Immigrant accused of plotting with terrorist returned to Ohio

[struggle4progress]

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Somali immigrant accused of plotting with an admitted al-Qaida member to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall has been discharged from a federal psychiatric facility evaluating his competence to stand trial.

Nuradin Abdi was returned to the Franklin County jail Wednesday after being examined for more than a month at the Federal Medical Center in Rochester, Minn. A federal judge sent him there in June for the evaluation to determine if he understands the charges against him and can help in his defense because of his bizarre behavior in detention and in court.

No hearing date on his competency has been set. The U.S. attorney's office, his attorney and the judge's office said Thursday they had not yet received the evaluation report.

Abdi, 32, is charged with lying on immigration forms and conspiring to support terrorists. The Somali refugee who owned a now-closed cell phone store in Columbus has a wife and three children.
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http://www.onnnews.com/Global/story.asp?S=2138289

Gotta a strong stomach? This is the sort of story middle America is seeing, complete with color provided by Heritage:

Authorities mum on plot to bomb mall
Sunday, August 1, 2004
By SARA THORSON Associated Press writer
COLUMBUS
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The FBI and federal prosecutors say their silence about evidence against a Columbus man charged with conspiring to blow up an unspecified mall does not mean the plot was not real.
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“Due to the timing and the urgency of the situation, we decided to remove the public from a particularly dangerous situation,” he said. “Timing wise, it couldn’t have been worse. It was going to be the busiest shopping time of the year.”

James Carafano, a senior research fellow in defense and homeland security for the Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation, said family and friends easily could be oblivious to a small terrorism plot in their midst.
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