AP, 26 July 2010: Two men accused in a terrorist plot hoped to cause a spectacular explosion that would kill thousands at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and avenge U.S. oppression of Muslims, a prosecutor said Monday at the men’s trial.
The defendants wanted to blow up jet fuel tanks at the sprawling airport, causing an explosion “so massive . . . that it could be seen from far, far away,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Zainab Ahmad said in closing arguments in federal court in Brooklyn. Their vision prompted them to code name the plot “The Shining Light,” the prosecutor said.
Russell Defreitas, 66, a former JFK cargo handler, and Abdul Kadir, 58, once a member of Parliament in Guyana, were arrested in 2007 after an informant infiltrated the plot and made a series of secret recordings. Prosecutors say Mr. Defreitas did reconnaissance at the airport, sought the help of a militant Muslim group in Trinidad along with Kadir and dreamed of delivering a devastating economic blow to the United States. . . . .
CNN, 20 May 2010: A new report by the Government Accountability Office says behavior detection techniques failed to lead authorities to at least 16 alleged terrorists who traveled through U.S. airports. The Transportation Security Administration’s program to use special officers to spot suspicious behavior began in 2003, but the GAO questions the scientific basis and effectiveness of the techniques.
The unclassified version of the report released Thursday did not name the suspected terrorists who the GAO says were able to pass 23 times through airports where behavior detection officers work. But officials involved in crafting the report said the cases included that of Najibullah Zazi, a Denver shuttle driver who authorities said plotted to set off bombs in New York City’s subway system. Zazi pleaded guilty to providing material support to al Qaeda. The officials said the TSA also missed David Headley, who pleaded guilty to scouting targets for the 2008 Mumbai, India, terror attacks and flew out of the U.S. to do his reconnaissance. . . .
Times of London, 12 March 2010: Rajib Karim, 30, a British Airways computer specialist charged with planning a suicide bombing, had volunteered to work as cabin crew during strike action at the airline, a court heard yesterday. . . .
. . . .Colin Gibbs, for the prosecution, said Mr Karim had offered to pass on information gleaned from cabin crew training — which the airline made available to company volunteers so that services could be kept running during a strike. He said that Mr Karim had offered advice to overseas contacts about how to overcome airport security, including details of liquid allowances on aircraft, security scanners and the questions asked by immigration officials.
The charges state that Mr Karim remained in Britain to obtain a passport, got a job with BA and gathered information useful to terrorists in Yemen. The terror fundraising charge alleges that he collected money which was sent to Yemen and Bangladesh to further terrorist acts, including suicide bombing. Further allegations relate to an attack on BA’s computers to cause the company financial losses. . . . .
Times of London, 11 March 2010: A British Airways computer expert charged with terror offences planned to take advantage of a strike by BA staff to become a temporary member of the cabin crew, a court heard today. Rajib Karim, 30, from Newcastle upon Tyne, faces three charges under counter terrorism legislation. He is accused of two counts of planning suicide bombings and his own martyrdom. It is alleged that Mr Karim came to Britain, obtained a passport and secured a job at the airline as part of the conspiracy.
Prosecutor Colin Gibbs told City of Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the charge sheet alleges he shared information about his work, including security measures, and offered to take advantage of planned strikes by BA staff to join the airline’s cabin crew. . . . .
♦ CI CENTRE COURSE: 163–Dying to Kill Us: Understanding the Mindset of Suicide Operations
Fox News/Phoenix, 8 March 2010: A recent legal case in Hawaii revealed hundreds of illegal aliens have traveled on U.S. airlines using cheap, low quality fake IDs. But while most illegals are not much of a security threat, what does that say about day-to-day TSA screening? FOX’s William Lajeunesse went undercover, to see just how easy it was.
