Bomb plot suspect rants against Christians, Jews

He said he wanted “payback” for wrong that was done to Muslims.

For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved
forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off.  (Psalm 37:28)

Sami Osmakac, US citizen from Kosovo

Call me silly, or call me naive.  I just don't think that if one wants to be a successful terrorist, one should try to buy Al-Qaeda flags at retail stores and post terroristic threats on YouTube.

Thankfully for all of us, this not-too-bright wannabe didn't agree with me.

A 25-year-old man from the former Yugoslavia was charged with plotting a radical Islamic attack on crowded locations around Tampa, including nightclubs and a sheriff's office, with a car bomb, assault rifle and other explosives, federal authorities said Monday.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Sami Osmakac, a naturalized American citizen born in Kosovo, recorded an eight minute video shortly before his arrest explaining why he wanted to bring terror to his “victims' hearts” in the Tampa Bay area.

In the video, according to the federal complaint, Mr. Osmakac is seen cross-legged on the floor with a pistol in his hand and an AK-47 behind him. Osmakac said in the video that Muslim blood was more valuable than that of people who do not believe in Islam, according to the complaint. He said he wanted “payback” for wrong that was done to Muslims, the complaint said.

There is no indication that Mr. Osmakac planned to attack the Republican National Convention, which will be held in Tampa in August, federal authorities said.

Mr. Osmakac was arrested Saturday. His first appearance in federal court was scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday.  Authorities say Mr. Osmakac, from Pinellas Park, Fla. — a small city west of Tampa — was charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

U.S. Attorney Robert O'Neill thanked the local Muslim community for assistance in the investigation, without elaborating.

FBI agents arrested Mr. Osmakac on Saturday after he allegedly bought explosive devices and firearms from an undercover agent. The firearms and explosives were rendered inoperable by law enforcement.

Federal officials say a confidential source told them in September 2011 that Mr. Osmakac walked into the source's business looking for al-Qaeda flags. The confidential source then hired Mr. Osmakac and was in constant contact with federal officials and audio or video taped their conversations.

Oops.  First mistake.  Al-Qaeda flags.  Mental note-to-self.

Kosovo at a glance.

Two months later, the federal complaint said, Mr. Osmakac and the confidential source discussed and identified potential targets in Tampa that Osmakac wanted to attack.

Mr. Osmakac allegedly asked the source for help getting firearms and explosives for the attacks, and the source put him in touch with an undercover FBI employee.

On Dec. 21, Mr. Osmakac met with the undercover agent and allegedly told the agent that he wanted to buy an AK-47-style machine gun, Uzi submachine guns, high capacity magazines, grenades and an explosive belt. During a later meeting, Osmakac gave the agent a $500 down payment for the items.

Oops.  Second mistake.  Buying explosives from strangers that have no problem getting them.  They are usually federal agents.  Mental note-to-self.

“According to the complaint, Osmakac also asked the undercover employee whether he/she could build bombs that could be placed in three different vehicles and detonated remotely, near where Osmakac would conduct a follow-up attack using the other weapons he requested,” the press release said. “The undercover employee said he/she could possibly provide explosives for one vehicle. Osmakac also allegedly said that he wanted an explosive belt constructed to kill people.”

On Jan. 1, Mr. Osmakac told the agent that he wanted to bomb nightclubs, the operations center of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office and a business in Tampa, Florida.

Mr. Osmakac told the undercover FBI agent that he wanted to detonate a car bomb and use the explosive belt to “get in somewhere where there's a lot of people” and take hostages.

Thankfully, a completely unprotected shopping mall -- of which there are hundreds in Tampa, Florida -- never crossed this wannabe's mind.

Mr. Osmakac told the agent that after he took hostages he wanted to demand something from the “kuffar” — an Arabic word that means infidels or disbelievers of Islam, federal authorities said.

According to the affidavit, he also stated, “Honestly, I would love to go for the Army people, but their bases are so locked up, I have to do something else.”

Mr. Osmakac said he wanted to take down the bridges that link the city of Tampa to neighbouring Pinellas County.  “This will crush the whole economy,” he allegedly said to the agent. “This would crush everything man, they would have no more food coming in. They would, nobody would have work.”

Um, wrong.  You can't take down bridges with a grenade, even though it works in the movies.

During that meeting, the agent told Mr. Osmakac he could always change his mind about his plot.

“According to the complaint, Mr. Osmakac immediately shook his head in the negative and stated, `We all have to die, so why not die the Islamic way?' “ the press release stated.

Congratulations, Mr. Wannabe Terrorist.  Now you can die the Islamic way -- confined for life in a US prison cell, courtesy of the FBI.