2011 Dearborn mosque bombing plot
Encyclopedia
On January 24, 2011, a Imperial Beach, California
man named Roger Stockham was arrested and charged with terrorism after attempting to blow up the Islamic Center of America
in Dearborn, Michigan
. According to police, he targeted the city because of its large Arab-American and Muslim population. Stockham was arrested in the parking lot outside the mosque with a car filled with high-end, class C fireworks including M-80s. Possession of such fireworks is a 15-year felony in Michigan; the terrorism charge can carry up to 20 years. Police chief Roger Haddad described Stockham and the threat he posed as "very dangerous" and "very serious"; at the time Stockham was arrested, there were 500 worshippers inside the mosque. According to Haddad, Stockham had a history of anti-government activity and run-ins with law enforcement agencies elsewhere. He was arrested after the police received a tip from a bar employee who had overheard Stockham making violent threats. Haddad said that Stockham was likely acting alone. Dearborn mayor John O'Reilly commented on the incident, saying that the explosives Stockham had, "if used in a building could cause tremendous harm".
Vietnam War
veteran who was based in Pleiku
. He had written on his MySpace
page: "Proud of my kids. Happy with how much I've lived. Ready for it to be over, but have a policy I contend with often: So long as I am alive, I can't play dead."
In 1977, Stockham armed himself with bombs and took his psychologist hostage, but surrendered later after meeting with a reporter
On September 1, 1979, the Merced Sun-Star
reported that Stockham, whom it described as a "32-year-old Moslem convert", had taken his then-9-year-old son Kane out of foster care and brought Kane and a gun on board his rented Cessna 150
in attempt to land at Los Angeles International Airport
and hijack an airliner to take him to Iran
. At one point he was also accused of threatening President Jimmy Carter
.
In 1985, Stockham was arrested at Reno-Cannon International Airport for planting a pipe bomb
and carrying an unregistered firearm, an incident covered in the Los Angeles Times
. Aged 38 at the time, he was described as having mental and criminal problems. According to psychiatrists, he believed he was Jesus Christ and that extraterrestrials had taken over his body.
Stockham is a member of his local chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars
(VFW). In his profile on the VFW website, he is described as a "typical surfer" whose other hobbies include water skiing
, sailing
, and go cart racing. He was at one point a commercial bush pilot in Indonesia
. In 2002 he pled not guilty by reason of insanity to threatening to blow up a Veterans Administration
center in Vermont and making threats against President George W. Bush
. He was released from a prison medical center in 2005 and told not to drink; the bar attendant who reported him to police the day of the bombing attempt reported that he was drinking scotch at the time.
Stockham rejected his court-appointed attorney because he claimed the attorney was a Shi'ite Muslim who worships at the Islamic Center: “I reject my appointed counsel. He is a Shi'ite and I am not.” he said, before he was cut off by 19th District Judge Mark Somers. It was also revealed that Stockham was a convert to Islam, spoke Arabic during the preliminary interview, and quoted Qur’anic verses. His newly appointed attorney also insisted that his client isn't anti-Muslim as Stockham converted to Islam soon after serving in Vietnam in 1974 and spoke of his outrage over U.S. conduct in Iraq. The chairman of the board for the Islamic Center of America, Afif Jawad, who attended the hearing, said he and other leaders continue to meet with local and federal law enforcement officials about the incident. Jawad stated: "This man knows what he's doing" and "This man picked on the Shiites....That's a threat to the community." The manager at the Detroit bar Stockham visited before his arrest, said Stockham claimed to be part of a group of Indonesian Mujahideen
, or holy warriors.
Timothy McVeigh
as his role model.
Imperial Beach, California
Imperial Beach is a residential beach city in San Diego County, California, with a population of 26,324 at the 2010 census. The city is the most southern beach city in Southern California and the West Coast of the United States...
man named Roger Stockham was arrested and charged with terrorism after attempting to blow up the Islamic Center of America
Islamic Center of America
The Islamic Center of America is a mosque in Dearborn, Michigan, opened in 2005, that is the largest in North America. It caters mainly to the Shi'a Muslim congregation; however, all Muslims may attend this mosque....
in Dearborn, Michigan
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
. According to police, he targeted the city because of its large Arab-American and Muslim population. Stockham was arrested in the parking lot outside the mosque with a car filled with high-end, class C fireworks including M-80s. Possession of such fireworks is a 15-year felony in Michigan; the terrorism charge can carry up to 20 years. Police chief Roger Haddad described Stockham and the threat he posed as "very dangerous" and "very serious"; at the time Stockham was arrested, there were 500 worshippers inside the mosque. According to Haddad, Stockham had a history of anti-government activity and run-ins with law enforcement agencies elsewhere. He was arrested after the police received a tip from a bar employee who had overheard Stockham making violent threats. Haddad said that Stockham was likely acting alone. Dearborn mayor John O'Reilly commented on the incident, saying that the explosives Stockham had, "if used in a building could cause tremendous harm".
Stockham's background
Stockham is a United States ArmyUnited States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran who was based in Pleiku
Pleiku
Pleiku is a town in central Vietnam, located in that nation's central highland region. It is the capital of the Gia Lai Province; it is inhabited primarily by the Bahnar and Jarai ethnic groups, sometimes known as the Montagnards or Degar....
. He had written on his MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
page: "Proud of my kids. Happy with how much I've lived. Ready for it to be over, but have a policy I contend with often: So long as I am alive, I can't play dead."
In 1977, Stockham armed himself with bombs and took his psychologist hostage, but surrendered later after meeting with a reporter
On September 1, 1979, the Merced Sun-Star
Merced Sun-Star
The Merced Sun-Star is a daily broadsheet newspaper printed in Merced, California, in the United States. It has an estimated circulation of 20,000 copies...
reported that Stockham, whom it described as a "32-year-old Moslem convert", had taken his then-9-year-old son Kane out of foster care and brought Kane and a gun on board his rented Cessna 150
Cessna 150
The Cessna 150 is a two-seat tricycle gear general aviation airplane, that was designed for flight training, touring and personal use.The Cessna 150 is the seventh most produced civilian plane ever, with 23,839 aircraft produced...
in attempt to land at Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport is the primary airport serving the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second-most populated metropolitan area in the United States. It is most often referred to by its IATA airport code LAX, with the letters pronounced individually...
and hijack an airliner to take him to Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
. At one point he was also accused of threatening President Jimmy Carter
Threatening the President of the United States
Threatening the President of the United States is a class D felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871. It consists of knowingly and willfully mailing or otherwise making "any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States"...
.
In 1985, Stockham was arrested at Reno-Cannon International Airport for planting a pipe bomb
Pipe bomb
A pipe bomb is an improvised explosive device, a tightly sealed section of pipe filled with an explosive material. The containment provided by the pipe means that simple low explosives can be used to produce a relatively large explosion, and the fragmentation of the pipe itself creates potentially...
and carrying an unregistered firearm, an incident covered in the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. Aged 38 at the time, he was described as having mental and criminal problems. According to psychiatrists, he believed he was Jesus Christ and that extraterrestrials had taken over his body.
Stockham is a member of his local chapter of Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
(VFW). In his profile on the VFW website, he is described as a "typical surfer" whose other hobbies include water skiing
Water skiing
thumb|right|A slalom skier making a turn on a slalom waterski.Waterskiing is a sport where an individual is pulled behind a boat or a cable ski installation on a body of water, skimming the surface.-History:...
, sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and go cart racing. He was at one point a commercial bush pilot in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. In 2002 he pled not guilty by reason of insanity to threatening to blow up a Veterans Administration
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
center in Vermont and making threats against President George W. Bush
Threatening the President of the United States
Threatening the President of the United States is a class D felony under United States Code Title 18, Section 871. It consists of knowingly and willfully mailing or otherwise making "any threat to take the life of, to kidnap, or to inflict bodily harm upon the President of the United States"...
. He was released from a prison medical center in 2005 and told not to drink; the bar attendant who reported him to police the day of the bombing attempt reported that he was drinking scotch at the time.
Stockham rejected his court-appointed attorney because he claimed the attorney was a Shi'ite Muslim who worships at the Islamic Center: “I reject my appointed counsel. He is a Shi'ite and I am not.” he said, before he was cut off by 19th District Judge Mark Somers. It was also revealed that Stockham was a convert to Islam, spoke Arabic during the preliminary interview, and quoted Qur’anic verses. His newly appointed attorney also insisted that his client isn't anti-Muslim as Stockham converted to Islam soon after serving in Vietnam in 1974 and spoke of his outrage over U.S. conduct in Iraq. The chairman of the board for the Islamic Center of America, Afif Jawad, who attended the hearing, said he and other leaders continue to meet with local and federal law enforcement officials about the incident. Jawad stated: "This man knows what he's doing" and "This man picked on the Shiites....That's a threat to the community." The manager at the Detroit bar Stockham visited before his arrest, said Stockham claimed to be part of a group of Indonesian Mujahideen
Mujahideen
Mujahideen are Muslims who struggle in the path of God. The word is from the same Arabic triliteral as jihad .Mujahideen is also transliterated from Arabic as mujahedin, mujahedeen, mudžahedin, mudžahidin, mujahidīn, mujaheddīn and more.-Origin of the concept:The beginnings of Jihad are traced...
, or holy warriors.
Reactions and aftermath
On January 28, 2011, Imam Sayyid Hassan al-Qazwini of the Islamic Center of America addressed the Shi'ite Muslim community regarding the plot. According to al-Qazwini, the police indicated to him that Stockham had said to the police that he regardedTimothy McVeigh
Timothy McVeigh
Timothy James McVeigh was a United States Army veteran and security guard who detonated a truck bomb in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995...
as his role model.