Not a Terrorist, Nuh-Uh, No Way

Wed, Oct 24, 2007 at 11:11:33 am PDT

Man. What does a self-respecting Islamist fanatic have to do to get the authorities to call him a “terrorist?” Jihad Watch: Miami Muslim chants ‘Death to America’ and attacks military policemen at Air Reserve Base; not terrorism, authorities say.

Wielding two butcher knives bought at Wal-Mart and vodka bottles to use as explosives, Tahmeed Ahmad chanted ”Death to America” and told Homestead Air Reserve Base guards he wanted to kill soldiers.

But Ahmad was no terrorist, authorities believe.

Rather, the Miami Central High School math teacher wanted to ”commit suicide by cop” when he attacked military policemen stationed at the west gate just before midnight Sunday, the FBI said.

Ahmad did not get his wish. One officer fired his handgun at Ahmad. He missed.

”We take security very seriously at the base, but this was quite an unusual event,” said Lt. Col. Tom Davis, a base spokesman. “Our security forces are well trained and responded appropriately.”

Police quickly arrested Ahmad, 22, whose mother says is mentally ill and had recently been in a mental institution. The FBI charged him Monday with assaulting a U.S. government employee.

Ahmad is in his first year teaching math at Miami Central High, 1781 NW 95th St. ...

Ahmad had been added to a federal terrorist watch list, but officials had long since concluded he was not a credible threat, Davis said.