A possible terrorist plot appears foiled after U.S. authorities detained and charged a suspect in Colorado for allegedly planning to use explosive devices in New York City. Najibullah Zazi, an airport shuttle driver in Denver, has been charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction — explosive bombs — against persons or property in the United States. Two other suspects, an NYPD informant and Zazi’s father, have been cited for lying to the FBI.
Bloggers in Colorado and New York have tracked the story this week:
SEE RELATED:
New York
FBI seeking more suspects?
“Four “anonymous government sources” tell Newsweek that more suspects (perhaps over a dozen) are being sought, and investigators are urgently searching for the explosives. Hopefully, the NYPD will be a tad more discreet from now on.”
The Gothamist comments on “canned” NYPD terror investigator.
Thwarted plot reveals possible terror targets, kind of….
“The two bulletins released earlier today say there’s no specific target or threat — just a general alert. Police Commissioner Ray Kelly says police and MTA security have been increased at key areas in the city’s transit system, but adds that there’s no cause for major concern,” said Village Voice.
Quotable commentary on Village Voice:
“For his part, Zazi admits that there were bomb-making instructions on his computer, but says he must’ve accidentally downloaded them as part of a religious book. Think of it kind of like Andy Dufresne hiding the gun in the Bible in The Shawshank Redemption — only a thousand times worse.”
Atlantic Yards Report says the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) may want to rethink its list of emergency scenarios:
“Emergency scenarios such as a large-scale terrorist attack similar to the World Trade Center attack, a biological or chemical attack, or a bomb are not considered a reasonable worst-case scenario and are therefore outside of the scope of the EIS.”
Colorado
5280: Zazi family receives eviction notice.
“His father, charged with lying to investigators, still appears eligible for release under electronic surveillance but seems to have nowhere to go at the moment. An eviction notice was posted yesterday at the Aurora apartment of the Afghan immigrant family, which is targeted in the FBI probe (via 9News). The lease, according to the landlord, is expiring.”
Bob’s Blog: “You do what you have to do to stop terrorists from acting out their fantasies!”
Prior to Zazi’s indictment, Not My Tribe explained why Zazi has a lesson to teach Coloradans: “Don’t talk to the FBI.”
A letter to the editor posted on the Denver Post’s blog site on Sept. 22, prior to Zazi’s latest indictment, said:
“It is possible that Najibullah Zazi is in fact an al-Qaeda operative. If that is the case, he should be tried and sentenced in a fair and open process. However, it is equally likely that the FBI has fabricated a flimsy case against him for purely political reasons.
“…it’s long past time for The Post and other media outlets to stop simply parroting the government press releases and start trying to figure out what’s really going on.”
Quote of the Day:
“Ground Center for world ‘terrorism’? Why it’s right here in Aurora, Colorado just one hour north of us [Colorado Springs] nuts still living here in the pastoral land of NORAD! Watch out, Falcons! Watch out, Cowboys and Cowgirls! I’m scared!”
- Not My Tribe
