affidavit FBI Arrest Warrant, Criminal Complaint and Affidavit Oregon Resident Arrested in Plot to Bomb Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in Portland via United States Department of Justice Category:2010 in Portland, Oregon Category:2010 in Islam Category:Car and truck bombings in 2010 Category:November 2010 crimes in the United States Category:Failed terrorist attempts in the United States Category:Islam in the United States Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2010 Category:Somali-American history Category:Terrorist incidents in Oregon Category:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 2010 Category:Christmas markets Category:Marketplace attacks in the United States Category:Car and truck bombings in the United States Category:Attacks during Christmas celebrations in the United States Category:Federal Bureau of Investigation operations Category:Islamic terrorism in Oregon Category:Pioneer Courthouse Square