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More Suspects in Plot to Bomb NYC Mass Transit
By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 22, 2009
Modified Sep 22, 2009
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By
Jen Chung
Published Sep 22, 2009
Modified Sep 22, 2009
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While a Queens imam, a former Queen resident and his father have been been arrested because of fears over a terrorist plot in NYC, now it's suggested that many more people were involved. WCBS 2 reports that the FBI and NYPD "are still tracking a core group of nine to 12 people with knowledge of the alleged terror plot"—and who planned "to use homemade explosives to bomb one or more terror targets in New York City."
Najibullah Zazi, who grew up in Queens but now lives in Denver, was arrested last week (feds say he received explosives training from Al Qaeda), as were his father Mohammed and friend Ahmad Afzali, an imam in Queens who runs a funeral business. Zazi had been monitored by the FBI—apparently "A cell phone video of Grand Central Terminal was found in Zazi's possession, as well as computer files and handwritten notes about bomb-building"—and a number of homes in Queens were raided right after he visited NYC earlier this month. Law enforcement authorities across the country were warned again of a possible terror plot in mass transit yesterday.
Afzali is accused of tipping off Zazi to the FBI's interest in him; Afzali's attorney Ron Kuby denies this and says it's the FBI's own bungling that led to apparently Zazi leaving NYC early. However, the NY Times notes, "Mr. Kuby offered no evidence to support his allegation, and the F.B.I. declined to comment."
Tagged
Ahmad Afzali
counterterrorism
mass transit
Najibullah Zazi
Queens terror
terror
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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