July 4 Terror Plot Thwarted in Cleveland – Suspect Pledged Allegiance to Al Qaeda, Wanted to “Target People Watching Fireworks”
by Cristina Laila
TheGatewayPundit.com
July 2, 2018
A July 4th Islamic terror plot was thwarted in Cleveland by the FBI after a months-long investigation of a man who pledged his allegiance to Al Qaeda.
Demetrius Pitts, also known as Abdur Raheem Rahfeeq, wanted to target Americans watching fireworks and watching the 4th of July parade.
Via Fox News:
“FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Anthony said Demetrius Pitts, also known as Abdur Raheem Rahfeeq, was arrested at 10 a.m. Sunday by the joint terrorism task force. Authorities were initially notified about Pitts in 2017, when he lived in Cincinnati and allegedly made statements supporting Al Qaeda and advocating violence against U.S. military members.
“This case illustrated that law enforcement can not sit back and wait for Mr. Pitts to commit a violent act,” Anthony said.
Authorities said Pitts made Facebook posts with “disturbing” messages, saying “We as Muslims need to start training like this every day. We need to know how to shoot guns, throw grenades, hand to hand combat,” Anthony said during a news conference.
After moving to Cleveland, authorities said Pitts continued to express his “radical ideology.” During a meeting last week with an undercover FBI agent, Anthony said Pitts noted “their holiday is coming up.”
“What would hit them at their core? Blow up in the, have a bomb blow up in the 4th of July parade,” he said.
In the last week, Pitts then went downtown to conduct reconnaissance at Voinovich Bicentennial Park and the Coast Guard station, among other locations, according to officials. He also continued to voice hatred for the military, saying he wanted to “chop off heads and hands.”
U.S. Attorney Justin Herdman said Pitts planned to use a van packed with explosives to take places such as St. John’s Cathedral “off the map.”
“He wanted to target people watching fireworks and watching the Fourth of July parade downtown,” he told reporters.
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