Accused D.C. bomb plotter Farooque Ahmed's goal was 'killing as many Metro riders as possible' BY <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Kerry%20Wills> Kerry Wills, <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/James%20Gordon%20Meek> James Gordon Meek AND <http://www.nydailynews.com/authors/Helen%20Kennedy> Helen Kennedy DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS Thursday, October 28th 2010, 4:00 AM Britton/AP Photo taken by Virginia neighbor of ex-New Yorker Farooque Ahmed shows federal agents poised to raid the terror suspect's home. <http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/10/28/metro_bombing.jpg> Description: CLICK TO ENLARGE: Metro stations targeted. JR/News CLICK TO ENLARGE: Metro stations targeted. A former <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Staten+Island> Staten Island man was busted in <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Washington%2c+DC> Washington on Wednesday for helping what he thought were <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Al+Qaeda> Al Qaeda terrorists plotting to bomb the capital's subways. It was really the <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Federal+Bureau+of+Investigation> FBI stringing him along, the feds say. <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Farooque+Ahmed> Farooque Ahmed, 34, a computer engineer who lives with his wife and baby in suburban <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Virginia> Virginia, was accused of making sketches and surveillance videos of busy subway stops near <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/The+Pentagon> the Pentagon and tourist-packed <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Arlington+National+Cemetery> Arlington Cemetery. The stations Ahmed helped case are popular with <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/U.S.+Department+of+Defense> Defense Department workers. He thought the stations would be blown up sometime next year, the indictment says. His goal was "killing as many Metro riders as possible through simultaneous bomb attacks," U.S. Attorney Neil MacBride said. "It's chilling." The feds said straphangers were never in any danger. Much like the four men convicted this month of plotting to attack a <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/The+Bronx> Bronx synagogue, Ahmed was stung by an undercover FBI operation and never met any real terrorists. His face hidden by a long beard, mustache and glasses, Ahmed appeared briefly in federal court and will be held until a detention hearing tomorrow. He said he could not afford a lawyer. A Pakistani who became a naturalized citizen in <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/New+York> New York 17 years ago, Ahmed worked for <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Telefonaktiebolaget+LM+Ericsson> Ericsson telecommunications in Virginia setting up routers for the <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sprint+Nextel+Corporation> Sprint network, his <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/LinkedIn+Corporation> LinkedIn profile says. He received a bachelor's degree in computer science from the <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/College+of+Staten+Island> College of Staten Island in 2003 and studied mechanical engineering at City College, but did not receive the graduate degree, college officials said. Ahmed's online profile blamed that on "a political issue between computer science and (engineering) departments." Officials said the dispute was over academic credits, not geopolitics. He registered as a Republican in the borough in 2002. Neighbors in <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Ashburn+(Virginia)> Ashburn, Va., said he moved there a year ago with his British wife, <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Sahar+Mirza> Sahar Mirza, and toddler son. Sahar Mirza is co-organizer of a <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Meetup+Inc.> Meetup.com group for mothers of new babies called Hip Muslim Moms. He wore casual clothes - he appeared in court in jeans - but she wore more traditional garb and covered her hair. Description: http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2010/10/28/alg_metro_police.jpg Transit police officer watches Metro trains arrive in D.C. on Wednesday. Wong/Getty "He was out back mowing the lawn over the weekend. He just seemed like a normal guy. He never talked about politics," said neighbor <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Barbi+Shires> Barbi Shires, 43. "I'm just glad it was the FBI he did it for, not al Qaeda." Next door neighbor, <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Tanya+Minor> Tanya Minor, 32, who works in a doctor's office, said Ahmed "came to look at the house with a man who spoke his language, who said he helped people from New York find apartments here. They were very quiet. They always had the blinds closed." <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Marc+Otterback> Marc Otterback said he was on the subway when he heard his neighbor was arrested for plotting to blow up the trains. "And I was like, 'Oh my God!' I'm a defense contractor - I was the target!" On Staten Island, a man believed to be Ahmed's brother came home to the family house in a state of confusion. "I cannot answer any questions. I just found out myself. Please give us some time. I'm sorry," he said. Ahmed's father, identified by friends as the retired officer of a Pakistani bank, also brushed off reporters, saying "I don't know anything." A neighbor named Beverly who lives in the other half of their duplex said she was shocked. "They're God-fearing people, very nice people. This is unbelieveable," she said. But some other Staten Island neighbors called the family brusque and unfriendly, saying they order kids off their front walk. Subhail Muzaffar, former chairman of the board at the Masjid Al Noor mosque where Ahmed's father prays, called him "a very decent man" but said he knew little of the son. "It's such a difficult situation for all Muslims each time things like this happen," <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Subhail+Muzaffar> Muzaffar said. "We call this home and we want it secure," he said, adding that the mosque proudly cooperates with the FBI on community outreach. "The right education in any religion does not lead you to this path," he said. According to the federal complaint, Ahmed began meeting with the faux terrorists in April, turning over video footage, crowd estimates and sketches of stations, according to the complaint. Prosecutors said he pledged funds for terror attacks, offered to travel overseas and made helpful suggestions about where to plant bombs on trains to kill as many commuters as possible. He also suggested the terrorists pack their bombs in rolling suitcases rather than backpacks, and target the <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Crystal+City> Crystal City stop - by a mall packed with shoppers and Department of Defense workers, the indictment says. Between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. would be the best time to set off simultaneous blasts, he told the men he thought were terrorists. "Ahmed wanted to kill as many military personnel as possible," the complaint alleges. Ahmed is the second would-be terrorist from Staten Island arrested this week. <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/Abdel+Hameed+Shehadeh> Abdel Hameed Shehadeh was charged Tuesday with lying to the feds about attempts to join the <http://www.nydailynews.com/topics/The+Taliban> Taliban. Read more: <http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/10/28/2010-10-28_accused_dc_b omb_plotter_farooque_ahmeds_goal_was_killing_as_many_metro_riders_as.html?pa ge=1#ixzz13iGb4cy9> http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/2010/10/28/2010-10-28_accused_dc_bo mb_plotter_farooque_ahmeds_goal_was_killing_as_many_metro_riders_as.html?pag e=1#ixzz13iGb4cy9 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ -------------------------- Want to discuss this topic? 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