2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group
Encyclopedia
In September 2009 several individuals fell under suspicion, and were arrested due to fears that a suspected jihadist cell in New York was planning to explode bombs in the United States
. According to a July 2010 indictment the cell had members in London, England plotting to carry out a companion plot involving a target in the United Kingdom.
Alarm stemming from confessions during interrogation of one of the men, and triggered a nationwide bomb alert.
Officials were told to be on alert for individuals with burns on their hands that might be chemical burn
s.
They were told to be on alert for apartments with bad smells, or with multiple window fans.
Najibullah Zazi
, his father Mohammed Wali Zazi
, and imam Ahmad Wais Afzali
were arrested on September 19, 2009, for lying in a matter involving terrorism.
All three men were long-time legal residents of the U.S., born in Afghanistan
.
According to the Chicago Tribune
, American security officials suspect up to 12 individuals.
The central figure in the United States wing of the group is 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi
, said by the FBI to have been trained and received instruction on weapons and explosives at an Al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in 2008. Zazi had initially said that trips he made to Pakistan
in 2007 and 2008 were to visit his wife, who still lives there. He also initially claimed he had no knowledge of the bomb building notes, and speculated that he might have downloaded them accidentally, with a religious book he had downloaded in August. Zazi's last trip lasted five months. Zazi acknowledged receiving weapons and explosives training in Pakistan's semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas
.
The FBI found images of hand-written notes on how to build bombs on Zazi's laptop. They found Zazi's fingerprints on a scale and batteries in a house in Queens they raided after his visit.
In 2009 Zazi was living in Colorado, and got a license to work as an airport shuttle driver.
Previously he had lived in Queens, New York City
, where he had eventually declared bankruptcy.
Zazi had been under surveillance for some time, prior to renting a car for a trip to New York on September 9, 2009.
On January 9, 2010, two more men were arrested in connection to the bomb plot. Taxi driver Zarein Ahmedzay and Bosnian immigrant Adis Medunjanin were charged with making false statements to the police, and pleaded not guilty. Medunjanin was arrested after his car crashed on the Whitestone Bridge on January 7 in New York City.. The July indictment noting Medunjanin called an operator and said "We love death" alleged that the crash was intentional and part of a suicide attack.
Another man who has been questioned is Naiz Khan, who attends the same mosque Najibullah Zazi attended when he lived in New York.
A U-haul
dealership in Queens had contacted authorities to tell them that it had recently declined to rent a van to three suspicious men whose credit cards had been declined and wanted to pay cash.
Naiz Khan was questioned about the failed rental, but denied he had ever been to that U-haul dealership.
Khan's apartment was one of those that had been searched, because Zazi was believed to have stayed there.
According to the New York Times Zazi had shared an apartment with Khan, Amanullah Akbari and three other men, when he lived in New York a year earlier.
On July 7, 2010 five Al Queda members were indicted in relation to the alleged plot. Adnan Shukrijumah whom is reported to be charge of plotting Al Queda attacks worldwide, was charged with recruiting and plotting the New York attack. Abid Naseer and Tariq Ur Rehmancharge was charged with involvement with the companion plot in the United Kingdom. Naseer was already in custody after his arrest for sending e-mails to an "al-Qaeda operative" in Pakistan that were reported to be at the heart of a plot to bomb targets in north-west England.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. According to a July 2010 indictment the cell had members in London, England plotting to carry out a companion plot involving a target in the United Kingdom.
Alarm stemming from confessions during interrogation of one of the men, and triggered a nationwide bomb alert.
Officials were told to be on alert for individuals with burns on their hands that might be chemical burn
Chemical burn
A chemical burn occurs when living tissue is exposed to a corrosive substance such as a strong acid or base. Chemical burns follow standard burn classification and may cause extensive tissue damage. The main types of irritant and/or corrosive products are: acids, bases, oxidizers, solvents,...
s.
They were told to be on alert for apartments with bad smells, or with multiple window fans.
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
, his father Mohammed Wali Zazi
Mohammed Wali Zazi
Mohammed Wali Zazi , currently a naturalized U.S. citizen, residing in Arapahoe County, Colorado, is a suspect in matters related to terrorism.-2009 Terror Plot:...
, and imam Ahmad Wais Afzali
Ahmad Wais Afzali
Ahmad Wais Afzali is an imam from Queens, New York, who has also been an informant for the New York City Police. Afzali moved to the U.S. in 1981....
were arrested on September 19, 2009, for lying in a matter involving terrorism.
All three men were long-time legal residents of the U.S., born in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
According to the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, American security officials suspect up to 12 individuals.
The central figure in the United States wing of the group is 24-year-old Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
, said by the FBI to have been trained and received instruction on weapons and explosives at an Al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan in 2008. Zazi had initially said that trips he made to Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 2007 and 2008 were to visit his wife, who still lives there. He also initially claimed he had no knowledge of the bomb building notes, and speculated that he might have downloaded them accidentally, with a religious book he had downloaded in August. Zazi's last trip lasted five months. Zazi acknowledged receiving weapons and explosives training in Pakistan's semi-autonomous Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
.
The FBI found images of hand-written notes on how to build bombs on Zazi's laptop. They found Zazi's fingerprints on a scale and batteries in a house in Queens they raided after his visit.
In 2009 Zazi was living in Colorado, and got a license to work as an airport shuttle driver.
Previously he had lived in Queens, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, where he had eventually declared bankruptcy.
Zazi had been under surveillance for some time, prior to renting a car for a trip to New York on September 9, 2009.
On January 9, 2010, two more men were arrested in connection to the bomb plot. Taxi driver Zarein Ahmedzay and Bosnian immigrant Adis Medunjanin were charged with making false statements to the police, and pleaded not guilty. Medunjanin was arrested after his car crashed on the Whitestone Bridge on January 7 in New York City.. The July indictment noting Medunjanin called an operator and said "We love death" alleged that the crash was intentional and part of a suicide attack.
Another man who has been questioned is Naiz Khan, who attends the same mosque Najibullah Zazi attended when he lived in New York.
A U-haul
U-Haul
U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation...
dealership in Queens had contacted authorities to tell them that it had recently declined to rent a van to three suspicious men whose credit cards had been declined and wanted to pay cash.
Naiz Khan was questioned about the failed rental, but denied he had ever been to that U-haul dealership.
Khan's apartment was one of those that had been searched, because Zazi was believed to have stayed there.
According to the New York Times Zazi had shared an apartment with Khan, Amanullah Akbari and three other men, when he lived in New York a year earlier.
On July 7, 2010 five Al Queda members were indicted in relation to the alleged plot. Adnan Shukrijumah whom is reported to be charge of plotting Al Queda attacks worldwide, was charged with recruiting and plotting the New York attack. Abid Naseer and Tariq Ur Rehmancharge was charged with involvement with the companion plot in the United Kingdom. Naseer was already in custody after his arrest for sending e-mails to an "al-Qaeda operative" in Pakistan that were reported to be at the heart of a plot to bomb targets in north-west England.