A terrorist commander accused by authorities of planning attacks in New York City, Arizona and Los Angeles has been arrested by federal agents, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Friday. <\/p>\n
Mohammad Al-Saadi was identified by authorities<\/a> as a commander of terror organization Kata\u2019ib Hizballahin Iraq, which has ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He is accused of attempting to hire someone, who turned out to be an undercover member of a law enforcement agency, to carry out the attacks, including an operation targeting a Jewish center in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n Details about which specific center were not available.<\/p>\n According to the federal complaint, Al-Saadi has directed attacks on U.S. and Israeli interests since the two countries’ began military operations against Iran<\/a> more than two months ago. Al-Saadi and associates planned, coordinated, and claimed responsibility for at least 18 terror attacks in Europe and two more in Canada, according to the complaint.<\/p>\n Last month, the 32-year-old Al-Saadi unknowingly tried to hire an undercover law enforcement agent posing as a Mexican cartel member to attack a New York City synagogue and Jewish centers in LA and Scottsdale, Arizona, according to the complaint. The undercover agent was offered $10,000 and was asked to record the attacks on camera, federal authorities said.<\/p>\n No attacks resulted from the plan, authorities said.<\/p>\n Al-Saadia was charged with two counts of conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, two counts of conspiring to provide material support for acts of terrorism, one count of conspiracy to bomb a place of public use and one count of destruction of property by means of fire or explosive.<\/p>\n