Opinion ID: 2427524
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 11

Heading: The Dissent's Mistaken View of the Substantial Step Requirement .(a) Sabir Did More Than Express a Radical Idea When He Produced Himself as a Doctor Sworn To Work Under the Direction of al Qaeda

Text: In dissent, Chief Judge Dearie asserts that by upholding Sabir's attempt conviction on the record evidence, we approve punishing a defendant for radical thoughts rather than criminal deeds. See Dissenting Op., post at [181-82]. We do no such thing. Sabir's words and actions on May 20, 1995, did more than manifest radical sympathies. See United States v. Crowley, 318 F.3d at 408 (observing that substantial step requirement ensures that attempt does not punish persons for their thoughts alone). By attending the May 20, 2005 meeting and committing to work under al-Qaeda's direction and control as an on-call doctor, Sabir physically produced the very personnel to be provided as material support for the terrorist organization: himself. This supplying of the proscribed object is precisely the sort of substantial step that was missing in United States v. Rosa, 11 F.3d at 340 (holding evidence insufficient to support conviction for attempt to distribute heroin in absence of proof that defendant ever produce[d] any heroin or reached agreement with heroin supplier to acquire heroin for planned distribution). Viewed in this context, Sabir's oath of allegiance to al Qaeda evidenced more than mere membership in that terrorist organization. Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, 130 S.Ct. at 2719 (holding that § 2339B does not criminalize mere membership in designated terrorist organization; it prohibits providing material support to that group). Sabir's purpose in swearing bayat was to formalize his promise to work as a doctor under the organization's direction and control. [20] That is most certainly evidence of a crime: the charged crime of attempting to provide material support to terrorism in the form of personnel. See 18 U.S.C. § 2339B(h) (clarifying that what is proscribed is the provision of personnel to work under the direction or control of a terrorist organization). Further, by providing his contact numbers, Sabir took a step essential to provide al Qaeda with personnel in the form of an on-call doctor: he provided the means by which mujahideen in Riyadh could reach that doctor at any time, day or night, that they needed emergency treatment. From the totality of these facts, a reasonable jury could have concluded that on May 20, 2005, Sabir crossed the line from simply professing radical beliefs or joining a radical organization to attempting a crime, specifically, Sabir's provision of himself as personnel to work under the direction and control of al Qaeda.