Trial tied to ISIS-inspired Texas attack begins in Phoenix federal court
- Abdul Malik Kareem is believed to be the first person to be tried in the U.S. on ISIS-related charges
For the purposes of the terrorism trial that began Wednesday in federal court, there is little dispute about what happened on May 3, 2015, in Garland, Texas.
On that day, two Phoenix men under the sway of jihadism approached an events center hosting a "draw the prophet" contest, clutched their semi-automatic rifles and opened fire. Both Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi were shot dead by a police officer before inflicting any casualties.
A U.S. District Court jury is now left to decide whether the Garland plot was the product of a duo or a trio.
Moving company owner Abdul Malik Abdul Kareem was arrested shortly after the attack and accused of being a driving force behind it. Kareem is believed to be the first person to be tried in the U.S. on charges related to the Islamic State.
Kareem, 44, is accused of conspiracy, interstate transportation of firearms, false statements, being a felon in possession of firearms and of conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
While prosecutors describe Kareem as the “bankroller, trainer and motivator” of the group, defense attorneys paint the picture of an unlucky friend, guilty only by association.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Brook previewed for the jury the testimony they would hear from various prosecution witnesses, who would testify Kareem had become as radicalized as Simpson and Soofi.
The U.S. government opened its case against Kareem by explaining the origins and methods of the Islamic State and describing how he became an avid follower in early 2015. She said Kareem, Simpson and Soofi watched terrorism videos, beheadings and Islamic State propaganda clips, and had a reverence for anything coming from Anwar al-Awlaki, the American-born radical cleric killed in a 2011 CIA drone strike.
She said they originally wanted to acquire explosives to blow up University of Phoenix Stadium, which hosted the 2015 Super Bowl, and a nearby shopping center. When that plan failed to materialize, they set their sights on the cartoon contest in Garland, Texas, she said. Brook cited tweets by Simpson in which he posted a photo of al-Awlaki and said "when will they ever learn," after learning of prizes available at the contest.
Kareem is accused of conspiracy to support the Islamic State. Brook said he knew Simpson and Soofi were followers of the Islamic State but still helped them carry out the attack, including buying weapons and showing them how to shoot and clean the guns.
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The jury will hear from two children who were Kareem's neighbors, she said, and how the defendant “indoctrinated them into his form of Islam.” He bought them presents — a watch, phone, toys, dinner — and told them that he wanted to kill those who didn’t share his beliefs, Brook said.
Although Kareem told FBI officials he wasn’t in contact with Simpson before the attack, Brook said, the two were seen at a restaurant picking up food and then again at a mosque together in the days leading up to May 3.
“The defendant was the third man of a team set on mass murder,” she said. “Each had their role. Two were killed, one remains.”
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Daniel Maynard, Kareem’s defense attorney, said his client had no knowledge of the attacks and urged jurors to keep an open mind.
“This is an overactive imagination by the government,” he said.
Maynard opened his arguments by describing the moment Kareem learned about the attack, as witnessed by Kareem’s nephew. The reaction on Kareem’s face, Maynard said, was “shock.”
“He has no idea what is going on,” Maynard said.
Maynard denied that Kareem and the two regularly went shooting in the desert. The two times they did shoot together, Maynard said, were more for sport than as a training exercise.
Maynard said Kareem’s roommates at the time of the attack would testify that there was no radicalization in the household and that he never was seen watching violent jihadist videos.
The defense attorney acknowledged that the jury would hear from witnesses who would present damning testimony about Kareem. Some, he said, would testify Kareem had asked them to build him a pipe bomb.
Maynard then asked the jury to wait until the cross-examination before making up their minds.
“Look at people’s credibility,” he said. “I suggest to you a large number of the government’s witnesses are not telling the truth.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.