“If the defendant hadn’t been stopped, hundreds of innocent men, women and children wouldn’t be alive today.” An update on this story.
“Pakistani man guilty in al-Qaida plot to bomb NYC subway,” by Tom Hays, Associated Press, March 4, 2015:
NEW YORK (AP) — A Pakistani man was found guilty Wednesday in a failed al-Qaida bomb plot after a New York trial that featured spies in disguise, evidence from the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound and the defendant’s questioning of an admitted co-conspirator.
The jury convicted Abid Naseer in federal court in Brooklyn after deliberating since Tuesday morning. His court-appointed legal adviser said there would be an appeal but declined further comment.
Naseer, 28, was first arrested in 2009 in Great Britain on charges he was part of a terror cell plotting to blow up a shopping mall in Manchester, England. The charges were dropped after a British court found there wasn’t enough evidence, but U.S. prosecutors later named him in an indictment alleging a broader conspiracy that included a failed plot to attack the New York City subway.
After his rearrest and extradition to the United States in 2013, Naseer pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and providing support to al-Qaida.
He acted as his own lawyer, often referring to himself in the third person as he set about portraying himself as a moderate Muslim who was falsely accused. He was assisted by defense attorney James Neuman but largely spoke for himself and demonstrated a calm demeanor in court that never wavered, even when the guilty verdict was read.
“Abid is innocent,” Naseer said in closing arguments on Monday. “He is not a terrorist. He is not an al-Qaida operative.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmed told jurors the arrest of Naseer and other members of his cell averted mass murder. The government alleged Naseer had received bomb-making instructions in Pakistan in 2008.
“If the defendant hadn’t been stopped, hundreds of innocent men, women and children wouldn’t be alive today,” Ahmed said.
Naseer’s self-representation created the spectacle of the defendant cross-examining an admitted terrorist. Five British Mi5 secret agents also testified wearing disguises – one wore a fake beard and thick black glasses – and the trial marked the first time documents recovered in the 2009 Navy SEAL raid against Osama bin Laden’s compound were used as trial evidence.
But most of the case hinged on email exchanges in 2009 between Naseer and a person described by prosecutors as an al-Qaida handler who was directing plots to attack civilians in Manchester, New York City and Copenhagen. Naseer insisted the emails consisted only of harmless banter about looking for a potential bride after going to England to take computer science classes.
Naseer “wanted to settle down,” he said in his closing. “Is there anything wrong with that?”
But the prosecutor accused Naseer of lying on the witness stand by claiming the women he wrote about courting were real. Ahmed said the women’s names actually were code for homemade bomb ingredients: Nadia stood for ammonium nitrate and Huma for hydrogen peroxide.
Ahmed cited emails from the al-Qaida contact asking Naseer, “How is your sweetie girlfriend . How is she? Are things getting closer to marriage?” When the defendant wrote back saying, “I wish you could be here for the party,” he was talking about the attack, she added.
She dismissed Naseer’s explanations as “blather.” “This man wanted to drive a car bomb into a crowded shopping center and watch people die,” she said.
One prosecution witness, Najibullah Zazi, pleaded guilty in the subway plot as part of a cooperation agreement. Zazi testified that after receiving explosives training in Pakistan, he received instructions from the same al-Qaida contact as Naseer and was told to use “marriage” and “wedding” as code for attacks….
Angemon says
Guilty as charged, eh? Good. Lock him up and throw away the key.
Rob Porter says
Angemon – Don’t suggesting wasting taxpayers’ money. Take him outside, shoot him and throw his worthless remains in the nearest furnace.
M S case says
I’m glad they are catching a few of these bad boys and girls. How many more are out there??? How many are we missing and they are just waiting???……If the muslim community wants people to believe not all of them are jihadist then the best way for them to prove it (AND IT WILL TAKE THIS TO PROVE IT TO ME) to help route out thes bad boys and girls before the deed is done. Our law enforcement people have a tough job on their hands and they could use the help so come on muslims step up and let us know that you are not all radical islamist. Of course we all need to be policemen and be watchful.
mortimer says
Pakistan is the home of the madrasahs, the championship of bribery and the capital of pornography. The emails about weddings were in a coded language. This is obviously a very dangerous killer.
Joseph says
I hope the have him serve his sentence in isolation. That way he can not recruit his fellow prisoners.
I am wondering if anybody is getting the feeling that something is wrong? By that I mean there have been pretty many arrests for terror plots/ism as of lately. Are these arrests to appease the public that the government is finally doing something about it,when in reality these people are just sacrificial lambs and something much much bigger is about to happen.
I just don’t know, but deep down in my bones I have the feeling that the public is being played on. Things just don’t turn around over night.
Boy do I ever hope I am wrong
Gamaliel says
How apt that they use the words wedding and marriage. They blow people up at weddings.
Lioness says
In a way this stinking jihadi did achieved something: now he will be a burden on the tax payers for years. Instead they should send the bastard to ISIS, it will only cost the plane ticket.
voegelinian says
“Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmed …”
Excellent job shining a spotlight on one of the Tiny Minority of Extremists, while at the same time reinforcing our ongoing blind spot to the broader Hijra invasion of millions of Muslims who must be as patriotic and assimilable as Ms. Ahmed, right…? From her courtroom sketches, she looks as Americanizably assimilated as Hoda Kotb or… Huma Abedin, say.
thomas pellow says
Meanwhile, in the Islamic jihad-compliant U.K-
“Why is the Crown Prosecution Service letting dangerous criminals like Abid Naseer go free?”
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/expresscomment/562109/Ross-Clark-on-Abid-Naseer-Crown-Prosecution-Service-dangerous-criminals-go-free-UK