On August 6, 2007, two Egyptian students from the University of South Florida in Tampa were charged with possession of an explosive device after suspicious materials were located in their car during a routine traffic stop in South Carolina. The two individuals have been identified as Ahmed Abda Sherf Mohamed, 24, and Yousef Samir Megahed, 21. Both of the men are Egyptian nationals and were in the United States legally, although are not US citizens. A hearing is scheduled for both students in October 2007, and if convicted they face up to 15 years in a federal prison.
Officials from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have stated that no link to terrorism has been found at this time, however a joint state-federal investigation is ongoing to further probe this possibility.
Traffic Stop Uncovers Explosive Material
On August 4, 2007, local police in Berkley County, South Carolina stopped the vehicle carrying Mohamed and Megahed for speeding in Goose Creek, approximately seven miles from a US Navy base that houses the US Naval Consolidated Brig where enemy combatants have previously been incarcerated.
According to police, officers became suspicious after one of the men quickly closed a laptop computer when a deputy approached the vehicle. The two students were also unable to immediately answer where they were traveling to or why they were in the area. Police then uncovered what they believed were explosives, specifically pipe bombs, and called a local bomb squad to the scene. According to arrest warrants from the case, bomb technicians confirmed that the devices were pipe bombs and performed a controlled explosion.
While FBI officials have not released the exact contents of the materials located in the vehicle, media reports have indicated that the two students were carrying gasoline, pipes, fuses, explosive chemicals, and model rocket launchers. According to the affidavit, Mohamed told the arresting officer that the materials were for constructing homemade fireworks and that he purchased all the components at a Wal-Mart.
Authorities Search House in Temple Terrace
Local media reports from Tampa have indicated that the FBI, along with other state and federal officials, searched a home in Temple Terrace, Florida on August 11, 2007 in connection with the case and removed several large sections of PVC pipe, bags of evidence, and a suitcase. Authorities from the FBI have confirmed that the search was related to the two USF students, although additional details have not been released.
Media reports have stated that the home is owned by a local realtor- Noor Salhab. Salhab has confirmed that a friend of Mohamed is currently a tenant at the raided house. That individual has been identified as Ahmad Ishtay. Moreover, residents in the area have stated that Salhab’s son- Ghassan Salhab- is also a current resident at the house. Ghassan’s car was searched as part of the investigation. Allegedly, Mohamed planned to move into the residence in the near-term, and had already transferred some of his belongings to the home.
According to neighbors, federal officials previously raided the house in Temple Terrace in 2003 as part of the broad investigation into Sami Al-Arian. Al-Arian is a former professor at USF who was arrested and charged in February 2003 for raising money for Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ). Officials described Al-Arian as the North American leader of PIJ.
– Federal authorities first began to investigate Al-Arian in 1995 when he founded the Islamic think tank World and Islam Studies Enterprise (WISE) at USF with Ramadan Abdullah Shallah. Shallah left WISE shortly thereafter to return to the Middle East as the head of PIJ after its previous leader was assassinated.
Al-Arian was later acquitted of most charges, although pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to provide services to PIJ. Reports have indicated that the home in Temple Terrace was previously rented to WISE.
Additionally, local records have shown that the owner of the house, Noor Salhab, lives at a nearby residence with his wife. Sameeh Hammoudeh, who was a co-defendant in the trial of Al-Arian, owns that house.
Potential Link to PIJ Remains Unconfirmed
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, neither of the arrested students have previous criminal records. However, in late July 2007, Tampa police issued a citation to Mohamed (and Temple Terrace tenant Ahmad Ishtay) for using a firearm to shoot squirrels in a local park.
At this time, it remains unclear if the two charged USF students were connected to PIJ, as no definite links have been found and authorities have not confirmed such reports. However, if such a link is determined, the implications will be troublesome. Such a connection would raise further questions regarding the actual intent of the arrested individuals and their possible attack target.
