"Brace yourself because the war with the Muslims has only just begun," he told the judge before he was sentenced during the 30-minute hearing. "The defeat of the US is imminent and will happen in the near future."
Two of the counts he pleaded guilty, counts three and six, required statutory life sentences.
From the Government's sentencing memo:
[B]ased on his guilty plea to Count Three, he faces a mandatory term of five years’ imprisonment, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment. In addition, based on his guilty plea to Counts Four and Five, he faces a maximum term of life imprisonment on each count, and the sentence for each of these two counts must run consecutively to each other and to any other term of imprisonment. Finally, based on his guilty plea to Count Six, he faces a mandatory minimum term of life imprisonment, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment.
Shahzad pleaded guilty to all ten counts against him. Counts three through six were:
- (3) possession and use of a firearm during and in relation to a conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924©;
- (4) attempted act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332b;
- (5) conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2332b;
- (6) attempted use of a destructive device during and in relation to a conspiracy to commit an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries,
Clearly our criminal laws involving terrorism are harsh enough. The next time some Congressperson decides to advocate stronger terrorism laws, Shahzad will be a great example of why they aren't necessary.
My guess is Shahzad will be headed to Supermax in Florence, CO, where Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid, to name a few, are also imprisoned.
As I wrote here, it seems that life in prison has now become a badge of honor.
Maybe the brain-washing that occurs during training has expanded to where recruits are taught that a life sentence is a badge of honor and as worthy to the cause as a suicide, so long as they don't give up information about others. If so, it seems the prospect of life in prison is not going to be a deterrent to future plotters, and offering a lesser sentence for cooperation will fall on deaf ears. If they are not only willing to die for the cause, but to serve life in prison, believing it to be an honor so long as they take the rap alone, the U.S. may have some serious problems.
