‘Smash His Head' – Man Accused of Giving Advice About Jihad Loses Bid for Release

It wasn't just that he allegedly encouraged people to kill.Said Azzam Mohamad Rahim, 40, of Richardson, was specific about how to do it - with poison, rocks, trucks, burning or even by pushing people off buildings, prosecutors say in court records. That contributed to the decision of a federal magistrate judge in March to keep him locked up until his trial for lying to the FBI about international terrorism."Smash his head on the wall," the government quoted Rahim as saying on a social media platform. "Think of a way to kill the biggest number of people possible."A different judge, U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle, on Monday denied Rahim's second request to be released, saying she saw no change in the circumstances. Details from the two detention hearings provide new information about Rahim's alleged mobilizing of people to engage in jihad.His attorney, James P. Whalen, said his client has already been in custody for eight months. He said more trial delays lie ahead as the government continues to comb through classified information before sharing its remaining evidence with him.Whalen said his client's continued detention "becomes punitive" due to the delays and that his client is not a flight risk or dangerous. He also noted that prosecutors aren't aware of any specific violent acts that Rahim inspired.During Rahim's original detention hearing in March following his arrest, U.S. Magistrate Judge Renee H. Toliver said his speech went too far and was "threatening to the point that we have to take some action.""I cannot ignore some of the speech that's been attributed to you," Toliver said. "I can't keep out of your hand every tool that you could possibly do violence to the community with."  Continue reading...