The Hindu : Kashmir-born U.S. citizen pleads guilty to terrorism charges

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 21, 2003

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International - India & World

Kashmir-born U.S. citizen pleads guilty to terrorism charges

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

Washington June 20. A Kashmir-born naturalised American citizen has pleaded guilty to terrorism charges that include plots against trains and perhaps the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Iyman Faris pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to provide support, according to the documents that were unsealed in a district court in Alexandria, Virginia, today.

Faris, who travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and met Osama bin Laden in 2000, admitted to providing operatives in Afghanistan with a number of items, including cell phones and sleeping bags.

Faris came to the U.S. in 1994 and became a naturalised American citizen in December 1999. His sentencing has been set for August 1 and, if convicted, he could face 20 years in jail and $ 500,000 in fines.

``The case highlights the very real threats that still exist here at home in the United States of America in the war against terrorism. While we're disabling Al-Qaeda, we don't believe it is disabled,'' the Attorney-General, John Ashcroft, said at a press conference.

He said, Faris led a ``secret double life'', one a truck driver based in Colombus, Ohio and criss-crossing the U.S. The other as one who ``travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan and covertly met with Osama bin Laden and joined Al-Qaeda's jehad (holy war) against America, scouring sites for acts of terrorism in the United States,'' according to Mr. Ashcroft.

The arrest of Faris, also known as Mohammad Rauf, was made when the U.S. picked up a top Al-Qaeda operative, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, in Pakistan. Mohammad is seen as the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. He is also believed to have planned a series of airlines bombings with the plotting base in Manila, the Philippines.

He is now believed to be cooperating with authorities here, particularly on the global reach of the Al-Qaeda.

Documents reveal that Faris had sent messages to the Al-Qaeda saying that plans for attacking bridges had to be cancelled because security was too tight and the suspension cables did not appear vulnerable. ``The weather is too hot,'' Faris is said to have sent in a coded message.

The Attorney-General had said that to his knowledge Faris or members of his family had not entered the witness protection programme, but indications are that the Al-Qaeda operative has been cooperating with the authorities. But what is not being discussed is if his actions and role went beyond theoretical planning into the realm of possible execution.

For instance, he had been getting instructions to do research on bridges and acquiring ultra-light planes as well as trying to procure ``gas cutters'', possibly acetylene torches that could cut cables of bridges. ``... We consider him to be a meaningful participant in a real situation,'' Mr. Ashcroft said.

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