Naser Jason Abdo

Naser Jason Abdo (born April 1, 1990) is an American former United States Army private first class who was arrested in 2011 for attempting to commit a terrorist attack against a restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas. He was convicted in federal court and sentenced to two consecutive life terms, plus 60 years, which he is currently serving in ADX Florence.

Abdo joined the U.S. Army in 2009, but applied for conscientious objector status the following year. Army officials approved his application, but the process was put on hold when child pornography was discovered on his government-issued computer, and the Army suggested he be court-martialed. Abdo denied the charges and went AWOL from Fort Campbell, Kentucky over the Independence Day weekend. After a series of suspicious purchases, authorities located bomb-making materials in his hotel room and arrested him on July 28, 2011.

Abdo is alleged to have planned the bombing because of his opposition as a Muslim to harming other Muslims during the war in Afghanistan. He was charged for a bomb plot, not terrorism, as he acted alone and was not part of a terrorist organization.

Early life Abdo was born in Garland, Texas, northeast of Dallas. In Garland, he attended Richardson Terrace Elementary School, South Garland High School and Berkner High School. According to Abdo's 2010 statement to the Army, at the age of 17, he began practicing Islam. The following year, he took classes in mass communication at the American University in Dubai.

Army With no job prospects, soon before his 19th birthday, Abdo joined the United States Army in March 2009. The Army approved his discharge, but it was put on hold when Army officials discovered child pornography on his government-issued computer while processing him out.

In the spring, two anti-war groups, Iraq Veterans Against the War and Courage to Resist, had initially supported Abdo's conscientious objector bid. In a statement for Iraq Veterans Against the War, Abdo had written, "Only when the military and America can disassociate Muslims from terror can we move onto a brighter future of religious collaboration and dialogue that defines America and makes me proud to be an American." Coincidentally, Guns Galore was the store in which Nidal Malik Hasan bought the FN Five-seven pistol used in the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, as well as the store where the killer in the 2014 Fort Hood shootings allegedly bought his pistol.

In Abdo's hotel room, police found a handgun and the ingredients for an improvised explosive device, including gunpowder, shrapnel, and pressure cookers. According to Daniel Pipes of The Washington Times, the "materials in Pfc. Abdo's possession corresponded precisely to the 'ingredients' listed in the Inspire magazine article on bomb-making." Abdo had also purchased a uniform with Fort Hood patches from a military surplus store to fit in with local soldiers.

Court hearing and sentencing In a court hearing on July 29, 2011, Abdo was charged with possession of an unregistered destructive device. He did not enter a plea at that time. He represented himself in court and again denied that he had possessed child pornography.

On May 24, 2012, Abdo was found guilty in federal court of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction, attempted murder of federal employees, possession of a weapon in furtherance of a federal crime of violence, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a federal crime of violence. On August 10, 2012, Abdo was sentenced to two life terms plus 60 years in prison. He is currently being held at ADX Florence.

The U.S. attorney in the case, Robert L. Pitman, compared the plot to the 2012 Aurora theater shooting and the Wisconsin Sikh temple shooting, as an example of Americans who planned to "use violence to advance their twisted agenda".