Boston Terrorist Apprehended

Mass. Man Arrested in Terrorism Case

Da New Yawk Times, By Abby Goodnough & Liz Robbins, October 21

BOSTON — A man living in suburban Boston was arrested on Wednesday on federal terrorism charges of conspiring to attack people at a shopping mall in the United States and two members of the executive branch of the federal government.

The man, Tarek Mehanna, 27, was charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists. The conspiracy occurred from 2001 to 2008, said the acting United States attorney, Michael K. Loucks, at a news conference here Wednesday.

Mr. Loucks said Mr. Mehanna had conspired with others — including Ahmad Abousamra, who has fled to Syria — and had “multiple conversations” to carry out attacks in and outside of the United States.

[...]

In May 2008, Mr. Mehanna graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, where his father is a professor of medicinal chemistry. Mr. Mehanna has been living with his parents in the affluent Boston suburb of Sudbury, Mass. He was out on bail from an earlier arrest, in November 2008, at Logan airport, when he was charged with lying to federal investigators in a 2006 interview about a friend and suspected terrorist, Daniel Maldonado.

[...]

Mr. Mehanna is the fifth person living in the United States to be arrested on terrorism charges in the past five months, although investigators said that his failed conspiracy was not on the same scale as the two most recent cases.

---

Sudbury neighbors shocked by terrorism suspect's arrest

Da Bawstin Globe, By John R. Ellement, October 21

SUDBURY – Neighbors said today that terrorism suspect Tarek Mehanna never struck them as someone who had violence in his heart – or in his future.

Cafic Maalouf, 47, who lives down the street from the Mehanna family, said he spoke with Mehanna within the past few weeks as the 27-year-old was cutting the lawn on his family’s home on Fairhaven Circle.

Sometimes, the neighbor said, when you meet people, their eyes provide insight into the type of person they are. Some people, he said, “have this devilish, evilish look in their eyes. He’s not like that,’’ said Maalouf, who is Lebanese-American. “You could see the kindness in his eyes.’’

Paul McManus, who lives directly across Fairhaven circle from the Mehanna family, said he was shocked and stunned to learn of the allegations, especially that Mehanna is being accused of plotting to use automatic weapons on civilians.

“He was everyday normal,’’ McManus said. ”When he was out walking, he was friendly, neighborly.’’

[...]

Mehanna lives with his parents on Fairhaven Circle, a cul-de-sac off Hudson road. According to neighbors, his mother is a housewife and his father a professor at the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. Tarek Mehanna was a graduate of that school.

According to another woman who lives on the street, Tarek Mehanna did an internship in the pharmacy at the Walgreen’s drug store in Marlborough within the past few years.

---

Do we know anyone who wanted to go to Pharmacy school?