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Act of Terror AvertedWould-Be Bomber Sentenced in Chicago

The device was a fakesupplied by an FBI undercover agent

05/31/13

A federal judge has sentenced an Illinois man to 23 years in prison for an attemptedbombing in 2010 near Chicagos Wrigley Field that was intended to cause masscasualties and paralyze the community.

On that Saturday evening in September, while a concert was taking place at theChicago Cubs baseball stadium, Sami Samir Hassoun placed a backpack that hethought contained a powerful bomb into a trash can on a nearby crowded street.

The device was a fakesupplied by an FBI undercover agentbut had it been real, theeffects would have been horrific, according to the judge who sentenced Hassounyesterday.

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A Lebanese citizen legally living in Chicago, Hassoun never posed a danger to thepublic, thanks to an investigation led by our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) inChicago. But the 25-year-old would-be terrorist had earlier told an accomplicewhowas really an FBI undercover agentthat any casualties from the attack would be theinevitable result of what he termed revolution.

Noting that the JTTF consists of Chicago police officers and other federal, state, andlocal law enforcement personnel in addition to FBI agents, Special Agent Sam Hartmanwho served as co-case agent with Chicago Police Detective Angel Lorenzoexplained that a case like this doesnt have a successful outcome unless everybodypulls together. The JTTF played a key role in this investigation.

I am proud of the work done by our investigative team in preventing Hassoun fromcarrying out his intended act of violence, said Cory B. Nelson, special agent in chargeof our Chicago Field Office. The FBI remains vigilant in our mission to prevent attacksagainst Americans.

We were initially alerted to Hassoun by an informant who warned that Hassoun washoping to profit from committing extreme acts of violent in Chicago. He had no qualmsabout potentially killing lots of people, Hartman said. And he wanted money in return.

Hassoun pled guilty to attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction andattempted use of an explosive device, and he admitted telling a law enforcementinformant that he suggested bombing the commercial area surrounding WrigleyField. The informant later introduced Hassoun to an undercover FBI operative whoposed as an accomplice. Hassoun also said he was willing to use a car bomb and toattack Chicago police officers.

On three occasions in August 2010, Hassoun videotaped potential targets around

Wrigley Field, focusing on popular bars and restaurants. As he filmed, he commentedon the tactical advantages and risks of an attack at the various locations.

On the night of September 18, Hassoun was ready to set his plan in motion. He took ashopping bag and a backpack from our undercover agents that he thought contained apowerful bomb. The agents said the device was surrounded by ball-bearings and thatthe blast could destroy half a city block. A few minutes after midnight, after he hadhelped set the devices timer, Hassoun placed the backpack into the trash container onthe crowded sidewalk by the stadium.

Hassoun was an example of the so-called lone offender, Hartman said. He had noties to organized terror groups, but he was clearly a terroristand potentially anextreme danger to the public. We were fortunate to have stopped him.

Source: http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2013/may/would-be-bomber-sentenced-in-chicago

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