Georgia Man Jailed For Planning Attacks On White House, Statue Of Liberty

A man from Georgia, who had planned attacks upon the White house, was sentenced to 15 years in prison Thursday, July 23.

According to a press release from the Department of Justice, the investigation into the incident began in March 2018 after a member of the Atlanta community reported concerns about the accused, identified as 23-year-old Hasher Jallal Taheb, to a local law enforcement agency. The FBI was contacted. In October, following an investigation, the FBI learned that the accused was planning to apply overseas. Investigation also revealed that he was planning "domestic attacks in the United States as part of his desire to engage in ‘jihad."

"His targets initially included the White House and the Statue of Liberty. Later in December 2018, Taheb broadened his prospective targets in the Washington, D.C. area, to include the Washington Monument, the White House, the Lincoln Memorial, and a synagogue," the press release stated.

An undercover agent then met the accused in January during which Taheb "produced sketches of the White House and described the types of weapons and explosives he intended to use in the attacks, including semi-automatic weapons, improvised explosive devices, an anti-tank weapon, and hand grenades," the press release added.

Following an investigation, the accused was taken into custody the same month. After his arrest, the investigators search his computer and found a video made by him.

"In the video, Taheb addressed ‘. . . America, its allies, its president, and its people.’ He recounted his grievances with American policy and proclaimed that America would not see peace unless it changed its foreign policy as he was a man who loved death more than American’s love life. He also encouraged other Muslims to fight," the press release stated.

He pleaded guilty in April this year and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment Thursday.

Speaking about the case, Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta said, "Because of a tip from the public, the FBI Atlanta Joint Terrorism Task Force and our law enforcement partners began a year-long investigation that resulted in Taheb's arrest and potentially saved many lives. The phrase 'If you see something, say something' may seem trite, but our citizens are our eyes and ears in our communities, one of our most important weapons in fighting terrorism, and this case exemplifies that."