“Court documents say Zazi sent text messages to the others, “each communication more urgent in tone than the last – seeking to correct mixtures of ingredients to make explosives.”
But hang on. Surely we’ll all hear soon enough how this was “taken out of context.” “The Beauty Parlor Bomb Plan; Massive Terror Plot Alleged,” by Brian Ross and Richard Esposito for ABC News, September 24:
The accused al Qaeda bomb maker from Denver planned to use chemicals and hair care products he bought at beauty parlor supply stores to build a series of devastating bombs, according to a federal indictment made public today of 24-year old Najibullah Zazi.
According to court documents, Zazi “purchased unusually large quantities of hydrogen peroxide and acetone from beauty supply stores in the Denver metropolitan area.”
Former FBI agent Brad Garrett, now an ABC News consultant, said the alleged plot is “probably one of the more significant cases that the bureau has investigated since 9/11.”
“You’re talking about subway stations, public places where potentially thousands of people could be killed,” said Garrett. “And in addition to that, when you add multiple locations, you’re talking about potentially a horrendous number of people dying.”
The chemicals in the products matched those listed in nine pages of hand written bomb-making instructions Zazi received when he attended an al Qaeda training camp in Pakistan late last year, according to officials.
The court documents filed today say other individuals traveled with Zazi to Pakistan.
“We believe any imminent threat arising from this case has been disrupted,” said attorney general Eric Holder in a prepared statement. “We are investigating a wide range of leads,” he added.
Liquid Developer Clairoxide, Ms. Kay’s Liquid 40 Volume and Ion Sensitive Scalp Developer were among the products the government said Zazi and other un-named coconspirators purchased this summer.
An employee at one beauty product supply store told ABCNews.com that FBI agents had shown a photo spread of three men with beards and two young, blond-haired women. One of the men was recognized as Zazi, said the employee who asked that her name not be used.
Authorities say Zazi and the other alleged terrorists actually tried to mix the chemicals at a hotel suite Zazi rented in the Denver suburb of Aurora on Sept. 6 and 7.
Court documents say Zazi sent text messages to the others, “each communication more urgent in tone than the last – seeking to correct mixtures of ingredients to make explosives.”
Officials told ABCNews.com that one of Zazi’s text messages included the phrase, “the wedding cake is ready,” which authorities believe was a code indicating the plot was nearing the attack phase….