An Iraqi citizen living in Ohio, Shihab Ahmed Shihab, 53, was sentenced to more than 14 years in prison for attempting to provide material support to terrorists in a plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush. Court records revealed that Shihab believed President Bush was responsible for the deaths of many Iraqis and the destruction of Iraq during 'Operation Iraqi Freedom.'
Shihab, who had aided al Qaeda as a gun runner during the war, planned to smuggle ISIS sympathizers into the United States to carry out the assassination. His plot involved two former Iraqi intelligence agents who were to execute the attack while he coordinated logistics and scouted President Bush's Texas home.
Shihab's plan included smuggling at least seven Iraqi nationals, posing as assassins, across the U.S.-Mexican border for a significant sum of money. However, his interactions were with an FBI informant, and the alleged ISIS member he believed he had smuggled into the U.S. was fictitious.
Recorded conversations with the FBI informant revealed Shihab's desire to be directly involved in the attack and his willingness to sacrifice his life for the cause. In February 2022, Shihab traveled to Dallas with the informant to surveil President Bush's residence, recording the surroundings and access points.
Despite Shihab's efforts, President Bush remained confident in the U.S. Secret Service and law enforcement agencies. Shihab was arrested by the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in May 2022 and charged with attempting to provide material support to terrorists.
Shihab pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 178 months in prison, with the possibility of deportation and lifelong supervised release. He had entered the U.S. in 2020 on a visitor visa and had applied for asylum and U.S. citizenship before his arrest.
