US News
Guyana, Trinidad Muslims connected to JFK airport bomb plot (Roundup)
By Pat Reber Jun 3, 2007, 18:15 GMT
A plane departs JFK International Airport in New York en route to Chicago O\'Hare International airport March 20, 2007. Several people have been arrested in connection with a plot against ground operations at New York\'s John F. Kennedy International Airport, CNN said on Saturday. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
Washington - Four men with connections to a South American Muslim extremist group - including a former member of Parliament in Guyana and a former airport worker - were charged as suspects in a plot to plant explosions in the jet fuel system at New York's busy JFK Airport, US officials said.
The Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago was holding two suspects in the a plot, US officials said.
A third suspect, a US citizen who was a native of the South American country Guyana, was arrested and charged in New York and a fourth man was still being sought, Department of Justice officials said Saturday.
New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the plot demonstrated growing worries about Muslim radicalism in the Caribbean, 'a region that is rarely thought of in terms of terrorism, but of increasing concern to us as a crucible in the foment of Islamic radicalism.'
The plot had been under surveillance for 18 months and was still in its planning stages, and there was no threat to public safety, officials said. But an explosion in the fuel lines could have caused widespread destruction at the airport and densely-settled nearby residential neighbourhoods in Queens.
'Had the plot been carried out, it could have resulted in unfathomable damage, deaths and destruction,' said US attorney Roslynn Mauskopf, who called it 'one of the most chilling plots imaginable.'
The unravelling of the plot 'gives you a window into how these plots are developed,' Mauskopf said. 'This particular one spread from Brooklyn, New York, through Queens abroad into Guyana and Trinidad.'
Just last month, federal police broke up an alleged plot by suspected terrorists, including three illegal residents from Jordan and Yugoslavia, to attack military facilities at Fort Dix, New Jersey, right outside of New York City. That plot had been under watch for 16 months.
The JFK airport plot was discovered when the suspects approached an undercover police agent to join in their plan, officials and media reports said.
Attention focused on the man arrested in New York, Russell Defreitas, a US citizen born in Guyana who had at one time worked as a private contractor for a small foreign airline at John F Kennedy Airport. Sketched images from the Saturday's courtroom appearance showed man with white beard and black skin, in his 50s or 60s, as broadcast on Fox News.
The other suspects were Abdul Kadir, a Guyana citizen who has served in the Guyanese Parliament, and Kareem Ibrahim, a citizen of Trinidad, who were in custody in Trinidad. Media reports said Trinidad had been involved in the surveillance, and urged the arrests because of developments in the plot.
A fourth defendant, Abdul Nur, was a citizen of Guyana who was still being sought, officials said. He had reportedly travelled to Venezuela and then on to Iran for an Islamic conference.
Officials said the men had no overt connections to the Al Qaeda terrorist network of radical Islamists, but rather were in contact with the senior leadership of the Muslim group Jamaat Al Muslimeen (JAM,) blamed for the 1990 coup attempt in Trinidad, a statement from the justice department said.
'Once again would-be terrorists have put New York City in their crosshairs and once again the FBI, New York Police Department and other law enforcement agencies have joined forces to stop them,' said Kelly.
According to the criminal complaint, the men had conspired to destroy 'buildings, fuel tanks and fuel pipelines' at the airport with explosives.
Kelly said that the jet fuel pipeline feeds through the airport and runs through residential neighbourhoods, New York 1 reported.
The 65-kilometre line brings aviation fuel from a facility in Linden, New Jersey, through Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Queens to the airport.
'(The line) is indeed the feeding tube that nourishes national and international commerce at JKF and LaGuardia,' said Kelly.
According to taped remarks recorded by an informant, the bearded Defreitas predicted that the attacks would destroy 'the whole of Kennedy' and leave few survivors.
The attacks would be worse than the World Trade Centre attacks on September 11, 2001, he said.
'Anytime you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United States,' he said, according to the official statement. 'If you hit that, this whole country will be in mourning. It's like you can kill the man twice.'
Defreitas used his knowledge of the airport to video and identify targets and escape routes and assess airport security, according to a statement from the justice department.
Satellite photographs of JFK airport and its facilities were downloaded from the internet. The suspects conducted their own physical surveillance with videos and photos, and travelled often between the US, Guyana and Trinidad to discuss plans and raise money, the statement said.
The suspects were charged with discussing at one point how to disable the airport control tower which monitored the security of the fuel system and tanks. Kadir was an engineer by training, the statement said.
'The defendants sought to combine an insider's knowledge of JFK Airport with the assistance of Islamic radicals in the Caribbean to produce an attack that they boasted would be so devastating to the airport that 'even the Twin Towers can't touch it',' said Kenneth Wainstein, assistant attorney general for national security.
The men face life in prison if found guilty of the charges.
John F Kennedy Airport is one of the busiest airports in the US, with 1,000 flights a day, half of them international flights.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Having scored an absolute zero in converting us all to Islam they appear to be trying to kill us all instead.
What a set of retards.
Anyone who is not here legaly must be DEPORTED and all boardres must be sealed.Back ground checks must be conducted on anyone who enters through our boarders legaly or Illegaly.
Angie its sad but you are right.
You make a very valid point Angie.
Angie, Its sounds so simple Bush is a real JERK he makes me sick.
Bush wake the hell up or go back to Texas where you belong. Lets Impeach bush this man has ruined this Country. The next President is going to have some job trying to undo the damage that Bush has done.
YEA ANGIE I TOTALT AGREE WITH YOU........................................................................ .....
'i bet that this is all a put up job so bush can say ....see i told you so..'
I bet the islamists rely on blinkered, paranoid, 'blame ourselves first' fools like yourself in their plots to kill infidels.
And yes, Angie is correct.
With all the political maneuvering, it's still a win-win for everyone. To get someone this low on the radar shows it's more than possible to interdict these guys.
''a put up job so bush can say''
''Bush is a real JERK''
''Bush wake the hell up or go back to Texas''
When Bush has left office, might these people cease their Bush obsessions and start seeing the world at large? Or will they find some new sedative to lessen the burden of thinking?
...if you think it will help. Like it ir not, they get a gold star on this one. In a world where information comes at you like a fire hose, they sifted it, and made a useful contribution. The bureaucracy is evolving and that is good for all.
I don't believe any word of the story; even if the story has any weight, it was released to the public at a time favourable & convenient for Washington - thereby a tool to stir and influence the public. Washington is guilty of more involvement with terrorism than any other state on earth.
Muslims in any democratic nation=constant terrorist attacks.
A nation - ANY muslims = a peaceful nation.
DEPORT ALL MUSLIMS AND OUTLAW + RECLASSIFY ISLAM AS A POLITICAL CULT POSING AS A RELIGION!!
Knowing islam.....is to have NO peace in any country.
America and all nations will never have sanity and civility inside their borders as long as these devil worshippers are allowed in the country.
It isn't possible to completely control border crossings - no matter how hard the U.S. tries - so dream on!
Yes, close the borders. Line it with razor wire and landmines and guards with guns and orders to shoot to kill. Keep those yankees where they belong - in one big prison and don't let them out, ever.
the invaders from trinidad and guyana!
some says that they eat children too. LOL!
Bam the Muslim religion if you wish, but you should also ban the bible bashing Christians in the US who are equally addicted to violence in their support for Bush's invasions of other countries, and the support of the gun fixated, violent american society
If america is such a wonderful place, why is the number deciding to live abroad sharply increasing each year ?
So please stop the obvious lying.
Mexicans and all the other great ones are busting down our borders which you would know if you would watch the news. We have 12 million now living here illegally so that is the reality of the situation.
Now I know for a FACT people are leaving in Holland (to the tune of 37,000 a year) because of the govt totally turning a blind eye to the islamic problem sow what do you say about the Dutch problem?
'Americans are leaving their own nation'......please stop!
Now would you please take Whoppi Goldberg from us?
She promised to immigrate if Bush won a 2nd term AND SHE IS STILL HERE!!
Typical leftist.
No Americans are leaving....they only go on vacation and always love to return home to the states.
Please save your 3rd rate lies for the multiculturalist, baffoon Europeans who obviously believe anything.
American Dude.
and where did you get that fantastic and absolutely WOW 'Now I know for a FACT people are leaving in Holland (to the tune of 37,000 a year)'? And where are those poor dutch, so afraid of the muslims going, to the USA? Yes, every day I see thousands of duch refugees pouring in the E19, pushing their handcarts and driving their oxcarts, trying to catch a steamboat to the mighty USA. It seems you know very little about your own country, and even less about what is OUTSIDE it.
Besides, yes, americans with an average IQ are leaving the USA, only poor people from latin america (who your darling administrations destroyed, affraid of communists) are trying to go to the USA. Intelligent Americans are leaving! Just stop seeing FOX and get out of your nutshell
Go crawl back under your rock.
The U.S. is on the wrong track as far as affairs of the 21st century, and it has been stated that 'terrorists are dangerous, but they are not a civilization - they do not offer a workable alternative to anyone else's way of life. They are ragtag gangs of malcontents, and wanting the destruction of the U.S. after taking over the Middle East, and having the ability to do it are different things. The U.S. plays into the terrorists' hands when we remake our entire foreign policy and set all of our national priorities in response to the delusional rantings of fanatics. Terrorists must be fought, of course, but we must do all that as a matter of course - it will always be necessary. It must not be such an obcession to the point that keeps us from other work that is critical to ensuring America's continued economic preeminence. That's how the U.S. got off the track - we've been so focused on a few thousand terrorists that we allowed ourselves to be led into an unnecessary war and alientated most of the world in the process.' Let's see what the candidates have to say about issues that should be equally, if not more important, than this battle in the Middle East. It has been going on and will go on and on and on..........
bush is good two things ..
good for nothing and good for shit
For those self deluding posters who can't believe that americans are leaving the US, put 'americans living abroad' into Google. Total was 4 million in 2005 - probably more up to date figures available if I search, but I have better things to do with my time than find data for americans who aren't prepared to accept facts anyway
Their are no facts to face Illegal means one thing YOU BROKE THE LAW.
If you have better things to do with your time why bother commenting at all.
To provide enlightenment to ignorant americans
Americans happens to be spelled with a capitol in case you want to be enlightened!!
Mind you, the terrorists were Muslim, because of their stupid actions, this will jeopardize those of south american and west indian decent of all religions..good job idiots
Why dont you go get yourself a teaching job. You hide behind your computer and think that you have the god given right to correct someone. Did It ever occur to you that just maby theirs something wrong with their computer, Get a Life. I tryed to make enough mistakes for you to correct I hope it makes your life.
Dont you just love people like that???????????????????????????????????????????
Bush sure created a mess...now that he has created a religious war I hope the world can deal with the ramifications of hate and terror. Now we got muslim people coming out of the wood work with all kinds of excuses to attack the US, from all kinds of countries where the US has exploited them in the past yet.
Talk about opening up a pandora's box.
page: 1
jerryJun 3rd, 2007 - 18:46:20
i bet that this is all a put up job so bush can say ....see i told you so..
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