Progress! Last year it took ’til almost two months into the new year for us to hear from our non-Muslimy Balkans Muslim friends whom we “rescued” from Christian Serbs and the jaws of civilization. This year, we’re only about a week in, and already we’re experiencing that familiar Balkan gratitude. (Though 2010 beats out 2012 by a day.)

Suspected Islamic Extremist Arrested in Alleged Florida Bomb Plot (AP, via FoxNews.com, Jan. 9)

URGENT: A 25-year-old man described as an Islamic extremist was arrested in an alleged plot to attack crowded areas in the Tampa, Fla., area with a car bomb, assault rifle and other explosives, authorities said Monday.

The U.S. Department of Justice said Sami Osmakac, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the former Yugoslavia, was arrested Saturday night.

Osmakac, from Pinellas County, allegedly told an undercover agent that “We all have to die, so why not die the Islamic way?’” according to a federal complaint.

FBI agents arrested Osmakac on Saturday after he allegedly bought explosive devices and firearms from an undercover agent. The firearms and explosives were rendered inoperable by law enforcement. The federal complaint says that shortly before his arrest, Osmakac made a video of himself explaining his motives for carrying out the planned violent attack.

He has been charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction. His first appearance in federal court is scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. ET.

Sources close to the investigation told Fox News that Osmakac was being “closely monitored by law enforcement” for months in what authorities have described as a “sting operation.”

Federal officials said a confidential source told them in Sept. 2011 that Osmakac wanted Al Qaeda flags. Two months later, the federal complaint said, Osmakac and the confidential source “discussed and identified potential targets in Tampa” that Osmakac wanted to attack.

Osmakac allegedly asked the source for help getting the firearms and explosives for the attacks, and the source put him in touch with an undercover FBI employee.

On Dec. 21, Osmakac met with the undercover agent and allegedly told the agent that he wanted to buy an AK-47-style machine gun, Uzi submachine guns, high capacity magazines, grenades and explosive belt. During a later meeting, Osmakac gave the agent a $500 down payment for the items.

“According to the complaint, Osmakac also asked the undercover employee whether he/she could build bombs that could be placed in three different vehicles and detonated remotely, near where Osmakac would conduct a follow-up attack using the other weapons he requested,” a press release from the Department of Justice said. “The undercover employee said he/she could possibly provide explosives for one vehicle. Osmakac also allegedly said that he wanted an explosive belt constructed to kill people.”

On Jan. 1, Osmakac told the agent that he wanted to bomb night clubs, the Operations Center of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and a business in Tampa, Florida.

Osmakac told the undercover FBI agent that he wanted to detonate a car bomb and use the explosive belt to “get in somewhere where there’s a lot of people” and take hostages.

He also allegedly told the agent that “Once I have this…they can take me in five million pieces,” in an apparent reference to a suicide blast. During that meeting, the agent told Osmakac he could always change his mind about his plot.

Osmakac had created a “martyrdom video” and tried on a bomb belt before being arrested Saturday, law enforcement officials told Fox News.

Sure enough, it’s “Former Yugoslavia” that strikes again. Say, I thought the U.S. recognized Kosovo’s identity as an independent state. So why suddenly does no one recognize it? This Fox/AP report casually uses the term “Former Yugoslavia” as if its obfuscating purpose hasn’t already been exposed a dozen times (that is, to not pin the terrorist down to America and Germany’s (Germerica’s) most challenging client “state”).
Then again, we know that Fox News isn’t sure of the relationship between words like “Albanians,” “Yugoslavia” and “Balkans,” so using simply “Former Yugoslavia” avoids having to sort out the places and people.

Which is something I’m trying to do at the moment, given that all the reports identify Osmakac as being from Kosovo, which usually implies Albanian, yet the last name doesn’t sound Albanian. Perhaps he’s a Bosnian Muslim from there, or comes from a mixed marriage. Then again, maybe he’s Albanian after all. A few more reports/updates:

Muslim man charged in attempted Florida car bombing

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan 9 (Reuters) - A 25-year-old Muslim man born in Kosovo was charged on Monday with trying to obtain explosives and firearms to attack Florida businesses and a police station, authorities said.

Sami Osmakac, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Kosovo - a disputed Balkan state once a part of the former Yugoslavia that declared its independence from Serbia in 2008 - was charged with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction.

He was arrested Saturday night after taking possession from an undercover FBI agent of what he believed to be explosives and firearms. He then armed what he thought was a car bomb intended to explode outside an Irish bar, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney. The devices were rendered inoperable by the agents.

Osmakac also planned to strap on an explosive belt and “get in somewhere where there’s a lot of people,” according to the release. Osmakac hoped to take hostages and demand the release of some unidentified prisoners. He told the undercover agent that police could “take me in five million pieces,” according to the release.
…
Shortly before his arrest, Osmakac made an eight-minute video of himself, recorded at his request by the agent, explaining his motives for carrying out the planned attack, according to the release.

Osmakac said in the video that Muslim “blood” was more valuable than that of people who do not believe in Islam, and that he wanted “payback” for wrongs to Muslims.

The investigation was triggered by someone who told the FBI in September that Osmakac asked about obtaining flags representing al Qaeda….

Osmakac identified his targets as several nightclubs in Ybor City, Tampa’s historic Cuban community and a popular tourist district; and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s operations center.

Osmakac’s shopping list, for which he provided the undercover agent a $500 down payment, included the explosive belt which he specified should be constructed to “rip flesh.”

He asked for enough explosives for three car bombs with cell phone triggers, but settled for one car bomb when the agent told him a bigger purchase would draw attention. He also requested an AK-47-style machine gun, Uzi submachine guns, high capacity magazines, and grenades.

Muslim man from Kosovo charged in Fla. bomb plot

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Kosovo-born man was charged with plotting to attack Tampa-area nightclubs and a sheriff’s office with bombs and an assault rifle to avenge wrongs done to Muslims, federal authorities said Monday.

According to a federal complaint, 25-year-old Sami Osmakac recorded an eight-minute video shortly before his arrest explaining why he wanted to bring terror to his “victims’ hearts” in the Tampa Bay area. Osmakac is a naturalized American citizen born in Kosovo, then part of the former Yugoslavia in eastern Europe.

In the video, Osmakac is seen cross-legged on the floor with a pistol in his hand and an AK-47 behind him…The area’s Muslim community helped provide authorities with information, said Steve Ibison, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s Tampa division.

“This case is not about the Muslim religion and it’s not about the Muslim community,” Ibison said. “It’s about an individual who committed a crime.” [Keeping us children in line.]

Hassan Shibly, a Tampa attorney and the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said he met Osmakac briefly over the summer. Osmakac was “ranting” about how CAIR was an “infidel organization,” Shibly said.

“It was very clear he was very disturbed very angry and very misguided about the Islamic faith,” said Shibly, adding that Osmakac did not appear to be a member of any of the area’s mosques and had “disassociated himself” from those houses of worship. “He was very, very ignorant of Islam. He didn’t know Arabic or anything about basic Islamic teachings about promoting peace.”

Shibly said the CAIR office received calls from people in the Islamic community who were concerned about Osmakac’s extreme views.

“Contact the authorities as soon as possible,” Shibly said he told those people. [Wow, a “Europeanized, secular, not-like-that” Balkans Muslim scared the crap out of the “like that” Muslims. Or perhaps he risked blowing their cover, so they called the godfather asking what to do.]

Osmakac gave only brief answers to basic questions during his first appearance in federal court Monday.
…
Osmakac lived with his parents in a tan stucco home in Pinellas Park, Fla., a small city west of Tampa. He worked occasionally at the Balkan Food Store and Bakery in St. Petersburg, a small store owned by his parents.

On Monday, a man identifying himself as Osmakac’s older brother was at the store. He would not give The Associated Press his name but said his brother was innocent.

“It’s all made up,” the man said. “I don’t believe it.”

According to public records, Osmakac had one prior brush with the law. In April 2011, Tampa Police said Osmakac, dressed in “what appeared to be traditional Middle-Eastern attire with a small cloth” on his head, got into an argument over religion outside a Lady Gaga concert in downtown Tampa.

A police report said anti-gay Christian protesters outside the concert saw Osmakac driving by in a truck and turned their attention to him because of his appearance.

“The protesters began verbally berating the man and the Muslim faith and their attacks became personal and nasty,” wrote Tampa officer Kevin Krupa. [Though, it would appear, not inaccurate.]

The report said Osmakac parked his vehicle, walked up to the protesters and got into an argument with one man who insulted Allah, Mohammed and the Quran. Osmakac was accused of head butting one man and was charged with battery — although Krupa noted that the protesters were “not promoting peace or tolerance, but rather inciting violence and hate.” [Ah, so the Muslim’s violence is the Christian protesters’ fault.]

That case had not yet been resolved, according to court records.

Federal officials say Osmakac’s new charges stem from information given to them by a confidential source in September 2011.

According to the federal report, Osmakac walked into the source’s business looking for al-Qaida flags. The confidential source then hired Osmakac and was in constant contact with federal officials and audio or video taped their conversations.
…
Osmakac also asked the undercover employee to build bombs that could be placed in three different vehicles and detonated remotely, the U.S. Justice Department said in a press release. Osmakac then planned to follow up with an attack using the other weapons he asked for, authorities said.
…
Osmakac told the agent that after he took hostages he wanted to demand something from the “kuffar” — an Arabic word that means infidels or disbelievers of Islam, federal authorities said.

According to the affidavit, he also said, “Honestly, I would love to go for the Army people, but their bases are so locked up, I have to do something else.”

Osmakac said he wanted to take down the bridges that link Tampa to neighboring Pinellas County.

“This will crush the whole economy,” he allegedly said to the agent. “This would crush everything man, they would have no more food coming in. They would, nobody would have work.” […]

Closing with an abridged press release from the Dept. of Justice:

Florida Resident Charged With Plotting To Bomb Locations In Tampa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2012

…Sami Osmakac, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in the former Yugoslavia (Kosovo), was arrested Saturday night. He is charged in a criminal complaint in the Middle District of Florida with one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction (explosives) and is scheduled to make his initial appearance today at 2:00 p.m. in federal court, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anthony Porcelli, in Tampa. If convicted, Osmakac faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
…
“The perseverance and diligence of law enforcement caused this investigation to conclude in a successful manner,” said U.S. Attorney O’Neill. “I would like to commend them for their hard work. This investigation was also predicated, in part, by assistance from the Muslim community. I would like to thank them as well.”
…
“The Tampa FBI Division has always considered its relationships with regional community groups throughout Central and Southwest Florida extremely important. In this case, we are grateful for the Muslim community’s continued support. This incident clearly demonstrated how citizens can help law enforcement keep our neighborhoods and our nation safe,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Ibison.
…
According to the complaint, Osmakac also asked the undercover employee whether he/she could build bombs that could be placed in three different vehicles and detonated remotely, near where Osmakac would conduct a follow-up attack using the other weapons he requested. The undercover employee said he/she could possibly provide explosives for one vehicle. Osmakac also allegedly said that he wanted an explosive belt constructed to kill people.

During a subsequent meeting with the FBI undercover employee on January 1, 2012, Osmakac allegedly described his attack plans by stating that he wanted to obtain a hotel room; park the vehicle with the bomb in it at his target; leave the area; detonate the car bomb, and then retrieve the weapons and explosives from the hotel room…

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