According to an FBI search warrant application, a suspected ISIS operator in the United States was planning to assassinate former President George W. Bush.
There is a plot to sneak accomplices across the Mexican border, prompting further calls for increased border security.
George W. Bush Assassination Plot
The suspected Islamic State operative allegedly flew to Dallas in late November to scout Bush's residence. While there, he allegedly requested assistance from a squad of countrymen he intended to bring across the border. The information was obtained via an FBI search warrant application submitted on March 23 in Ohio, where the suspected operator was stationed.
The FBI allegedly detected the scheme using two informants and monitoring the individual's WhatsApp communications. According to FBI data, the suspected would-be assassin has been in the United States since 2020 and has a pending asylum application.
The suspected plotter's identity was not published since no charges were filed against him, and the paper said it was unclear if he had been apprehended. Following news of the suspected plot, some Republican lawmakers, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz, turned to Twitter to demand border security reform.
In recent years, the US-Mexico border has become a contentious political issue. Former President Donald Trump sought to build a border wall to decrease illegal border crossings, but President Joe Biden halted its construction when he took office.
Meanwhile, Biden has been chastised by immigration rights organizations for debating whether to maintain some Trump-era measures, while conservatives have chastised him for not doing enough to prevent migrants from entering the country, Newsweek reported.
According to officials, Shihab, who is scheduled to appear in court on Friday, entered the country on a guest visa and submitted an asylum application in March 2021.
Shihab, who was wearing a charcoal Reebok shirt and handcuffs, was formally charged with two crimes at Tuesday's brief court hearing: helping an immigrant into the United States for financial gain and aiding and abetting Bush's attempted murder.
FBI Relies on Two Confidential Informants
As per USA Today, Shihab had the right, as a non-US citizen, to have the court notify the Iraqi embassy, but he chose not to. The FBI had been communicating with Shihab since April 2021, when he described his intention to transport up to six Iraqi citizens via the Mexican border in return for tens of thousands of dollars each person.
According to court filings, the conversation turned into a talk about an alleged desire to assassinate Bush by late fall when Shihab inquired about security measures at Bush's Dallas home and Texas ranch. Shihab allegedly told the informants that he wanted to be part of the actual attack and assassination of former president Bush and didn't care if he perished because he would be happy to have been involved in killing former president Bush.
The narrative seems complex and far-reaching, with international ties and allegations of high-powered connections. However, relying on confidential informants, who frequently face charges and sometimes earn tens of thousands of dollars for their information, will raise fears that the specifics will not stand up to examination in light of the failure of previous high-profile cases.
One of the informants allegedly assisted persons seeking phony immigration and identity documents, while the other allegedly engaged in people smuggling. According to the request, the suspect told an informant about his conspiracy in November of last year and inquired how to get replica or false police and/or FBI identifications and badges to assist carry out the assassination, as well as if the plotters could be smuggled out of the US afterward.
He also inquired of the source about protection at Bush's Dallas home and ranch in Crawford, Texas. He also intended to track down and assassinate a former Iraqi commander who had fled to the United States under a false name after collaborating with American soldiers during the war. According to the warrant, his intention was to utilize Mexican tourist permits to get four Iraqi nationals into Mexico before smuggling them across the border, according to Daily Mail.
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