Mohamed Mohamud, 19, Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Terrorist Attack at Christmas Tree-Lighting
Somali-American Mohamed Osman Mohamud was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison for the attempted bombing of a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Oregon.
Mohamud, 19, reportedly reached out to an Islamic terrorist organization in Pakistan in order to do something for "his people." However, the teen actually spoke with an undercover FBI agent posing as an Al-Qaida operative in 2010, who earned his trust and told him there were five ways he could help the organization. Mohamud chose to become "operational," meaning that he would do something to actively promote Al-Qaida.
He specifically came up with the idea to bomb the annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony, even going so far as to provide maps of the area to the undercover FBI agents and taking part in a practice run. He seemed gleeful about the possibility of doing real damage to ordinary citizens, telling the agents that "that's, what I want for these people," according to government paperwork.
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His parents and defense attorneys tried to show a different side of Mohamud—one of a lost boy trying to find himself in the world. Once he was taken into custody, he wrote a letter to the judge, saying that he was incredibly sorry for his actions and showing that he was trying to become a better person through reading.
He "articulates a sincere rejection of violence while also taking concrete steps to distance himself from extremism by both assisting the government and becoming closer with his parents," Oregon Health and Science University psychiatry professor J. David Kinzie told the court.
"Mohamed has taken every step in his power to show his rejection of the ideology and the path that has brought him before this Court," the defense noted. "He has tremendous remorse for his actions and wants nothing more than an opportunity to become a productive member of society."
However, the prosecution contends that Mohamud's reaching out to what he thought was a terrorist organization could have been disastrous for the people in the Oregon community and could show a tendency to do something later on.
"The mindset on which defendant's decision to murder thousands of people was carefully thought out over a lengthy period. It is not likely that it would change after a brief period in custody," the prosecution stated.
"I can't change what happened. All I can do is try to make myself a better person and give back wherever I can," Mohamud wrote in the letter to the judge. "I have renounced and I again renounce my former beliefs. I am willing to speak to young Muslims to help keep them away from the path of extremism. I hope that in the future I can be of service and help to the community."
Mohamud will serve 30 years—he could have been sentenced to life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
