American authorities announced on Friday the arrest and indictment of a commander of a pro-Iranian Iraqi militia whom they accuse of planning attacks in the United States, Canada, and Europe, especially against Jewish sites.
Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, described as a leader of the Hezbollah Brigades (Kata’ib Hezbollah), an Iraqi pro-Iranian armed group, is a “high-value target, responsible for acts of global terrorism,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
Placed in custody pending trial
Designated as a “terrorist group” by Washington, the Hezbollah Brigades are part of the “Islamic Resistance in Iraq,” a pro-Iranian nebula that regularly claims drone and rocket attacks on bases hosting American soldiers in Iraq and the Middle East.
Without specifying the location or date of his arrest, which occurred abroad, the US Department of Justice indicated that he had been transferred to the United States, where he appeared before a federal judge in New York on Friday, charged with six counts related to terrorist activities. He was held in custody pending trial.
According to American authorities, this 32-year-old Iraqi national and his associates “planned, coordinated, and claimed at least 18 terrorist attacks in Europe and two additional attacks in Canada” in retaliation for the military offensive launched since February 28 by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Fires, shooting, and knife attack
The Department of Justice cited the knife attack on two Jewish men in London at the end of April, whose perpetrator was arrested and is awaiting trial. It also mentioned several criminal fires or attempted fires targeting synagogues, Israeli businesses, or Jewish schools in Amsterdam, Munich, and elsewhere.
The exact role of Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi remains unclear, with court documents referring to propaganda videos posted on social media after various attacks.
In a phone conversation, Al-Saadi reportedly told an FBI informant that he and his associates were involved in the European attacks, as well as two attacks in Canada. American authorities believe these include a shooting on March 10 at the US consulate in Toronto, which caused no injuries.
Regarding his plans in the United States, the suspect allegedly provided an undercover agent with photographs and maps indicating the location of a significant synagogue in New York, as well as two other Jewish institutions in Los Angeles and Scottsdale, instructing him to carry out terrorist attacks. He also discussed over the phone with the undercover agent the method to be used for the New York synagogue, mentioning an improvised explosive device. However, no attack took place.
“Kill them everywhere”
According to the Department of Justice, Mohammed Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi had worked in the past “closely with” Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, the leader of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps killed in a 2020 US airstrike ordered by Donald Trump. He had also publicly called on several occasions for attacks against Americans.
In a February message to “the Shiites of Iraq,” as cited by American authorities, he wrote: “Do not betray the blood of your imam (…) Kill all those who support America and Israel. Leave none of them alive. Civilian and military targets, as well as dissenting voices, kill them everywhere.”
The most serious charge brought against him is “conspiracy to explode a public place,” punishable by life imprisonment. “These indictments show that American law enforcement (…) will use all means to dismantle foreign terrorist organizations and their leaders,” reacted Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
