A man has been charged with plotting an attack similar to the 9/11 tragedy.
A Kenyan man was found guilty on Monday of conspiring to carry out a terrorist attack similar to the 9/11-style attack on a building in the United States. He had been acting on behalf of the extremist group al-Shabab.
According to court documents submitted before the trial, prosecutors stated that Abdullah had no intention of opposing the prosecution or resisting the trial. He expressed his willingness to accept the trial’s outcome, as he does not view the current legal system as legitimate.
The lawyers assigned to support Abdullah in his self-defense did not respond when contacted via email on Monday.
Federal prosecutors accused Abdullah, the defendant in the case, of meticulously planning the attack over a period of four years. According to the prosecution, he underwent rigorous training in handling explosives and acquiring the skills necessary to operate covertly while evading detection.
In 2017, he made a move to the Philippines and embarked on his journey to become a commercial pilot.
Abdullah had nearly completed his two-year pilot training when he faced arrest in 2019 on local charges.
In the subsequent year, he was transferred to U.S. law enforcement authorities, who levied charges against him for terrorism-related offenses.
Prosecutors apprehended Abdullah after learning that he had researched not only how to breach a cockpit door but also the tallest building in a significant American city.
The State Department labeled al-Shabab, an Arabic term meaning “the youth,” as a foreign terrorist organization in 2008. This militant group, which is affiliated with al Qaeda, has been actively engaged in the pursuit of establishing an Islamic state in Somalia, guided by Shariah law.