An alleged Kata’ib Hezbollah terror commander pleaded not guilty on Monday to plotting to attack a Manhattan synagogue, telling the court that he is not a criminal but engaged in a war.
Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood Al-Saadi, 32, allegedly helped coordinate nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks in Europe and the United States.
“I’m not guilty. I’m in a war situation,” he told the court, in Arabic. “I’m a prisoner of war. I’m not a threat. Children and women are being killed by your rockets.”
Al-Saadi was arrested in Turkey and transferred to U.S. custody to face prosecution. He smiled during the hearing, including when charges were read, the New York Post reported.
The Lawfare Project stated that the case “is a reminder that antisemitic terrorism is not confined by geography. It is organized, networked and increasingly transnational.”
“Counterterrorism laws are designed to disrupt these threats before they become headlines,” the Jewish group stated. “Every plot dismantled, every operative prosecuted and every support network exposed strengthens public safety and reinforces the rule of law.”
