JFK Terror Plot
June 3 - Via IRIS, here's a portrait of this lovely Russell Defreitas fellow from WCBS-TV: 'As a cargo handler at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Russell Defreitas watched military parts be shipped to Israel and believed they would be used to kill Muslims. He seethed with rage against the U.S. and Israel for more than a decade after retirement before finally deciding, authorities said, that he wanted to “get those bastards.” Drawing on his inside knowledge of the massive airport, Defreitas conspired with three men to blow up the airport’s underground jet fuel tanks and its pipeline in a spectacular attack designed to kill thousands in the populous neighborhood, authorities said. ...' More details at the link.
ThreatsWatch (update - June 3): 'While we investigate, research and analyze developments and background regarding the terrorist plot to bomb fuel storage tanks at JFK Airport, ThreatsWatch will publish interesting details via RapidRecon. Earlier, Kyle Dabruzzi noted the more troubling stated operation of “to smuggle individuals, including mujahideen, from Asia into Guyana and then into the United States.”
One other interesting and noteworthy item is that the development of the JFK plot included interconnection and cooperation between Shi’a and Sunni terrorist groups. Abdul Kadir, the former Minister of Parliament (2001-2006) in Guyana, is Shi’a Imam in Guyana. The named among his network (see the formal complaint) included Abdel Nur, a Shi’a also from Guyana, and Kareem Ibrahim, a Shi’a imam of “one of the two leading Shia mosques in Trinidad,” according to a report in the Trinidad and Tobago Express. Interestingly, Kadir was arrested trying to make his way to Venezuela, presumably enroute to Iran.'
Full details at the link.
ThreatsWactch (update):
The complaint that was filed against the JFK plotters, Russell Defreitas, Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir, and Abdul Nur, provides some interesting insight into the operational planning of the operation and reveals what might have been a much larger, more dangerous, operation. On page 12 of the complaint, a conspirator referred to as “Individual A” told another conspirator, “Individual E,” that he, Defreitas and an undercover agent, referred to as “the Source” were working on two plans: “one to smuggle individuals, including mujahideen, from Asia into Guyana and then into the United States; and a second to attack the United States where it would inflict the most harm.” As it appears, Individual A’s first priority was to smuggle foreigners into the United States via Guyana, and not to perpetrate the JFK attacks. With the focus of our border protection agencies being fixed on the Mexican border, our homeland’s borders, notably the Florida keys, are significantly more pourous. Additionally, “Amir” Kareem Ibrahim, a citizen of Trinidad, became involved with the JFK plot when Defreitas and the Source traveled to Trinidad to seek assistance. Kareem insisted that he present the plans to his “contacts overseas who may be interested in purchasing or funding it.”
Tammy Bruce: 'One of the more fascinating aspects of this plot is the fact that one of the terrorists was nabbed in Trinidad as he was hopping a plan to Venezuela for a visa to go to Iran. This information from his own wife.'
Debka :
FBI charges four suspects in Caribbean-tied Muslim terrorist plot to blow up New York’s JFK’s fuel terminal.
One, a Guyana-born Muslim airport worker, Russell Defreitas, a US citizen, was detained in New York, two in Trinidad to be extradited to the US Wednesday, and one is at large in Guyana. The target covered 40 miles of underground fuel lines running through several residential districts of New York. US district attorney Rosslynn Mauskopf said the devastation would have been unthinkable. The plot was aborted by US and foreign law enforcement authorities at its early stages. The plotters had not acquired the equipment to carry it out. She said US law enforcement agencies proved they were capable of penetrating a secret group. No mention was made of al Qaeda only “radicalized Muslims.” Indictments were filed Saturday.
Defreitas told the FBI the attack would have destroyed the whole of Kennedy international airport and part of Queens and gained the blessing of the whole Muslim world. “Even the Twin Towers can’t touch it,” he said.
The two men arrested in Trinidad, Abdul Kadir of Guyana and Kareem Ibrahim of Trinidad, are both Muslims. Defreitas was arrested after unknowingly recruiting an FBI informant. Kadir, a former Guyanan member of parliament, was picked up trying to obtain funds for terrorist operations.
Three men were arrested and one was being sought in Trinidad on Saturday. In an indictment charging the four men, one of them is quoted as saying the foiled plot would "cause greater destruction than in the Sept. 11 attacks," destroying the airport, killing several thousand people and destroying parts of Queens, where the line runs underground.
One of the suspects, Russell Defreitas, a U.S. citizen native to Guyana and former JFK employee, said the airport was a symbol that would put "the whole country in mourning."
The Corner links to the complaint. The names of the suspects in the John F. Kennedy (JFK) airport terrorist plot are: Russell Defreitas (aka Mohammed), Kareem Ibrahim (aka Amir Kareem), Abdul Kadir, and Abdel Nur. Persons who had bets on the theory that at least one of the alleged plotters is named Mohammed will be grateful to Mr. Defreitas.
The FBI has arrested three Muslims, and a fourth was being sought, for planning a major terrorist attack at JFK International Airport in New York. The terrorists were planning to sabotage a gas line that runs from a plant in Linden, New Jersey, directly to the airport, either blowing it up or otherwise using the gas to explode buildings in the airport. The line is the main jet fuel supply feeding the airport. “The damage that would have been caused would have been unthinkable,” a Justice Department official said.
The suspects were Muslim immigrants to Guyana and the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago.
Press conference in New York is finally underway; video available on tape delay, due to technical issues at the site. Amid the congratulations from law enforcement and prosecutors, we're learning more about the plot. Indications that Defreitas may have been planning to leave the country, prompting the FBI to arrest him, and spring the trap on other suspects in Trinidad. Additionally, "reading between the lines" of various comments, it sounds like Defreitas and the former Guyanan official may have been facilitators. U.S. attorney talked about the "support" the former official could provide. That suggests that this cell may have been paving the way for the attack, perhaps by operatives from the Middle East. They would enter the U.S. with phony papers from Guyana (procured by that former official), while Defreitas provided the intelligence and surveillance required for the plot.
CTB:
Jamaat-al-Muslimeen (JAM) is a Trinidad & Tobago homegrown political/Muslim organization that was involved in a bloody (by Caribbean standards) coup attempt in 1990 that resulted in the death of 19 people. The leader, Abu Bakr, is still in T&T and is somewhat of a hot potato politically. He is known to spew some wild allegations and poses more of a threat to T&T via kidnappings and robberies than terrorist acts. He once claimed to have a nuclear device on the north end of T&T. Bakr (whose real name escapes me now) still appears in T&T news trying to enter the political arena. He has been linked to several deaths and kidnappings of former JAM members, some of whom have split from JAM and formed a spin off movement against Abu Bakr.
Many JAM members fled to Brooklyn in 1990 and started their own narcotics organizations when the coup failed. Obviously their adherence to Islam did not outweigh their greed. I always thought they were more of a gang then a dedicated extremist organization. Despite what maybe stated in today's news, they do not have obvious direct links to al-Qeada. The only link maybe Adnan El-Shukri-Jumah, al-Qaeda's operative who had distinct links to T&T and Guyana and may have been assisted by JAM members.
Guyana and Haiti have a significant extremist element with a particular Haitian Muslim having links to an Iranian backed cleric linked to the Tri-border area in South America.
JAM is not al-Qaeda, but should be watched closely, which the NY-JTTF does.
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