Page 5 - ATODAY
P. 5
U.S. NEWS A5
Wednesday 9 March 2016
Man in cartoon contest attack trial takes stand
This file booking photo from the Maricopa County, Ariz., Sheriff’s they exchanged phone viding the guns that were
Department shows Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem. numbers after they were used. A security guard
introduced. The three was injured when the two
(Maricopa County SD/AP) men attended the same opened fire outside the
mosque. May 3 event in suburban
JACQUES BILLEAUD Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem, He later described his rift Dallas, but no one attend-
Associated Press who is accused of provid- with Simpson, saying he ing the contest was hurt.
PHOENIX (AP) — A man ing support to the Islamic evicted Simpson from his Kareem is charged with
charged with planning an State terrorist group, told home because he be- conspiring to provide mate-
attack on a Prophet Mu- jurors that he met Elton lieved Simpson was putting rial support to a foreign ter-
hammad cartoon contest Simpson and Nadir Soofi at recording devices in his rorist organization, though
in Texas took the witness Soofi’s pizza restaurant in car. it’s unknown whether the
stand Tuesday in his de- 2011. Kareem said the en- Kareem also said he strong- attack was inspired by the
fense, describing how he counter at the restaurant in ly disapproved of Simpson Islamic State group or car-
met the two men who later northwest Phoenix led to his using Kareem’s laptop to ried out in response to an
died in a police shootout friendship with Simpson. watch al-Qaida promo- order from it. He has plead-
outside the controversial “We talked ever since,” tional materials. ed not guilty.
event. Kareem said, adding that “I did not want it in my Defense lawyers claim the
house,” Kareem said, add- government is using guilt
ing that they eventually through association to tar-
reconciled. get Kareem.
Kareem is accused of host- On the witness stand, he
ing Simpson and Soofi at denied the government’s
his home to discuss plans allegation that he asked
to attack the event featur- another one-time room-
ing cartoons deemed of- mate if he knew how to
fensive to Muslims and pro- make a pipe bomb.
Minnesota man pleads guilty
to lesser charge in threat case
AMY FORLITI December after one of
Associated Press his friends, Abdirizak Mo-
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A hamed Warsame, was ar-
man accused of tweet- rested for conspiring to pro-
ing threats to kill a fed- vide support to the Islamic
eral judge and FBI agents State group. Warsame
pleaded guilty Tuesday to pleaded guilty last month
a lesser count and was sen- to conspiring to provide
tenced to three years of material support and re-
probation by a judge who sources to the militant or-
advised him to think before ganization.
he posts.Khaalid Adam According to court docu-
Abdulkadir, 19, admitted ments, Abdulkadir posted
to a misdemeanor count one tweet that included
of impeding a federal of- the words “kill them FBI”
ficer or employee. He had and another saying, “I’m
been scheduled to go on kill them FEDS for take my
trial Tuesday on three felo- brothers.” He deleted the
ny charges that included tweets about 20 minutes
threatening to murder a later after friends warned
federal judge and threat- him he could get into trou-
ening to murder a federal ble. He told reporters Tues-
law enforcement officer — day that he was happy to
counts that each carried be free and he didn’t mean
maximum penalties of 10 what he said on Twitter. “I
years in prison. had no meaning behind it.
“I’m sorry for everything It just happened,” he said.
I did wrong,” Abdulkadir Prosecutors said the targets
told U.S. District Judge Kar- were U.S. District Judge Mi-
en Schreier. chael Davis, who has been
Hours later, Abdulkadir overseeing Minnesota’s
greeted supporters with terrorism cases, and the FBI
hugs and a huge smile as agents and task force offi-
he was released from cus- cers who are investigating
tody. the travel of young men
Prosecutors say Abdulka- from Minnesota to Syria to
dir made the threats in join the Islamic State group.
