Thread: Iraqi who targeted Jewish sites sentenced

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Tuesday, 10/25/05

Iraqi who targeted Jewish sites sentenced

Krispy Kreme worker who purchased weapons will be deported after prison

By BONNA de la CRUZ
Staff Writer


An Iraqi-born defendant was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison for purchasing machine guns and grenades to target two Jewish facilities in the Nashville area, the U.S. attorney's office said.

Ahmed Hassan Al-Uqaily, 34, had made a threat about "going jihad. He told a friend he wanted the weapons because " I cannot take it. I cannot wait," according to federal court papers.

But his friends at the Krispy Kreme, where Al-Uqaily made doughnuts for four years, said they saw no signs of his terrorist intentions.

"That doesn't seem like him," said Jean Tucker, who was one of his supervisors. "I never heard him say anything out of line as far as wanting to get revenge on somebody or wanting to hurt somebody."

Instead, he was a friendly colleague who baked homemade birthday and wedding cakes for his co-workers, who gave away doughnuts to the children in his neighborhood and who would report to work whenever he was needed, Tucker said.

Al-Uqaily had expressed animosity toward Jews and identified two Jewish facilities that he knew about, according to his plea agreement. Prosecutors de-clined to say which facilities he may have wanted to target.

The maximum sentence for two weapons charges against Al-Uqaily is 10 years each, but federal sentencing guidelines ratchet the top range down to four years and nine months. He must serve at least 85% of the sentence with credit for good behavior.

Also during the hearing yesterday, U.S. District Judge Robert Echols made Al-Uqaily's deportation back to Iraq part of his sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli Richardson said.

"The parties agreed in this case that, under the facts, the maximum was appropriate," Richardson said. "It's a very significant case."

The federal public defender, David Baker, did not return a telephone message yesterday.

Al-Uqaily first came to the attention of the FBI when an old acquaintance told agents the doughnut maker was extremely angry. The pair met several times at the Krispy Kreme on Thompson Lane to discuss how Al-Uqaily could get weapons, including airplane missiles, according to federal prosecutors. The acquaintance, who has not been named, ultimately introduced Al-Uqaily to a weapons dealer. The dealer was actually an undercover agent.

On Oct. 7, 2004, Al-Uqaily paid the undercover agent $1,000 to buy two M-16 machine guns, four hand grenades and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. He was arrested soon after getting the weapons.

But even before then, Al-Uqaily had begun calling attention to himself. In one instance, he stood hooded on Lower Broadway in a public re-enactment of one of the infamous pictures taken at Iraq's Abu-Ghraib prison.

At the time, Al-Uqaily said his brothers and mother had been killed during the 1991 Persian Gulf War and that his father had been jailed.

Tucker yesterday said Al-Uqaily often talked lovingly of his family and of someday returning to Iraq.

"He talked about his family constantly," Tucker said. "He missed them. … To a certain extent, I think he wanted to go back, but I also think he liked it here."

Was he here legally or illegally?

I wish the article had covered that question.

None of the articles I read gave any indication of his immigration status. However from the tone of the articles I get the impression he was a legal immigrant, but part of his sentence for his conviction was deportation. I would assume it would mention he was illegal for getting deported.

At least I'm glad he was caught before he could do his jihad and kill a bunch of people. He didn't appear to be a very stable person. Makes you wonder how well a job of screening immigration does on some of the people they let in.

I was thinking the same thing about him not being a stable person. Kind of sad actually. I almost felt very sorry for him. Happily making donuts and cakes during the day and then wallowing in grief and anger off duty, probably from losing his family. He didn't seem to be mad at US but at the Jews. Maybe he thinks we're their puppets...this is part of their thinking. He was also sort of led into it by the undercover agents. Glad they were there, but wonder if they hadn't been, if he would have ever bought these items. I'm sure that is not a risk we could take to find out.

I also wonder if he could receive some medical or psychological help while he is in prison so that when he leaves and is deported back to Iraq, he doesn't hate US and then want to kill Americans or Jews over there.

Strange isn't it that we would have allowed Iraqis after the Gulf War with such a high risk for resentment and anger to enter the US?

That should be an immigration question and the answer verifiable..."Have we killed any member of your family or close friends?"