UMVA has learned that a senior Iraqi militia leader, Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, has been charged with directing terror attacks inside the U.S., sparking fears of a growing threat from within America's borders.
Al-Saadi, a high-ranking member of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah terror group, is accused of orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions, with authorities claiming he publicly threatened President Donald Trump and his family.
A national security expert has warned that the U.S. is vulnerable to terrorism due to vetting failures of supposed Iraqi and Afghan allies and an overly generous social welfare system, which could be exploited by those seeking to carry out jihad.
Lora Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said that the combination of open borders, millions of deportable aliens inside the U.S., and common believers in jihad creates a perfect storm for terror threats inside America.
Ries explained that the U.S. intelligence community’s threat assessments for this year and 2025 include discussion of Iranian commitment to decades-long attacks against the U.S. using surrogate networks inside the U.S., highlighting the need for more thorough vetting of immigrants.
In the last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally present in the country, including a former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps member with Hezbollah ties, other IRGC members and operatives, a former Iranian army sniper, and known terrorists.
One of these, Asif Merchant, a trained IRGC operative, was convicted in April of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terror, prompting Ries to say, "We have to assume there are more operatives inside the country."
Ries cited widespread fraud in the immigration system, including asylum fraud, marriage fraud, and H-1B fraud, as a major concern, and expressed skepticism about programs aimed at rewarding those who helped the U.S. military in Afghanistan and Iraq.
She called for a more selective approach to immigration, saying, "We need to be choosy about the types of benefits we're giving," and advocated for narrowing immigration into the country to prioritize thorough vetting and national security.
Ries highlighted the dangers posed by al-Saadi’s case, saying he doesn’t need direct contact with like-minded individuals in the U.S. to inspire jihad, as there are plenty of others in Europe, Canada, and elsewhere willing to carry out attacks.
With terror threats at the top of the list, Ries added that ICE has a lot of work to do to conduct mass deportations and mitigate the risks posed by those already inside the country.
