Crime

How Was Alleged DC Metro Bomb Plotter Radicalized?

How Was Alleged DC Metro Bomb Plotter Radicalized?

Farooque Ahmed

WASHINGTON (AP) – FBI agents who ensnared a suburban father in a terrorism sting involving a fictional subway bomb plot have turned their attention to figuring out what may have made the Pakistani-born U.S. citizen turn against his adopted country.

Law enforcement officials said they believe Farooque Ahmed was radicalized in the United States, becoming the latest in a string of U.S. citizens radicalized here and charged with plotting terrorist attacks.

FBI agents were tipped off to Ahmed in January, when a source inside the Muslim community said the 34-year-old telecommunications worker was asking around, trying to join a terrorist group and kill Americans overseas, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation continues.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the FBI has tried hard to build relationships inside the Muslim community. The White House has made combating homegrown terrorism part of its national security strategy.

“We need to build this trust factor within the community,” acting FBI Assistant Director John Perren said Friday. “The fight against terrorism is a multidimensional approach and we want to have the community help us.”

At a hearing Friday that lasted less than two minutes, Ahmed’s lawyer said he would not contest pretrial detention. Ahmed, who wore a green prison jumpsuit and a full beard, said nothing.

Born in Lahore, Pakistan, Ahmed arrived in the U.S. in 1993 and became a citizen in 2002, officials said. He worshipped at the All Dulles Area Muslim Society, which is known for its mainstream Islamic congregation. Ahmed has not been back to Pakistan since 2005 and has no ties to terrorist groups there, officials said.

Perren said Ahmed is part of a growing trend of would-be terrorists who don’t receive formal training abroad and operate without direction from al-Qaida leaders overseas. On Thursday, the FBI and Homeland Security Department issued a law enforcement bulletin saying they remained concerned about homegrown terrorists.

“They know the geography. They’re astute to Western culture,” Perren said.

Like many would-be terrorists and sympathizers, Ahmed was potentially influenced by Anwar al-Awlaki, the radical Muslim cleric who preached in northern Virginia until 2002 and now lives in hiding in Yemen, officials said. But while Ahmed listened to al-Awlaki’s Internet sermons, officials said the two were not in contact and they’re not sure how influential those sermons were.

In April, Ahmed thought he had found what he wanted: a pair of al-Qaida operatives who would help him carry out a bomb attack on the nation’s second-busiest subway system, according to court documents unsealed Thursday. But the operatives were really undercover investigators, the officials said. And the meetings at local hotels were all staged with the FBI’s cameras rolling.

What followed was an elaborate ruse in which Ahmed was given intelligence-gathering duties and coded information in a Quran as part of the supposed plot to kill commuters. Perren said the lengthy sting was necessary for the FBI to determine whether Ahmed was serious about wanting to kill Americans.

“We wanted to assess his intent and his capability,” he said, adding that by the end of the sting it was clear, “he was willing and able and wanted to help.”

Ahmed was arrested Wednesday, just weeks before, the FBI says, he planned to make the annual religious pilgrimage to the Islamic holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The FBI searched his house, pulling out guns and ammunition, officials said.

He faces charges of attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, collecting information to assist in planning a terrorist attack on a transit facility and attempting to provide material support to terrorists.

Prosecutors say he videotaped four northern Virginia subway stations, suggested using rolling suitcases instead of backpacks to pack the explosives and said he wanted to donate $10,000 to help the overseas fight.

Comments (31)

  • hillbillyinny
    Posted on October 31, 2010 at 3:46am

    Know Islam:

    http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-871902797772997781#

    Report Post »  
  • usconcerned
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 3:12pm

    To know about Islam, please go to http://www.ProphetOfDoom.com. You will understand this “religion of peace” completely!

    Report Post »  
  • usconcerned
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 3:10pm

    One more “misunderstander” of Islam!

    Report Post »  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 1:50pm

    Uh, all muslims are a “radical”, dangerous threat to America – this is more of the same and absolutely no surprise to anyone who has been paying attention (at least) since 9/11.

    Report Post » Tri-ox  
  • JackBoot101
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 11:55am

    These freaks are like the energizer bunny. They just keep on coming. And the blind and stupid government and media just keeps on with it’s PC and fails to name the enemy, Islam, and not radical Islam but Islam.

    Report Post »  
  • JohnDoe
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 10:35am

    You Can’t Fix Stupid – but you Can Vote ‘Em Out !!!

    Our great country was founded by and for the citizens of the thirteen colonies. It was designed to insure that a central government was controlled and limited by representatives of those citizens. It was given a limited amount of power, with many checks and balances, to secure the rights and freedoms for its citizens. They were making sure that an American Government would and could not become as Britian had. England enacted laws and taxes on their American subjects, but without allowing the colonies a say in their government. Ignoring the will of the people of America, they bullied and took away what limited rights they had and tried to force them to comply. Sound familiar? Yes, we don’t have to look far across the Atlantic at a despotic leader, we have only to look at the Oval Office in Washington, D. C. and to those whom we had entrusted the liberties of the people and the country. Our representatives, Senate and the House, are there to represent the will of the people. Instead, they have consistently lied to their constituents, both during campaigns and when in office. They have consistently robbed the American people, not only of their money, but also by stealing their liberties, little by little. The incumbent office holders allow themselves to be above the law, they allow themselves to steal by back-room corrupt deals and the like. They ignore the very people who put them in office, they even resort to passing laws, under cover of darkness. They hide laws and corrupt deals in the midst of thousand of pages of laws. This has always been a trick of unethical lawyers. Their mindset is to bog down any opposition by inudating them with mountains of paperwork. Then, they laugh and call the people stupid and ignorant, or worse! No doubt, I could go on and on. Their lack of character, morals and ethics makes them unfit to be employed anywhere, let alone entrusted with the security, freedom, and economic growth of this great country. They have taken your freedom to worship, especially targeting Christianity. They have tried to rewrite the American history, to further their agendas, just like the Moslems continue to do with Israel.

    Soon after deciding what sort of Government America was to become, that very question was asked of Benjamin Franklin. In reply Franklin said, “A Republic….if we can keep it”. This is a question that should be upon the lips of all true American patriots. If we can’t or more correctly, if we won’t, then we don’t deserve it. The choice is up to us, the American people, and the answer should be and must be yes we will!

    You’re probably asking how do we insure that we will keep this nation a free Republic. Oh, we voted for only those who promised no more taxes, no more spending, etc., etc. Of course they all were proven to be liars again (or should I have said they were just not quite forthcoming or perhaps they were a little disingenuious?). Then we did the “best of the two evils” choice. This was no different than the “Magician’s Choice” trick! We now know that there is no difference between Republicans and the Democrats when it comes to which is telling the truth. Neither has the best interest of America at heart, probably not even in mind! Their goal is simply to acquire power, money, more power and more money while doing and saying anything to remain in office.

    So what is the answer? They don’t listen when the people, overwhelmingly, protest and tries to voice their opposition. So the American people need to get their UNDIVIDED attention. How? WE THE PEOPLE, must vote any and all incumbents out of office. It doesn’t matter if they are better than most. If they haven’t been part of the solution, then they are part of the problem. THEY MUST KNOW AND WE MUST LET THEM KNOW THAT GOVERNMENT WILL NO LONGER BE RUN BY ROUGUE LAWYERS AND OPPORTUNISTS, PROGRESSIVES (AKA SOCIALISTS), ETC. THEY ARE NOTHING MORE THAN MODERN-DAY CARPETBAGGERS OR WANNA-BE DICTATORS. THEY MUST BE EDUCATED TO THE FACT THAT THEY WILL BE VOTED OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN, UNTIL THEY LEARN THAT OUR REPRESENTATIVES ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO RUN THEIR OWN VERISON OF CRIME, INC.
    AND THOSE THAT ARE ELECTED TO OFFICE, BUT CONTINUE TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR OWN BENEFIT WILL SOON LEARN THEY WILL HAVE ONLY ONE TERM IN OFFICE.

    We, the people, need to lobby our newly elected representatives to enact new laws to insure ALL our freedoms, our security, etc. Enact laws that ethical or criminal behavior of representatives will be prosecuted swiftly and severly, with no possibility of any pardon…not by a state Governor nor by a President! Enact laws or amendments to limit a President to one term only, ensuring that any damage to our country will not be as damaging as is obvious with this Government. Further limit the terms of our Representatives, both in the Senate and the House. Imperative to limit the term of all Supreme Court Justices to no more than an eight year term and make an amendment that the justices can no longer re-interpret the Constitution, but uphold the laws as it was written and intended by the original framers.

    So, the bottom line is this: unless the American people get the undivided attention of those in government…when you and your family members are homeless and hungry or at the very least jobless…remember, you have only yourselves to blame.

    THE ONLY WAY TO INSURE THAT YOUR FUTURE REPRESENTATIVES WILL LISTEN TO ITS CONSTITUENTS IS VOTE OUT ALL INCUMBENTS!!! FROM THAT POINT ON, EACH REPRESENTATIVE MUST KNOW WE WILL VOTE THEM OUT AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL WE HAVE RESPONSIBLE REPRESENTATIVES THAT UNDERSTAND THEY ARE THERE FOR THE WILL OF THE PEOPLE.

    You Can’t Fix Stupid – but you Can Vote ‘Em Out !!!

    Report Post »  
  • ObamaYoMoma
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 9:43am

    FBI agents who ensnared a suburban father in a terrorism sting involving a fictional subway bomb plot have turned their attention to figuring out what may have made the Pakistani-born U.S. citizen turn against his adopted country.

    This is just a wild guess….uh…uh…Islam. Do I win $64,000.00?

    I’m wondering…do you have to be a mental ****** or something to work for our federal government?

    Report Post »  
  • OBAMAWORSHIOER
    Posted on October 30, 2010 at 4:08am

    Not only Muslims that are being radicalized. The greater danger is whites like Tim McVeign. Can’t “profile” them as easily.

    Report Post »  
  • dadsrootbeer
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 11:12pm

    Don’t tell me. Another terroist that turns out to be Muslim. Shocking…

    Report Post » dadsrootbeer  
  • conservativeBC
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 9:40pm

    Shocking: On CNN Muslim Cleric Answers “What Is Islam?”

    http://conservativeblogscentral.blogspot.com/2010/10/shocking-muslim-cleric-answers-what-is.html

    I would love to see Joy Behar try to defend this ” they might say one thing on CNN but I assure you that behind your back they are saying something else.”

    I think she should be forced to marry this dude.

    Report Post » conservativeBC  
  • HillCountryPatriot
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 8:37pm

    Golly gee. Another terrorist with a muslim name and Bin Laden-lookalike beard??? Ya’ think?

    Yep… no need to profile guys like him. We’ll just have the TSA pat-down more grannies and children. That’ll do it. Idiots.

    Report Post » Hill Country Patriot  
  • HippoNips
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 8:16pm

    Duh!

    Report Post »  
  • Agentuntomyself
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 8:02pm

    I’m glad to hear that the tip off came from within the muslim community. I hope that moderate muslims will continue to turn in these crazy radicals.

    Report Post »  
  • Tony
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:46pm

    Not to worry. We will send him, as we have done other “radicalized” terrorists, to prison for life! Sounds good, right? Well we the taxpayers will shell out $40k per year per rad who will repay us with 24/7 “radicalization” of fellow inmates. We will spend a million upkeeping this guy for life and he will send us dozens of prison made terrorists.

    Report Post »  
  • teahugger
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:46pm

    Its a good thing muslims are moderate, that’s all I have to say!!!

    Report Post » teahugger  
  • NE12012
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:37pm

    Doesn’t that beard itch Fa-Ruk? Maybe that’s what makes these guys crazy……STOP THE ITCHING!!!! I CAN’T TAKE IT ANYMORE!! LOL.

    Report Post » NE12012  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:20pm

    take him out back, find out WHO he knows, and then SHOOT HIM. talk about nothing but a rabid dog there.

    VOTE NOV 2, get these COWARD pro-****** DEMS OUT.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • Quasimofo
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:11pm

    Farooque Ahmed

    Gee, not Bob Smith but ANOTHER mid-easterner. But Napolitano, we know you’ll just continue placing our returning soldiers and honest citizens under your paranoid scrutiny.

    Report Post »  
  • hkyfan36
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:11pm

    Have you ever worked in Telcom? That will make any one go insane. Especially during daylight savings. Get 40 virgins and don’t have to work the phone bank during DLS. Sounds like a good Idea to me. How bout just 4 virgins and a pack of smokes? “ Would you believe a photo of a virgin and a paper towel”
    I miss “Get Smart”

    VOTE!!!!!

    Report Post »  
    • chazman
      Posted on October 29, 2010 at 9:29pm

      If you think you can stay in America without eating PORK, you are sadly mistaken. American’s will shove BACON AND SAUSAGE down yer cowardly throats until you choke to death!
      Lousy muslims …

      Report Post »  
  • broker0101
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:09pm

    How was this scumbag muslim Radicalized????? Hmmmmmmmmm???….. Could it be…………. ISLAM?

    Report Post » broker0101  
  • OBAMAWORSHIOER
    Posted on October 29, 2010 at 7:07pm

    Muched was learned about the technique of brainwashing since the days of Korea. Much more sophisticated. Rewatch Manchurian candidate again. The method used there to have sleeper agents NOT even knowing they are is much advanced

    Report Post »  
    • w4jle
      Posted on October 29, 2010 at 8:35pm

      I have miles to go before I sleep…

      Report Post » w4jle  
    • chazman
      Posted on October 29, 2010 at 8:53pm

      LadyGagMe wears a MEAT DRESS. How ‘Bout all muslim cowards wear a BACON dress before we execute them? ISLAM SUCKS SAUSAGE!!! Good Lord, I do despise these scum …

      Report Post »  
    • Robert W
      Posted on October 29, 2010 at 10:45pm

      Rev Wright?

      Report Post »  

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