The FBI alleges that an Iraqi citizen who immigrated to the U.S. in September 2020 plotted to kill George W. Bush, traveling to Dallas to surveil the former president’s home.
The suspect allegedly conducted surveillance in Dallas on Feb. 8, which included a trip to Bush’s residence, and took videos of the gate in front of Bush’s neighborhood.
Shihab Ahmed Shihab, of Columbus, Ohio, was looking to provide material support to ISIS, and that he wanted to smuggle others in to the country “to murder former President George W. Bush” because he held him responsible for killing numerous Iraqis in the 2003 invasion of the country.
Shihab entered the U.S. legally and then applied for political asylum while also trying to marry a U.S. woman to secure his immigration status.
The search warrant information says that the FBI is considering charges of threats against a former president, material support to ISIS and visa fraud.
Shihab told the FBI that in Iraq he transported bombs and was associated with ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Bahgdadi, who was killed by the U.S. in 2019.
The plan was to pay at least $5000 to smuggle in four Baath party members located in Iraq, Turkey, Egypt and Denmark into the U.S., obtain firearms and a large van with a sliding door to carry out the assassination. Shihab planned to use a car dealership in Columbus, Ohio, to transfer money from the U.S. to the ISIS financial secretary.
“Further, Shihab stated that he wanted to be involved in the actual attack and assassination of former President Bush and did not care if he died as he would be proud to have been involved in killing former President Bush,” the FBI affidavit says.
In a recent slip-of-the-tongue Bushism, George W. said that the invasion of Iraq was unjustified.