What makes Houston a great entrepreneurial city also makes it an ideal operating environment for organized crime and terrorists. From an illegal activity perspective, the nature of the city provides anonymity, ease of entry and exit, readily available resources and robust commercial trade in which to mask other activities. To these characteristics, one can add southern hospitality and a multitude of ethnic groups that make it easy to remain anonymous and blend in.
Consider the Al Maghrib Institute’s Houston chapter, which has twice now been linked to Al Qaeda-associated activities. According to its Web site, the group’s goal is to become “the largest and most beneficial learning system in the history” to “all people who seek to gain a deeper understanding of Islam.”
But there are questions as to whether the institute is simply a conference coordinator providing a service to students — or part of a broader effort to radicalize them. One recent student of the Houston Al Maghrib was Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who is accused of concealing explosives in his underwear and of trying to detonate them with a syringe of chemicals on Northwest Flight 253 on Christmas Day. His 11-day visit to Houston in August 2008 included enrollment in a short class at the institute. At that class, materials were available featuring the extremist Islamic cleric Anwar al Awlaki, a confirmed advocate of terrorism, according to an investigation by Channel 2 KPRC. A separate report by the Investigative Project on Terrorism says video tapes show AlMaghrib’s Houston-based director of the 2008 program and national Dean of Academic AffairsYasir Qadhi expressing hatred of non-Muslims (particularly Jews), contempt for Western society, and glorification of jihad.
The Al Maghrib Institute also surfaced in reference to Daniel Joseph Maldonado, the Houston man who was captured with other Al Qaeda members in Somalia. According to Houston Chronicle reports and other sources, Maldonado grew up in the Boston/New Hampshire region, moved to Houston, associated with persons linked to Al Maghrib, then moved to Egypt and finally trained in Somalia with Al Qaeda. He was returned to Houston for trial on charges of knowingly receiving training from Al Qaeda.
Most recently, an event occurred involving a rocket launcher and an individual named Nabilaye I. Yansane. Again, suspected links to Al Maghrib have been circulating on the Internet. Channel 2 in Houston also reported in this Dec. 31, 2009, news story that jihadist literature was found at the location, raising the question of where the literature came from. Al Maghrib, perhaps?
Hospitality and openness do not mean our citizenry should not remain vigilant. The most important step in the process of detecting activity is the initial tip, regardless of whom the tip is given to — Crime Stoppers, law enforcement or your elected official. For those who feel vulnerable, remember Crime Stopper tips remain anonymous.
Joan Neuhaus Schaan is the fellow in homeland security and terrorism at the Baker Institute. Since late 2004, she has served as the executive director of the Houston-Harris County Regional Homeland Security Advisory Council. Since 2007 she has served on the Board of Crime Stoppers of Houston, Inc.