US charges three men over terror plots, including planned assault on UK airbase
Three men have been charged by US authorities with plotting a "campaign of terror" of nearly 20 attacks targeting Jewish communities in Europe and the US and the British military base at RAF Fairford.
Charges against Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi national; Mohsen Mohajeri, an Iranian national; and Mohammad Ali al-Hassani, an Iraqi national, were outlined in a superseding indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court.
Only al-Saadi is in custody.
US attorney Jamie McDonald in New York said al-Saadi, who was arrested in the spring, continued to coordinate with his co-defendants in the days leading up to the attempted September terrorist plot at a British Royal Air Force Base in Fairford, where US bombers and troops had been stationed.
It's also alleged the men plotted attacks on Jewish communities across the UK and Europe. (AP: Alastair Grant)
"These defendants helped orchestrate a campaign of terror on behalf of terrorist organisations affiliated with Iran that targeted Jewish communities in Europe and the United States, and the British military base, RAF Fairford, housing American service members," Mr McDonald said.
"The threat presented by Iran and Iran-backed terrorist groups to America and our allies is not hypothetical — it is very real."
Attorney-General Todd Blanche said: "Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted by the United States government."
The new indictment offers fresh insight into an episode that was shrouded in mystery for more than a month after five men were detained after midnight on September 27 on suspected explosives and terrorism offences after three suspicious vans were spotted travelling toward the base in western England.
A sixth suspect, a British-Iranian dual national, was arrested several days later.
Mohmed Abdulkarim, 24, and Nouman Essghir, 24, were both charged on Tuesday under the National Security Act, the Crown Prosecution Service said in October.
Armed police officers work on a road outside the perimeter of the RAF Fairford airbase after several men were arrested. (Reuters: Toby Shepheard)
Mr Abdulkarim has been charged with assisting a foreign intelligence service and Mr Essghir with entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
All the men were released on bail.
British authorities linked the incident to Tehran, and though Iran denied involvement, the arrests prompted the US to withdraw its bombers that had been stationed there. The bombers were redeployed to their home bases in the US.
RAF Fairford, located 160km west of London, has been used by American bombers during decades of conflicts in the Middle East.
According to the indictment, al-Saadi used coded language in communications with relatives from jail to direct that money be passed along to others who could carry out attacks.
The indictment alleged that the three men conspired together to use a network of contacts in the UK to commit terrorist attacks on behalf of an Iran-aligned terrorist network, which included the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kata'ib Hizballah.
In June, al-Saadi pleaded not guilty to charges that he plotted at least 18 attacks in Europe in retaliation for the US and Israel's war with Iran.
He called himself a "prisoner of war".
He has been held without bail since. His lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday on the latest development.
Both Kata'ib Hizballah and IRGC have been designated by the US government as foreign terrorist organisations.
US prosecutors say Al-Saadi was a Kata'ib Hizballah commander.
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