NEW: Boulder Terrorist Plotted Attack For Over a Year; UPDATE

This post was originally published on this site

NEW: Boulder Terrorist Plotted Attack For Over a Year; UPDATE 1

So when will the Protection Racket Media report on the motive? Most outlets had tied themselves in knots to avoid the obvious conclusion from the video evidence. Will a Mirandized confession change the usual “we may never know” narrative? Or will the admission from the perp himself prompt national media outlets to start ignoring the story of radical-Left political terrorism?

Advertisement

I know which way I’m betting.

The Department of Justice filed its first criminal charge against Mohamed Soliman today, a single count of 18 USC 249, commission of a ‘hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.’ Based on the confession Soliman gave the FBI, however, it seems likely that the DoJ will add additional charges of terrorism at some point:

Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant AG Harmeet Dhillon pledged to prosecute Soliman to the max:

Attorney General Pamela Bondi released the following statement:

“The Department of Justice has swiftly charged the illegal alien perpetrator of this heinous attack with a federal hate crime and will hold him accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims and our Jewish community across the world.

This vile anti-Semitic violence comes just weeks after the horrific murder of two young Jewish Americans in Washington DC. We will never tolerate this kind of hatred. We refuse to accept a world in which Jewish Americans are targeted for who they are and what they believe.”

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon released the following statement:

“No American should experience violence motivated by hatred based on their faith or national origin, and the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice will act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators of such crimes to justice. There can be zero tolerance for such acts in our great nation.”

Advertisement

That sounds like a tough stance, but 18 USC 249 is not exactly a body blow. It only carries a maximum 10-year sentence, and while that could be served consecutively to other sentencing, it’s clearly not much of a deterrent. The DoJ press release notes that the state of Colorado has charged Soliman with attempted murder, but that doesn’t entirely fit the circumstances of the crime either. And if you don’t believe me, you can always ask Soliman himself:

SOLIMAN was placed under arrest and a mirandized interview was conducted by local and federal law enforcement. During the interview, SOLIMAN stated that he researched on YouTube how to make Molotov Cocktails, purchased the ingredients to do so, and constructed them. He traveled to Boulder, Colorado in his vehicle with the Molotov cocktails and threw two of the cocktails at individuals participating in a pro-Israel gathering. He also stated that he picked up gas at a gas station on the way to Boulder. He stated that he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead. 

That certainly establishes the hate-crime element in 18 USC 249. But what about domestic terrorism? Soliman made clear in his interrogation that the crime had a political purpose. That motive can clearly be demonstrated in the planning and scheduling of the attack, as well as in the cause that Soliman admitted:

SOLIMAN stated he would do it (conduct an attack) again. He specifically targeted the “Zionist Group” that had gathered in Boulder having learned about the group from an online search. SOLIMAN knew that they planned to meet today, Sunday, June 1 at 1pm. He arrived at approximately 12:55 p.m. and waited for them. Throughout the interview, SOLIMAN stated that he hated the Zionist group and did this because he hated this group and needed to stop them from taking over “our land,” which he explained to be Palestine. He stated that he had been planning the attack for a year and was waiting until after his daughter graduated to conduct the attack.

Advertisement

That is undeniably a case of domestic terrorism. So why hasn’t the DoJ charged that? 

Perhaps they might. Prosecutors often amend and upgrade charges after an initial indictment. They might be inclined to let Colorado handle the attempted murder charges first just to backstop the case if Colorado prosecutors blow it or cut a plea deal that lets Soliman off the hook, relatively speaking. (The dual-sovereignty doctrine would allow the DoJ to try Soliman for the same crime in federal court if they were dissatisfied with the result of Colorado’s prosecution, even if Soliman were found guilty of some crime related to the attack.)

However, it seems more likely that the DoJ will act more aggressively on the core charges sooner rather than later. Jim Geraghty pointed out that the DoJ came out swinging when a CNN panel including Andrew McCabe accused the FBI of jumping the gun on declaring a hate crime and potential terrorism charges:

What other motive did McCabe envision was at work here? Robbery? Sexual jealousy?

Ben Williamson, assistant director for public affairs at the FBI, responded on X, “The guy shouted ‘Free Palestine’ while throwing fire bombs at a crowd of Jewish people. We correctly referred to an investigation of terrorism, will continue to do so, and we have zero interest in what either these CNN guests have to say. Kick rocks.”

There are a lot of times when a Trump administration spokesman’s default setting of brash, in-your-face pugnaciousness and contempt comes across as unprofessional and immature. This is not one of those times.

Advertisement

Indeed it isn’t. This is a time for calling out terrorism for what it is, and setting the consequences for it to the most severe possible. This case does not lend itself to passively waiting for progressive local DAs and feckless local politicians to set the proper agenda. Soliman committed a clear act of domestic terrorism, and Bondi and Dhillon need to take the reins and apply those consequences fast and hard. 

Update: Credit where due — Colorado’s prosecutors are coming out of the gate hard, at least for now:

Here are all the state charges Soliman faces in Colorado, according to the warrant:

  • 8 counts of “First Degree Murder (extreme indifference) – Criminal Attempt”
  • 8 counts of “First degree murder (after deliberation) – Criminal attempt”
  • 6 counts of “First Degree Assault” for an “at-risk victim”
  • 2 counts of “First Degree Assault”
  • 2 counts of “Possession of an Incendiary Device”
  • 16 counts of “Possession of an Incendiary Device – Criminal Attempt”

These are actually attempted murder charges. Will they stick with these charges, or will they cut a deal that gives Soliman a shot at getting out of prison? 

Posted in Republican News