Justice Department Charges Iraqi Militia Leader with Planning Attacks

The Justice Department announced charges against Iraqi national Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a senior member of the Iran-backed Kata’ib Hizballah group. Officials said he is accused of orchestrating nearly 20 terrorist attacks across Europe and plotting attacks on Jewish institutions.

Authorities also stated that al-Saadi publicly threatened a U.S. president and his family. The defendant was arrested and will face trial in New York.

Ries, director of the Heritage Foundation’s Border Security and Immigration Center, said in an interview that immigration vetting and social welfare programs have left the United States vulnerable to terrorism. She stated that multiple pathways to immigration create opportunities for fraud.

Ries added that the combination of prior border policies, millions of deportable individuals inside the country, and individuals willing to carry out attacks creates real terror threats. She said al-Saadi calls on others to carry out jihad and that many are willing to respond.

Ries noted that U.S. intelligence assessments for the current year and 2025 discussed Iranian use of surrogate networks inside the United States. In the last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 11 Iranian nationals illegally present in the country, including former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members and a former Iranian army sniper.

One individual, Asif Merchant, described by prosecutors as a trained operative, was convicted in April of murder for hire and attempting to commit an act of terror. Ries said officials must assume more operatives remain inside the country.

Ries stated that generous immigration benefits have created an unwieldy system that endangers national security, economic security, and public safety. She called for thorough vetting of any immigration benefit and said the United States should be selective about who it admits.

She said the current case shows that individuals do not need direct contact with others inside the United States to encourage attacks. Ries added that Immigration and Customs Enforcement still has significant work ahead on mass deportations, with terror threats at the top of the list.