(22 Feb 2010) HEADLINE: NYC terror suspect pleads guilty to subway plot
CAPTION: Terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi has pleaded guilty to plotting to attack the New York City subway system in the fall of 2009. He told a federal judge that he was recruited by al-Qaida in Pakistan for a "martyrdom plan" against the United States.
(Feb. 22)
SLUG: New York Terrorism
NB. THIS IS A VOICEOVER TRANSCRIPT, NOT A FULL SHOT LIST
Najibullah Zazi (nah-jee-BOO-luh ZAH-zee) -- who was arrested in Colorado last fall -- has pleaded guilty to plotting to attack the New York City subway system.
"this was one of the most serious terrorist threats to the nation since september the 11th, 2001...and if it weren''t for law enforcement and intelligence communities...it could have been devastating."
Zazi appeared in federal court in New York Monday -- and told the judge he went to Pakistan in 2008 to join the Taliban and fight against the U.S. military but was recruited by al-Qaida in Pakistan for what he called a "martyrdom operation" against the United States.
He said the terrorism plot was aimed at the city subway system, but wouldn''t name a specific target when asked by the judge.
"people wrote that there wasn''t a plot....turns out there was a very serious plot agains this city..(cut) the new york police dept. And the fbi together stopped a plot that would have really hurt the city."
Austin Long, a terrorism expert at Columbia University praised the government in its handling of the case.
"Clearly they did their homework in terms of evidence collection, in terms of interrogation, and they were able to build a convincing enough case that his attorney and Zazi himself decided the best course was to plead guilty, so I think it is a success."
Zazi admitted building homemade explosives with beauty supplies he bought and mixed in Colorado before driving across country to New York City just before the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11th attacks.
He also told authorities he disposed of the explosives once he arrived in New York.
Zazi will be sentenced in June and faces the possibility of life in prison without parole.
The Associated Press.
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