New York, NY, December 23, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) applauded the verdict convicting five would-be terrorists who conspired to kill American soldiers at New Jersey's Fort Dix last summer.

Glen S. Lewy, ADL National Chair, and Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director issued the following statement:

The successful prosecution of the five terrorists for conspiring to kill American soldiers at Fort Dix is a testament to the dedication and hard work of teams of FBI investigators and Justice Department prosecutors who devoted enormous time, energy and passion to making our nation safer.  The jury verdict sends a message that our nation's law enforcement professionals are actively engaged in preventing would-be terrorists from committing dangerous plots within our borders. In this case, justice has been served and our national security protected.

On December 22, a federal jury in Camden, New Jersey, convicted the five Muslim immigrants who may have been motivated by their hatred of Jews and Zionism.  During one secretly recorded conversation, defendant Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, an American citizen born in Jordan, told an undercover FBI informant, "I love to kill Jews. I tell you this, in all honesty, it is a dream of mine." Some of the conversations also demonstrate that the men were motivated by "their desire to 'avenge' the supposed crimes of Zionism against the Palestinian Arabs," according to the Department of Justice.