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Queens Man Sentenced To Life For Subway Bomb Plot, Sings From Koran
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 17, 2012
Modified Nov 17, 2012
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By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 17, 2012
Modified Nov 17, 2012
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Adis Medunjanin, the Bosnian immigrant and Queens resident who was found guilty of plotting to bomb the NYC subways in 2009, was sentenced to life in prison yesterday. He told the court, "I had nothing to do with any subway plot or bombing plot whatsoever. I ask Allah to release me from prison."
Medunjanin also sang verses fro the Koran and, according to the NY Times, "followed his Koran recitations with a description of what he considered the darker sides of American foreign policy: abuse of prisoners at Abu Ghraib, the use of waterboarding and the killing of innocent civilians during the Iraq war."
Back in September 2009, the FBI and NYPD raided a number of homes in Queens. It turned out they were acting on tips about a Madrid-style subway bombing, planned by Najibullah Zazi, the alleged mastermind. Medunjanin, a Queens College student, was arrested in January 2010, after a high-speed chase and charged with terrorism violations. Zazi pleaded guilty to charges in early 2010 and said he and his friends were inspired by the 2005 London subway bombings.
While Zazi was the alleged mastermind, Medunjanin was considered the "heart" of the plot because of his radical beliefs. The Daily News says, "Medunjanin is likely to be shipped to the nation's toughest supermax prison in Florence, Colo., where the most dangerous inmates - including terrorists - are warehoused."
Tagged
2009 subway bomb plot
Adis Medunjanin
al-qaeda
Najibullah Zazi
terror
terrorism
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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