Bangladeshi pleads guilty in plot to bomb New York Fed

[A1Kaid]

Bangladeshi pleads guilty in plot to bomb New York Fed

By Jessica Dye

NEW YORK | Thu Feb 7, 2013 1:40pm EST

(Reuters) - A Bangladeshi man pleaded guilty on Thursday to attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction in what authorities called a plot to blow up the New York Federal Reserve Bank. He faces up to life in prison under a plea agreement.

Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, 21, was arrested on October 17 after pulling up to the Federal Reserve near Wall Street and attempting to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound (454-kg) bomb hidden in a van. Instead, he was carrying inert materials planted by an undercover FBI agent as part of a sting operation.

"I no longer support violent jihad. I deeply regret my involvement in this case," Nafis said at the hearing.

Nafis had also been charged with a count of attempting to provide material support to a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization, al Qaeda. Nafis' lawyer said that charge would be dropped at sentencing under the plea agreement, which sets a sentencing range between 30 years and life.

Sentencing was set for May 30.

According to a criminal complaint unsealed in October, Nafis entered the United States in 2012 with a student visa, and eventually traveled to Queens, New York.

There, he scouted targets for a potential attack - including the New York Stock Exchange and U.S. President Barack Obama - settling eventually on the Federal Reserve Bank in Manhattan, the complaint said.

Nafis attempted to recruit others to his plot, and discussed his plans over social media sites such as Facebook, the complaint said. He claimed he was in contact with al Qaeda operatives overseas and actively sought out new al Qaeda connections in the United States, the complaint said.

One of the individuals he brought on board was an undercover agent working for the FBI, who monitored Nafis' activities and helped arm him with the inoperable explosives, federal authorities said.

Prosecutors said Nafis attempted to use a mobile phone to detonate the explosives, which were concealed in a van. After Nafis repeatedly tried and failed to trigger the explosives, he was arrested, authorities said.

"As today's guilty plea shows, the defendant came to this country not to further his studies, but to advance the goal of jihad," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement. "With diligence and determination, Nafis attempted to carry out his plan in the name of al Qaeda."

In Bangladesh, the suspect's father has denied his son was involved and said he was the victim of a "racist conspiracy."

Following the hearing, a lawyer for Nafis, Heidi Cesare, said he "pleaded guilty because he is guilty, and wants to take responsibility for that."

(Reporting by Jessica Dye; Editing by Daniel Trotta and Doina Chiacu)

Source: Bangladeshi pleads guilty in plot to bomb New York Fed | Reuters


Thankfully they caught this terrorist before he could do any harm to us, good job by the FBI keeping NYC safe.

 

[Bond]

what a waste of young life !!!

 

[A1Kaid]

This is only going to harm the Bangladeshi community in areas where the live in NYC.

 

[Zabaniyah]

He was foolish to get involved in the first place. Apparently, the whole thing was an entrapment.

 

[trident2010]

Where did he get his training for jihad?

 

[A1Kaid]

Where did he get his training for jihad?

Did you not read the article? He didn't receive any training, he was living in US and had used Facebook to recruit and FBI was on to him. So they set him up on a sting operation and got him that way.

 

[KS]

This is only going to harm the Bangladeshi community in areas where the live in NYC.

Not just Bangladeshis but the entire south asian community.

 

[KRAIT]

Did you not read the article? He didn't receive any training, he was living in US and had used Facebook to recruit and FBI was on to him. So they set him up on a sting operation and got him that way.

Well similar case happened in UK too.

Internet is used to lure certain people to make them terrorist by sitting thousands of miles away. There is huge research done on Terrorist social networks funded by US Homeland Security Department.

Internet is full with propaganda videos, there are chat rooms for luring these people, dedicated work force to do this type of recruitment through internet. Its quite cost effective too with less risk for the terrorists handlers.

That's why every thing is monitored and tracked to get to people like these and also those who recruit them far away in their cozy homes.

Watch "Generation Jehadi" documentary. Similar cases are discussed.

 

[Jade]

Not just Bangladeshis but the entire south asian community.

I think you should exclude Indians from the list.

 

[KS]

I think you should exclude Indians from the list.

Dumb yanks cant distinguish between an Indian, Pakistani and a Bangladeshi.

 

[A1Kaid]

Dumb yanks cant distinguish between an Indian, Pakistani and a Bangladeshi.

Well to be fair many Indians and Bangladeshis aren't that indistinguishable from one another. As for Pakistanis depending on ethnicity they can look apart from the "typical South Asian" appearance or what have you.

 

[El Weirdo]

Dumb yanks cant distinguish between an Indian, Pakistani and a Bangladeshi.

Not Dumb but Terrorized. If they were dumb wud they be where they are now , economically , militarily , this and that `tarily?
U are living in the US , but still criticizing its people in a general broad statement? An utterly uncalled statement!!

 

[Jade]

Dumb yanks cant distinguish between an Indian, Pakistani and a Bangladeshi.

Recently, I was frisked at London Gatwick mistaking me for another nationality. When I told them that I was from India, I could see a perceptible change in officer's attitude. I was very surprised. West recognizes that Indians don't indulge in terrorist activities, hence we are not under their radar

 

[Jade]

Well to be fair many Indians and Bangladeshis aren't that indistinguishable from one another. As for Pakistanis depending on ethnicity they can look apart from the "typical South Asian" appearance or what have you.

I don't know about the ethnicity, but it is really confusing to me - in spite of large number of Pakistanis living in London. Most of them to me look either they from UP or Bihar. Honestly, I have met very few Pakistanis who are taller, sharper and fairer than me.

 

[KS]

Well to be fair many Indians and Bangladeshis aren't that indistinguishable from one another. As for Pakistanis depending on ethnicity they can look apart from the "typical South Asian" appearance or what have you.

Expected this.

Except for the Kalash, some remote tribes in Northern Areas and some Pathan tribes, the vast majority of Pkistanis are indistinguishable from indians or for that matter Bangladeshis.

True a south asian himself can discern the minor differences and guess the nationalty..but for an american we are all brown.