Zazi, father arrested; third man held in NY on lying charges
The FBI arrested three men overnight — two in Aurora — on charges they lied to federal agents during an investigation of a terror plot against New York City that authorities say was “the real deal.” (ABC News)
Authorities arrested three suspects in connection with an alleged terror plot. Agents in Denver arrested Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year old airport shuttle driver, who authorities say appears to be the ringleader of the alleged plot. Also charged with lying to the FBI was Zazi’s father, Mohammed Zazi. Both men were arrested at their apartment in Aurora about 9:40 p.m. Saturday.
In New York, the FBI arrested the leader of a Queens mosque, Ahmad Afzali, who authorities allege had been a New York police department informant but “went bad” and tipped off Zazi, his father and others to the investigation.
Afzali’s purported double cross compromised the case and led the FBI to move in on the suspects much earlier than they had wanted, and led to extreme tensions between the Denver office of the FBI and the New York Police Department. One law enforcement official said the NYPD had been specifically asked not to reveal the investigation to its informants but went ahead anyway.
In affidavits filed in connection with the arrests, agents say they discovered nine pages of handwritten notes in Zazi’s computer with details on how to make a homemade bomb.
According to the affidavit, Zazi initially denied knowing anything about the notes when he was shown them by the FBI during a three-day interrogation.
Click here for the ABC News story.
Art,
This is potentially the most significant plot inside the U.S. since 9-11, and we have to give credit to the Obama Administration for stopping it. And the previous administration, you will admit? Anyway, we are glad the F.B.I. is on the job.