Militia members plead guilty to the bombing of the Minnesota mosque in 2017: NPR

Two men pleaded guilty in federal court to bombing a Minnesota mosque and attempting to bomb a women's clinic in Illinois. Prosecutors said the men and another accused man were part of an Illinois militia group that called himself "White Rabbits".

The US Department of Justice has indicted Michael McWhorter, Joe Morris and a third man, Michael Hari, last year. using an explosive device to damage the Dar Al Farooq Islamic Center in Bloomington, Minnesota, in 2017.

McWhorter and Morris pleaded guilty to five charges in the federal sense Thursday, including attacks on the mosque and the Illinois clinic. They had originally pleaded not guilty.

Hari, billed as the group's leader by the prosecution and defense lawyers, is currently held by the federal government in Illinois. He pleaded not guilty to the charges, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported.

Jaylani Hussein, executive director of the Council for American-Islamic Relations of Minnesota, told reporters after the hearing that the attack was not an isolated incident. 19659008] The Muslim community "has been seriously attacked by white nationalists, white supremacist groups and militias across the country," said Hussein. He added, "We are not going anywhere, we are more resilient than ever."

McWhorter and Morris admitted to having traveled hundreds of kilometers from Illinois to Minnesota, leaving their cell phones at home and avoiding toll roads, to carry out the attack on the mosque. They broke the window of the mosque and threw a homemade bomb into the Imam's office before the morning prayers.

According to an affidavit filed last year, McWhorter reportedly told federal agents that the men "did not intend to kill anyone but wanted to" drive them out of the country "(referring to Muslims), push their beliefs on everyone. McWhorter also said that Hari was behind the plan to bomb the mosque.

Robert Richman, Morris's attorney, said Thursday that Hari was responsible for Morris' role in the attack, claiming that he was a father figure who had "essentially armed Joe Morris," reports the report. Associated Press.

Last year's indictment also alleged that the two men had committed numerous criminal acts, including the theft of Walmart stores, the attempt to extort money from the Canadian National Railway. and setting up equipment for making explosives on someone's property in order to deflect suspicions of law enforcement.

Men told federal agents that they had perpetrated robbery with Walmart in Illinois and a home invasion in Indiana, along with Ellis Mack, the step-son from McWhorter. Mack pleaded guilty to the federal government's charges against the four men.

During the November 2017 clinic attack on women's health, the bomb did not explode.

Hussein encouraged law enforcement and the current government to recognize the "growing threat" of violence against Muslims. He also called for life imprisonment for men, who face at least 35 years in prison when they are sentenced.