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Zazi's Friends Hit With New Terrorism Charges
By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 25, 2010
Modified Feb 25, 2010
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By
Ben Muessig
Published Feb 25, 2010
Modified Feb 25, 2010
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As was expected, admitted terrorist plotter Najibullah Zazi implicated his high school pals in his planned attack on the New York subway system. Former classmates Adis Medunjanin and Zarein Ahmedzay were arraigned before a Brooklyn Federal Judge today on new charges [PDF] of plotting three coordinated bombings on rush hour subways in Manhattan.
According to the Times, Medunjanin and Ahmedzay pleaded not guilty to new charges of "conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support for a terrorist organization." Prosecutors revealed that others involved in the plot are currently overseas, the Post reports. "The facts alleged in this indictment shed further light on the scope of this attempted attack," said Attorney General Eric Holder.
Until now, Zazi had been the only person charged with planning to detonate explosive made from beauty products. Medunjanin, a Queens college grad originally from Bosnia, had already been arrested on charges he traveled to Pakistan with Zazi in 2008 and took part in Al Qaeda training. Ahmedzay, originally of Afghanistan, had already been accused of lying to investigators and denying knowledge of the camp where his friends trained. If convicted of the new charges—which are identical to the ones that Zazi pleaded guilty to earlier this week—they face life in prison.
Tagged
Adis Medunjanin
al-qaeda
bomb
bombing
conspiracy
eric holder
guilty
mass destruction
material support
Najibullah Zazi
not guilty
subway
terrorism
terrorist organization
Zarein Ahmedzay
Ben Muessig
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