Naser Jason Abdo

Naser Jason Abdo
Born	(1990-04-01) April 1, 1990 Garland, Texas, United States
Occupation	Former United States Army private first class
Years active	2009–2011 (military service)
Known for	Attempted bombing near Fort Hood, Texas; conscientious objector case

Naser Jason Abdo (born April 1, 1990) is a former United States Army private first class from the United States, apprehended in 2011 for attempting to detonate a bomb at a restaurant known to be popular among soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. He was found guilty in federal court and received a sentence of two life terms served consecutively, plus an additional 60 years, and is presently incarcerated at ADX Florence.

Abdo entered the U.S. Army in 2009 and sought conscientious objector status in 2010. Although initially granted, the discharge process was interrupted when authorities discovered child pornography on his government-issued computer, prompting recommendations for court-martial. Denying these allegations, Abdo subsequently went AWOL from Fort Campbell, Kentucky during the Independence Day holiday weekend. After suspicious transactions were noted, law enforcement found bomb-making components in his hotel room and detained him on July 28, 2011.

His alleged motive for the attack stemmed from his identity as a Muslim opposing violence against fellow Muslims amid the Afghanistan conflict. Acting independently, Abdo faced charges related to bomb plotting rather than terrorism, as he had no affiliations with terrorist groups.

Early life

Abdo was born in Garland, Texas, located northeast of Dallas. His mother is an American Christian, while his father is of Palestinian–Jordanian Muslim heritage. Following his parents’ divorce when he was three years old, he primarily resided with his father. In Garland, he attended Richardson Terrace Elementary School, then progressed through South Garland High School and Berkner High School. At age 17, he embraced Islam and later pursued mass communication studies at the American University in Dubai.

His father spent approximately 25 years living in the United States. Convicted in 2006 for online solicitation of a minor, he served three years out of a five-year term within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice before being deported to Jordan in 2010.

Army

Facing limited employment opportunities, Abdo enlisted in the U.S. Army in March 2009. In the aftermath of the Fort Hood shootings that same year, he publicly condemned the actions of Nidal Malik Hasan.

Abdo’s unit from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, deployed to Afghanistan in February 2010; however, he remained stateside to study Pashto, one of the primary languages spoken in that region. Scheduled for deployment in June 2010, he applied for conscientious objector status earlier that spring, citing his Muslim faith as conflicting with participating in combat against Muslims in Afghanistan. In an interview with Al Jazeera TV, Abdo expressed: "I don't believe I can involve myself in an army that wages war against Muslims."

While his discharge was initially approved by the Army, it was suspended after officials uncovered child pornography on his military-issued computer during processing. At a hearing held on June 15, court-martial proceedings were recommended. After being formally charged with possession of child pornography—a charge he denied—Abdo absented himself without leave from Fort Campbell over the Independence Day weekend in 2011.

Two anti-war organizations—Iraq Veterans Against the War and Courage to Resist—initially backed his claim for conscientious objector status. Abdo contributed writings to Iraq Veterans Against the War, stating: "Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims from terror can we move onto a brighter future of religious collaboration and dialogue." After his arrest, Iraq Veterans denounced the attempted bombing as contrary to their values. Upon learning about the child pornography allegations, Courage to Resist withdrew their support and removed Abdo’s profile from their website.

Arrest

On July 27, 2011, employees at the Guns Galore firearms outlet in Killeen, Texas, located near Fort Hood, observed that Abdo had acquired an unusually large quantity of smokeless gunpowder, along with three boxes of shotgun shells and a pistol magazine. A store employee notified the Killeen Police Department, which subsequently traced Abdo to the Best Value Inn and Suites. Notably, Guns Galore was also the source where Nidal Malik Hasan obtained the FN Five-seven pistol used in the 2009 Fort Hood attack, as well as where the suspect involved in the 2014 Fort Hood incidents purchased his firearm.

Upon searching Abdo's hotel room, law enforcement discovered a handgun and materials associated with bomb construction, including gunpowder, shrapnel, and pressure cookers. Additionally, authorities found a copy of "Make a bomb in the kitchen of your Mom" from Inspire magazine, al-Qaeda’s English-language publication. Daniel Pipes of The Washington Times noted that the items found corresponded closely with those described in the Inspire bomb-making guide. Abdo had also procured a military uniform bearing Fort Hood insignia from a surplus store to blend in with nearby service members.

Court hearing and sentencing

During a court appearance on July 29, 2011, Abdo faced charges for possession of an unregistered destructive device and was detained without bail. Exiting the courtroom, he shouted references to "Nidal Hasan, Fort Hood 2009," alluding to the 2009 Fort Hood shooter, and mentioned Abeer Qassim al-Janabi, a young girl killed by U.S. troops in Iraq.

Legal documents indicated that Abdo confessed to intending to build two bombs by packing gunpowder and shrapnel into pressure cookers aimed at a restaurant frequented by military personnel. Following FBI testimony in February 2012, the presiding judge suggested that further charges might be forthcoming. Representing himself during proceedings, Abdo denied allegations related to possession of child pornography.

On May 24, 2012, he was convicted on counts including attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted murder of federal employees, and other firearm-related offenses. Sentencing occurred on August 10, 2012, resulting in two life sentences plus an additional 60 years. He is currently incarcerated at ADX Florence.

U.S. Attorney Robert L. Pitman drew parallels between this plot and other violent acts such as the 2012 Aurora theater shooting and Wisconsin Sikh temple attack, highlighting them as instances where individuals resorted to violence to promote extremist ideologies.

External links

• Spaetzel, Nicole. "Case 45: Abdo." In: Mueller, John (editor, Ohio State University). The American Cases. March 14, 2014.