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Federal Agents Arrest 3 Men in Terror Inquiry
Federal authorities arrested an airport shuttle bus driver and his father in Colorado and
another man in New York City on Saturday night, charging them with lying to investigators
about an alleged terrorist plot to detonate an improvised explosive against an unknown
target in the United States.
Acting swiftly late on Saturday after a week in which investigators worked intensely in
New York and Denver to put together a case, F.B.I. agents arrested Najibullah Zazi, 24,
his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, who both reside in Aurora, Colo., and Ahmad Wais
Afzali, 37, a resident of Flushing, Queens.
The arrests indicated the case was rapidly accelerating and provided for the first time —
in a sometimes confusing week of events — an explanation of why authorities were
investigating the men and provided details about the alleged plot still under investigation
in the United States, Pakistan and elsewhere.
In a statement issued early Sunday, David Kris, the chief of the Justice Department’s national
security division, said: “The arrests carried out tonight are part of an ongoing and fast-paced
investigation. It is important to note that we have no specific information regarding the timing,
location or target of any planned attack.”
...
Government officials briefed on the matter have said that as Mr. Zazi voluntarily answered
questions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he admitted that he had perhaps unwittingly
crossed paths in Pakistan with extremists allied with the terrorist organization. There were
also indications that Mr. Zazi underwent training in explosives and bomb-making while
overseas.
“If it was true, they wouldn’t allow me to leave,” Mr. Zazi told The Denver Post. I don’t think
the F.B.I. or the police would allow anyone who admits being a terrorist to go free for one
minute.”
In an investigation that went from covert to overt last week, the authorities were moving
quickly to check clues and track the movements of Mr. Zazi and those associated with him —
even as they moved in federal court to file affidavits in support of the arrests.
On Monday, the authorities raided four residences connected to Mr. Zazi in Queens, and later
executed search warrants his home in Aurora, Colo., and the home of his relatives there.
...
Aside from Mr. Afzali’s arrest, several people in New York have been questioned in the case.
Three men at a fifth-floor apartment on 41st Avenue, in Flushing, Queens, described how they
had been interrogated on at least three separate occasions since their home was raided about
2 a.m. Monday.
Naiz Khan, 26, said he was interviewed for eight hours Thursday at what he believed was the
Brooklyn offices of the United States attorney for the Eastern District. He said he voluntarily
provided his fingerprints, DNA samples and prints of the soles of his shoes. A roommate, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he submitted to a similar interrogation.
...
Mr. Khan said he had not retained a lawyer.
As he spoke he displayed a several pages of search warrants that agents left with him after the
Monday raid. The court papers outlined two pages of items to be seized, specifying that they
wanted anything to do with explosives or their building blocks: chemicals, fusing caps, timers
or blasting caps, among other things.
But the papers also listed what the authorities left with: cellphones; a laptop computer; papers
and notebooks with Arabic writing; tools; 100 tongue depressors; a Con Edison bill; immigration
papers and nine backpacks.
New York officers returned on Tuesday and took a green nylon suitcase from a back bedroom,
said Mr. Khan. He said his uncle Faiz Mohammed had packed the backpacks into the green
suitcase and was planning to bring them to Karachi, Pakistan, for his children and those of
his brother.
...
Al Baker and Karen Zraick contributed reporting.
For the entire 2 pages articles, without the ..., please see above link.
BBC Article : "Three Afghans held over US 'plot'"
Federal authorities arrested an airport shuttle bus driver and his father in Colorado and
another man in New York City on Saturday night, charging them with lying to investigators
about an alleged terrorist plot to detonate an improvised explosive against an unknown
target in the United States.
Acting swiftly late on Saturday after a week in which investigators worked intensely in
New York and Denver to put together a case, F.B.I. agents arrested Najibullah Zazi, 24,
his father Mohammed Wali Zazi, 53, who both reside in Aurora, Colo., and Ahmad Wais
Afzali, 37, a resident of Flushing, Queens.
The arrests indicated the case was rapidly accelerating and provided for the first time —
in a sometimes confusing week of events — an explanation of why authorities were
investigating the men and provided details about the alleged plot still under investigation
in the United States, Pakistan and elsewhere.
In a statement issued early Sunday, David Kris, the chief of the Justice Department’s national
security division, said: “The arrests carried out tonight are part of an ongoing and fast-paced
investigation. It is important to note that we have no specific information regarding the timing,
location or target of any planned attack.”
...
Government officials briefed on the matter have said that as Mr. Zazi voluntarily answered
questions on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he admitted that he had perhaps unwittingly
crossed paths in Pakistan with extremists allied with the terrorist organization. There were
also indications that Mr. Zazi underwent training in explosives and bomb-making while
overseas.
“If it was true, they wouldn’t allow me to leave,” Mr. Zazi told The Denver Post. I don’t think
the F.B.I. or the police would allow anyone who admits being a terrorist to go free for one
minute.”
In an investigation that went from covert to overt last week, the authorities were moving
quickly to check clues and track the movements of Mr. Zazi and those associated with him —
even as they moved in federal court to file affidavits in support of the arrests.
On Monday, the authorities raided four residences connected to Mr. Zazi in Queens, and later
executed search warrants his home in Aurora, Colo., and the home of his relatives there.
...
Aside from Mr. Afzali’s arrest, several people in New York have been questioned in the case.
Three men at a fifth-floor apartment on 41st Avenue, in Flushing, Queens, described how they
had been interrogated on at least three separate occasions since their home was raided about
2 a.m. Monday.
Naiz Khan, 26, said he was interviewed for eight hours Thursday at what he believed was the
Brooklyn offices of the United States attorney for the Eastern District. He said he voluntarily
provided his fingerprints, DNA samples and prints of the soles of his shoes. A roommate, who
spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he submitted to a similar interrogation.
...
Mr. Khan said he had not retained a lawyer.
As he spoke he displayed a several pages of search warrants that agents left with him after the
Monday raid. The court papers outlined two pages of items to be seized, specifying that they
wanted anything to do with explosives or their building blocks: chemicals, fusing caps, timers
or blasting caps, among other things.
But the papers also listed what the authorities left with: cellphones; a laptop computer; papers
and notebooks with Arabic writing; tools; 100 tongue depressors; a Con Edison bill; immigration
papers and nine backpacks.
New York officers returned on Tuesday and took a green nylon suitcase from a back bedroom,
said Mr. Khan. He said his uncle Faiz Mohammed had packed the backpacks into the green
suitcase and was planning to bring them to Karachi, Pakistan, for his children and those of
his brother.
...
Al Baker and Karen Zraick contributed reporting.
For the entire 2 pages articles, without the ..., please see above link.
BBC Article : "Three Afghans held over US 'plot'"
