Professional Soldiers ® - UTEP Student Jailed for Bomb Threat

I wonder if this is part of the feared backlash against Muslims (there is no mention of his religion in the article, only that he is Arab) Janet Napolitano is trying to prevent?

Quote:

FBI: UTEP student made false bomb threat, said 'it is fun to blow people up'

Posted: Nov 25, 2009 05:45 PM

Updated: Nov 25, 2009 06:46 PM

EL PASO -- An electrical engineering student at the University of Texas at El Paso(UTEP) appeared before a U.S. Magistrate Judge Wednesday on charges he allegedly made a bomb threat to a UTEP employee.

According to the criminal complaint, Ahmad Ibrahim Fares-Hammad "maliciously" made the false bomb threat to an administrative assistant at the Biological Science building on November 18, 2009 and told her "it is fun to blow people up."

The FBI agent investigating the incident said the employee claimed Fares-Hammad walked into the department's office carrying a small device with short metal poles that had yellow, red and blue wires.

The employee told the investigator she had never seen Fares-Hammad inside the building and addressed him in regards to the device. "What's that," the employee asked," it looks scary."

Investigators said Fares-Hammad answered, "It is a remote control used to blow people up." The employee then remarked, "That is mean and not very nice." Fares-Hammad then told her, "It is fun to blow people up," according to the FBI investigator who interviewed the employee.

Fares-Hammad then asked the employee for water and she directed him to a water tank. Fares-Hammad noticed there were no water cups attached to the tank and told the employee he needed a cup. At that point, he told her, "You think because we are Arab we will blow people up. I won't blow you up," according to the FBI investigator. The employee then asked him, "You think I'm flattered by that?" Fares-Hammad replied, "You should be flattered," according to the investigator.

The employee was shown a still picture of the incident and pointed out Fares-Hammad to the FBI investigator. Documents state the investigator then showed surveillance footage of the incident and the still picture to an electronic technician lab manager.

On November 19, 2009, the lab manager identified the man in the surveillance footage as Fares-Hammad and pointed him out in one of the nearby labs. He also told the investigator the device that drew suspicion from the employee is typically carried around by electrical engineering students.

Wednesday, Fares-Hammad appeared in federal court to hear the charges against him. He is charged with "maliciously making false information concerning alleged attempts to injure, kill, or unlawfully damage or destroy a building by means of explosive," according to the criminal complaint.

A spokesperson with UTEP could not confirm how long Fares-Hammad has been enrolled at the university and would not comment on the charges against Fares-Hammad.

El Paso County Detention Facility records indicate Fares-Hammad was still jailed Wednesday night. No bond has been set.

http://www.kvia.com/global/story.asp?s=11575365