Overview

Cholo Abdi Abdullah is a Kenyan operative for al-Shabaab who allegedly plotted a September 11-style attack on a building in an American city.Benjamin Weiser, “Kenyan Planned 9/11-Style Attack After Training as Pilot, U.S. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/nyregion/cholo-abdi-abdullah-shabab-indictment.html. Abdullah is currently on trial in the U.S. where he is charged with six counts of terrorism-related offenses. If found guilty of his crimes, Abdullah will face a maximum sentence of life in prison.“Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 16, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kenyan-national-indicted-conspiring-hijack-aircraft-behalf-al-qaeda-affiliated-terrorist; “Al-Shabaab member charged with planning 9/11-style attack on US,” Agence France Press, December 16, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/cholo-abdi-abdullah-al-shabaab-charges-9-11-style-attack.

Abdullah has allegedly been affiliated with al-Qaeda since 2012. Abdullah reportedly relocated to the Philippines in 2016, eventually settling in Iba, Zambales province at some point in 2017.Corinne Ramey, “Kenyan Man Charged With Plotting Sept. 11-Style Attack ,” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyan-man-charged-with-plotting-sept-11-style-attack-11608142077; “Suspected Al Qaeda member nabbed in Zambales,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2019/7/2/al-qaeda-zambales-cholo-abdi-abdullah-.html?fbclid=IwAR17L2BkBL26s_0RLpcJbN9xsTqCkrptg8e9xiW5kpXlHrzisLR5p8XpDpY. On July 2, 2019, Abdullah was arrested by the Philippine National Police (PNP) at a hotel in Iba. He was arrested by the PNP and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) under the suspicion of membership in a terrorist organization following an investigation launched by undisclosed foreign authorities.“Suspected Al Qaeda member nabbed in Zambales,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2019/7/2/al-qaeda-zambales-cholo-abdi-abdullah-.html?fbclid=IwAR17L2BkBL26s_0RLpcJbN9xsTqCkrptg8e9xiW5kpXlHrzisLR5p8XpDpY.

At the time of his arrest, Abdullah was enrolled at the All Asia Aviation Academy in Pasay, where he had been studying since 2017.“Suspected Al Qaeda member nabbed in Zambales,” CNN, July 2, 2019, https://cnnphilippines.com/regional/2019/7/2/al-qaeda-zambales-cholo-abdi-abdullah-.html?fbclid=IwAR17L2BkBL26s_0RLpcJbN9xsTqCkrptg8e9xiW5kpXlHrzisLR5p8XpDpY. While in the Philippines, Abdullah allegedly had been studying “different aviation threats, aircraft hijacking, and falsifying travel documents.” Upon searching his room, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP recovered a firearm, hand grenades, and bomb making components.Ellie Aben, “Kenyan linked to Al-Shabaab arrested in Philippines,” Arab News, July 3, 2019, https://www.arabnews.com/node/1519656/world.

Prior to Abdullah’s arrest, he had made preparations in the Philippines to hijack an airplane and crash in into a building somewhere in the United States. According to reports, Abdullah was acting under the direction of a senior al-Shabaab commander who allegedly planned the January 2019 attack on a hotel in Nairobi, Kenya which killed over 21 people.Benjamin Weiser, “Kenyan Planned 9/11-Style Attack After Training as Pilot, U.S. Says,” New York Times, December 16, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/16/nyregion/cholo-abdi-abdullah-shabab-indictment.html; “Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 16, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kenyan-national-indicted-conspiring-hijack-aircraft-behalf-al-qaeda-affiliated-terrorist. Abdullah’s terror plot was reportedly one of al-Shabaab’s responses—under “Operation Jerusalem Will Never be Judaized”—to the United States’ decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.“Kenyan National Indicted For Conspiring To Hijack Aircraft On Behalf Of The Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 16, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/kenyan-national-indicted-conspiring-hijack-aircraft-behalf-al-qaeda-affiliated.

On December 15, 2020, Abdullah was transferred from the Philippines to the custody of U.S. law enforcement. A day later, Abdullah appeared at the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where he was charged with providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, conspiring to commit aircraft piracy, and other terror related crimes.Corinne Ramey, “Kenyan Man Charged With Plotting Sept. 11-Style Attack ,” Wall Street Journal, December 16, 2020, https://www.wsj.com/articles/kenyan-man-charged-with-plotting-sept-11-style-attack-11608142077. Abdullah pleaded not guilty to all charges.“Al-Shabaab member charged with planning 9/11-style attack on US,” Agence France Press, December 16, 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/dec/16/cholo-abdi-abdullah-al-shabaab-charges-9-11-style-attack.

Abdullah faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison.“Kenyan National Indicted for Conspiring to Hijack Aircraft on Behalf of the Al Qaeda-Affiliated Terrorist Organization Al Shabaab,” U.S. Department of Justice, December 16, 2020, https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/kenyan-national-indicted-conspiring-hijack-aircraft-behalf-al-qaeda-affiliated-terrorist.