Former Congressional Candidate Pleads in Plot to Murder Muslims
A group of Muslim school children in upstate New York has a heartbreaking question for a Tennessee man they have never met, but who haunts their dreams.
In big letters on a large banner, they ask, 鈥淲hy Do You Want To Kill Us Robert Doggart?鈥�
Doggart, an allegedly ordained Christian minister who came in third last year in a Tennessee congressional race, is awaiting sentencing in federal court after recently in a plot to destroy with fire and guns the small Muslim community where the children live, worship and attend school.
When the 63-year-old wannabe Tennessee terrorist was arrested by FBI agents in his home state this spring, he was trying to recruit via cellphone and Facebook a militia of 鈥減atriots鈥� to attack the enclave of mostly African-American Muslims near Hancock, N.Y., known as
He planned to burn to the ground the mosque, school and cafeteria, according to a federal complaint. Anyone who fought back would be gunned down by Doggart and other snipers using M4 rifles or, as Doggart allegedly told a confidential informant, 鈥渨e will cut them to shreds鈥� with machetes.
For years, Islamberg has been dogged by radical-right conspiracy theories and claims, alleging that it is one of a string of secret jihadist training camps in the backwoods of America. There is at least one YouTube video making such a claim. According to one totally baseless , Osama bin Laden went into hiding in Islamberg after the 9/11 attacks.
A local deputy sheriff in Delaware County told a that he was 鈥減erplexed鈥� about the Islamberg rumors, adding that he and other deputies had been on the property on a number of occasions and that 鈥渘othing that we have developed or had contact with has made us believe there is any credit to those videos.鈥�
Doggart, according to the plea agreement, 鈥渏ustified his attack on Islamberg by claiming that the residents of Islamberg were planning a terrorist attack.鈥�
In a Facebook posting in February, according to federal prosecutors, Doggart wrote, 鈥淭arget 3 [Isamberg] is vulnerable from many approaches and must be utterly destroyed.鈥�
In another post he declared, 鈥淥ur small group will soon be faced with the fight of our lives. We will offer those lives as collateral to prove our commitment to our God.鈥�
During a telephone call recorded by federal agents, prosecutors say, 鈥渢he defendant suggested鈥� that 鈥渉e and his group would kill some residents of Islamberg in order to carry out the plan.鈥�
鈥淲e will be cruel to them,鈥� Doggart vowed.
Doggart, who claims to have a doctorate in business administration from LaSalle University, was arrested on April 10. Two weeks later, he pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication of threats. He is out on $30,000 bond awaiting sentencing, and faces up to five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
鈥淒oggart is an example of the results of unchecked and rampant Islamophobia which has spread lies for years about our peaceful community,鈥� the Muslim enclave鈥檚 spokesman, Muhammad Matthew Gardner, said in a . He added 鈥淎ll would agree, if a Muslim did this, the perpetrator would be immediately identified as a terrorist then prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.鈥�
The authorities notified the leaders of Islamberg of the plot some time ago, according to Gardner, and they have 鈥渨orked with state and federal officials to provide residents with round the clock security.鈥�
Still, he said, 鈥淥ur children do not feel safe.鈥�
Islamberg, which is about three hours north of New York City, was founded in the early 1980s by a few dozen largely African-American Muslim families reportedly seeking to escape the hustle and bustle and crime of the city. Islamberg is part of a larger group of sister communities scattered across the country called The Muslims of America Inc.
Gardner said in the statement that the arrest and guilty plea of Doggart 鈥渕atches an increase in unwelcome strangers visiting properties of The Muslims of America in South Carolina, Texas and other states.鈥�
鈥淲hat other murderous plans do he and his private militia (also known as American Taliban) have,鈥� Gardner continued, 鈥渁nd where are his accomplices?鈥�
Doggart is a white-haired grandfather and has worked for 40 years in the engineering field, including at the Tennessee Valley Authority, according to a defense document. He suffers, the document adds, from a 鈥渃ombination of impairments,鈥� including 鈥減hysical and mental impairments.鈥�
Last year, Doggart ran for United States Congress in the 4th Congressional District of Tennessee. He came in third with about 9,000 votes. Also last year, Doggart traveled to Washington, D.C., and joined a group of law enforcement officers who subscribe to far-right 鈥渃onstitutionalist鈥� theories. They were protesting President Obama鈥檚 immigration polices.
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A small group of protesters supporting the lawmen gathered in front of the White House and began shouting slogans, demanding the removal of Obama. Doggart addressed the group, using a bullhorn, although there appeared to be no more than two dozen people in attendance.
鈥淭he president of the United States is guilty of treason to the constitution,鈥� Doggart said, adding that he was from Tennessee and 鈥淸w]e will never give up our guns.鈥�
Some in the crowd demanded the president be lynched.
鈥淗ang the lying Muslim traitor,鈥� someone shouted.
Sometime after that display, federal agents 鈥渓earned that Doggart associates with various 鈥榩rivate militia groups,鈥欌�� according to the complaint.
By mid-March, agents were intercepting his telephone calls and listened in as
鈥淒oggart solicited others to join his plan to attack Islamberg.鈥�
鈥淲e shall be Warriors,鈥� he wrote on Facebook, 鈥渨ho will inflict horrible numbers of casualties upon the enemies of our Nation and World Peace.鈥�
