Here is some of the “evidence” our nation’s counter-terrorism experts are bringing into court:
FBI agents suggested answers to some of their questions during a protracted videotaped interview in which a Lodi man charged with providing material support to terrorists confessed to undergoing jihad training at a camp in Pakistan.
Excerpts of Hamid Hayat’s videotaped “confession” were played to jurors on Tuesday. Any teenager raised on US tv crime shows would see a problem in this line of questioning:
Once he admitted going to a training camp in 2003, FBI agents began videotaping the interview. {snip}
At some points he was loquacious, volunteering detailed information about the training.
At other times, however, he simply agreed with what his interrogators said to him.
“I mean, clearly it’s, it’s, a ya know, it’s to teach people how to kill American troops,” one agent said to Hayat in reference to his training.
“Yeah, kill any, like any country working against Muslims, I think sir,” he replied.
An agent suggested the targets during one shooting drill were “dummies” with pictures of American political leaders on them, and Hayat agreed.
Hayat first said he didn’t know who ran the camp, then followed an agent’s lead in naming a terrorist group, two individuals and, finally, still following the agent’s lead, naming al-Qaida as the possible sponsor of the camp.
He was asked about waiting for orders once he returned to Lodi.
“They will give you orders,” an agent said.”Yeah,” Hayat answered.
“To do jihad here? the agent asked.
“Uh huh,” Hayat answered.”
They said jihad here in the United States?” the agent continued.
“Uh huh,” Hayat answered. {snip}
During the videotaped interview of Hamid Hayat, an agent suggested Hayat would get orders from “somebody local” in Lodi. The agent asked, “Maybe Shabbir? Someone like Shabbir?”
“Yeah,” Hayat replied.
The agent was referring to Shabbir Ahmed, then an imam at the Muslim mosque in Lodi. Hayat then said Shabbir “was the person.”
“Who would your contact be in the United States?” the agent again asked.
“I’ll say Shabbir, sir,” Hayat responded.
In answer to a question as to who gave Shabbir his orders, Hayat said he did not know. An agent again suggested it would be somebody in Lodi and urged Hayat “to look at the big picture.
“Hayat then came up with “Mulana Adil,” saying, “He’s bigger than Shabbir.
“He was referring to Muhammed Adil Khan, another imam once affiliated with the Lodi mosque who, according to Hayat’s statement, “brought Shabbir to the United States.
“Ahmed, Adil Khan, and the latter’s son, Mohammad Hassan Adil, were arrested on immigration charges shortly after Hayat’s interview and were allowed to return to Pakistan.
When an agent raised the subject of potential targets for Hayat, he said he had not yet been told of any targets. When pressed, Hayat said, “You mean like buildings?”
“Yeah, buildings,” the agent said.
“Where?” Hayat asked.
“Sacramento or San Francisco?” the agent asked.
“I’ll say Los Angeles. Maybe Los Angeles and San Francisco,” Hayat said.
“Financial, commercial?” the agent asked.
“I’ll say finance and things like that,” Hayat said.
“Hospitals?” the agent asked “Maybe, I’m sure” Hayat answered, then added, “stores.”
“What kind of stores?” the agent asked.
After hesitating, Hayat replied, “Food stores.” {snip}
Hayat is charged in a grand jury indictment with providing material support to terrorists by attending the training camp and coming home “to wage violent jihad against persons and real and personal property within the United States.” He is charged in three additional counts with making false statements to the FBI in an attempt to conceal his terrorist activity and intentions.
After the arrests in June, 2005, local hospitals were scurrying to reassure the public (who somehow had heard rumors) that they weren’t the targets of a local terrorist sleeper cell. Background at Lodi “terror cell” – Prosecutors fail to delay trial – Jury selection starts Tuesday & apropos the FBI’s investigation, A Nation of Snitches?
