2009 Bronx terrorism plot
Encyclopedia
On May 20, 2009, US law enforcement arrested four black
Muslim
men in connection with a plot to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard
base in Newburgh, New York
and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale
community of the Bronx
.
The terrorist ring, led by James Cromitie
, was tried and all were convicted. The governments conduct during the investigation came under criticism including from the judge that sentenced the defendants.
-related attacks and failed attacks by Muslims on military installations in the United States, including the 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot
, the 2007 Fort Dix attack plot
, the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting
, and the September 11 attacks. As with the 2005 plot to attack military bases in California, some or all of the other suspects converted to Islam in prison
.
Previous Islam
-related terror attacks in Riverdale include the 1989 firebombing of the Riverdale Press
during the controversy over The Satanic Verses
and the 2000 New York terror attack
.
The events leading up to the attempted attack began in June 2008. Shahed Hussain, an Albany hotel owner and FBI informant, showed up at the Masjid al-Ikhlas
mosque under the name "Maqsood", talking of jihad and violence. Members of the congregation interviewed after the terror plot was exposed said that "most" members of the congregation had believed Hussain to be an informant. None had reported his talk about Jihad
to the authorities. James Cromitie
, the leader, expressed interest to the informant of returning to Afghanistan, and hopefully becoming a martyr
. Hussain, a Pakistani immigrant, agreed to serve as an FBI informant after being arrested in 2002 over a scam involving driver's licenses. He previously served as an informant in an unrelated terrorism investigation in Albany, which resulted in the convictions of Yassin M. Aref
and Mohammed Mosharref Hossain
. In the Bronx case he was reported to have used audio and video taped many of his meetings with the attackers.
In April 2009, Cromitie and his three accomplices chose their targets. They planned to both bomb the Riverdale Temple
and nearby Riverdale Jewish Center
in the Bronx
, and, using Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles, shoot down military planes flying out of a nearby air base.
The accused attackers bought cellphones, as well as cameras, from Wal-Mart
, to scout out the synagogues. They attempted to buy guns from a dealer in Newburgh; however, the dealer had sold out. They then drove downstate and bought a $700 pistol from a Bloods
gang leader in Brooklyn
.
On May 6, 2009, the men traveled to Stamford, Connecticut, to pick up what they believed to be a surface-to-air guided-missile system and three improvised explosive devices, all of which were incapable of actually being used. On the way there, one of the men believed they were being followed by federal agents. They returned to Newburgh until they were satisfied that they were safe, and then turned around and headed back to Stamford.
The men also conducted surveillance of military planes at the Air National Guard base, including taking photographs to prepare for the attack there.
and nearby Riverdale Jewish Center
, both in the Riverdale
community of Bronx. New York City Police Department
Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
said one of the suspects placed explosives, while the other three suspects served as lookouts.
The men were returning to their vehicle and heading to attack aircraft at the Stewart Air National Guard Base
in Newburgh, New York, with the fake Stinger missiles when law enforcement stopped them. The air base shares facilities with the civilian Stewart International Airport
.
As the men were returning to the vehicle, the signal was given for the arrest. An 18-wheel New York City Police Department vehicle blocked the end of the street. The FBI informer also served as the driver of the suspects’ vehicle. Another armored vehicle arrived, and officers from the department’s Emergency Service Unit smashed the blackened windows of the S.U.V., removed the men from the vehicle, and handcuffed them on the ground. None offered resistance.
Both the car bombs and the missiles were actually fakes given to the plotters with the help of an informant for the FBI. Each of the two homemade bombs was equipped with about 37 pounds of inert material designed to look like C-4
plastic explosive, and "there was no danger to anyone," Kelly said.
. The charges – conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles – carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
All pleaded not guilty. In March 2010 defense lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case on grounds of entrapment
. Relying on materials provided by the government (including recordings and FBI agents' affidavits), the defense argued that the plot was proposed and closely directed by the FBI's informant, who "suggested the targets, paid for the defendants' groceries, bought a gun, provided the fake bombs and missile, assembled the explosive devices and acted as chauffeur".
In late August 2010, government informant Shahed Hussain testified, stating that ringleader James Cromitie "hated Jews and Jewish people and he hated the American people, American soldiers. He was full of hate on those subjects. He said he would kill the president 700 times because he's the Antichrist
.". After a six week trial the 4 were convicted. The lawyers for the 4 have filed a motion for a new trial claiming that Hussain committed perjury during the trial. David Williams told the Village Voice that the 4 were not part of plot to hurt people but to swindle Hussain, and the incriminating statements were made to make Hussain believe the 4 were credible terrorists..
On June 29, 2011 three of the men Cromitie and both Onta and David Williams--were each sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for their parts in the attempted attack by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Colleen McMahon
who criticized both the defendants and the governments handling of the case. McMahon referring to Cromitie said "The essence of what occurred here is that a government understandably zealous to protect its citizens from terrorism came upon a man both bigoted and suggestible, one who was incapable of committing an act of terrorism on his own," "It created acts of terrorism out of his fantasies of bravado and bigotry, and then made those fantasies come true," and added "the government did not have to infiltrate and foil some nefarious plot - there was no nefarious plot to foil." She said the defendants were "not political or religious martyrs," but "thugs for hire, pure and simple." Each of the men apologized before the sentencing with Cromitie saying "I've never been a terrorist and I'll never be a terrorist,"I'm very sorry I let myself get caught up in a sting like this." and said that the anti Jewish statements recorded on tape were made up.. On September 7, 2011 McMahon sentenced LaGuerre Payen to the same 25 year prison sentence as the other defendants.
Muslim men; three are African-American US citizens, and one is a Haitian immigrant. Cromitie, the leader, claims to have been born a Muslim; others maintain that he and some or all of the other suspects converted to Islam in prison
. Cromitie recruited them at the Masjid al-Ikhlas mosque in Newburgh, New York.
The four men have been described as "extremely violent men" by prosecutors.
, the mayor of New York City, praised the city's police department. Other local politicians also praised law enforcement and expressed relief. New York Governor David Paterson
said the plot illustrated the constant terrorist threat New York faces. On May 30, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson
announced he would give the Riverdale Jewish Center
and the Riverdale Reform Temple
$25,000 each to improve their security. The money will come from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and will primarily involve the installation of alarms and surveillance equipment.
A report released by Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University
’s School of Law argued that the 4 were baited by the FBI.
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
men in connection with a plot to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
base in Newburgh, New York
Newburgh (town), New York
Newburgh is a town in Orange County, New York, United States. The 2010 census determined the population is 29,801. This is the first time ever that the population of the Town of Newburgh officially exceeded that of the adjacent but totally separate municipality known as the city of Newburgh...
and blow up two synagogues in the Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
community of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
.
The terrorist ring, led by James Cromitie
James Cromitie
James Cromitie is the alleged leader of the 2009 Bronx terrorism plot, a scheme to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York and blow up two synagogues in the Bronx....
, was tried and all were convicted. The governments conduct during the investigation came under criticism including from the judge that sentenced the defendants.
Background
The attempted attack is one in a series of IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
-related attacks and failed attacks by Muslims on military installations in the United States, including the 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot
2005 Los Angeles bomb plot
The 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot was a 2005 effort by a group of ex-convicts calling themselves Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheed to bomb several military bases, a number of synagogues, and an Israeli consulate in California....
, the 2007 Fort Dix attack plot
2007 Fort Dix attack plot
The 2007 Fort Dix attack plot involved a group of six radical Islamist men who conspired to stage an attack against U.S. Military personnel stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The alleged aim of the group was to "kill as many soldiers as possible"....
, the 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting
2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting
The 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting took place on June 1, 2009, when Muslim convert Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, aka Carlos Leon Bledsoe, opened fire with a rifle in a drive-by shooting on soldiers in front of a United States military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a...
, and the September 11 attacks. As with the 2005 plot to attack military bases in California, some or all of the other suspects converted to Islam in prison
Conversion to Islam in prisons
-Concern in United States:Concern over jailhouse conversions to Islam first rose in 2001 when Imam Warith Deen Umara, Islamic chaplain for the New York State prison system, was reported to have praised the September 11 attacks...
.
Previous Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
-related terror attacks in Riverdale include the 1989 firebombing of the Riverdale Press
1989 firebombing of the Riverdale Press
The 1989 firebombing of the Riverdale Press was an attack in which two firebombs were thrown at the offices of a weekly newspaper, the Riverdale Press, in the Riverdale community of the Bronx, New York City on Feb. 28, 1989...
during the controversy over The Satanic Verses
The Satanic Verses controversy
The Satanic Verses controversy was the heated and sometimes violent Muslim reaction to the publication of Salman Rushdie's novel The Satanic Verses. Many Muslims accused Rushdie of blasphemy or unbelief and in 1989 Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie...
and the 2000 New York terror attack
2000 New York terror attack
In the 2000 New York terror attack, a group of Palestinian-American men attacked Conservative Synagogue Adath Israel of Riverdale in New York City with Molotov cocktails on the eve of Yom Kippur in 2000. Mazin Assi, one of the attackers, was convicted of attempted arson, weapons charges and hate...
.
Plot
Masjid al-Ikhlas
Masjid al-Ikhlas , also referred to as The Islamic Learning Center of Orange County, is a mosque in Newburgh, New York.Formerly a warehouse, the mosque was founded in 1992...
mosque under the name "Maqsood", talking of jihad and violence. Members of the congregation interviewed after the terror plot was exposed said that "most" members of the congregation had believed Hussain to be an informant. None had reported his talk about Jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
to the authorities. James Cromitie
James Cromitie
James Cromitie is the alleged leader of the 2009 Bronx terrorism plot, a scheme to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York and blow up two synagogues in the Bronx....
, the leader, expressed interest to the informant of returning to Afghanistan, and hopefully becoming a martyr
Martyr
A martyr is somebody who suffers persecution and death for refusing to renounce, or accept, a belief or cause, usually religious.-Meaning:...
. Hussain, a Pakistani immigrant, agreed to serve as an FBI informant after being arrested in 2002 over a scam involving driver's licenses. He previously served as an informant in an unrelated terrorism investigation in Albany, which resulted in the convictions of Yassin M. Aref
Yassin M. Aref
Yassin M. Aref is a resident of Albany, New York, who was arrested by Federal authorities in August 2004 as part of a counter-terrorism sting operation, convicted in October 2006 of conspiring to aid a terrorist group and provide support for a weapon of mass destruction, as well as money-laundering...
and Mohammed Mosharref Hossain
Mohammed Mosharref Hossain
Mohammed Mosharref Hossain is the proprietor of an Albany New York pizza parlour, and a founder of the Masjid As-Salam mosque in Albany, N.Y., who was arrested by Federal authorities on August 6, 2004, as part of a counter-terrorism sting. Hossain, and an associate, Yassin M...
. In the Bronx case he was reported to have used audio and video taped many of his meetings with the attackers.
In April 2009, Cromitie and his three accomplices chose their targets. They planned to both bomb the Riverdale Temple
Riverdale Temple
The Riverdale Temple is a Reform synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1947.In the 2009 New York City bomb plot, a group of American Muslims planned to blow up the temple...
and nearby Riverdale Jewish Center
Riverdale Jewish Center
The Riverdale Jewish Center is an Orthodox synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City.The rabbi as of 2011 is Jonathan Rosenblatt...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
, and, using Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles, shoot down military planes flying out of a nearby air base.
The accused attackers bought cellphones, as well as cameras, from Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. , branded as Walmart since 2008 and Wal-Mart before then, is an American public multinational corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. The company is the world's 18th largest public corporation, according to the Forbes Global 2000...
, to scout out the synagogues. They attempted to buy guns from a dealer in Newburgh; however, the dealer had sold out. They then drove downstate and bought a $700 pistol from a Bloods
Bloods
The Bloods are a street gang founded in Los Angeles, California. The gang is widely known for its rivalry with the Crips. They are identified by the red color worn by their members and by particular gang symbols, including distinctive hand signs...
gang leader in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
.
On May 6, 2009, the men traveled to Stamford, Connecticut, to pick up what they believed to be a surface-to-air guided-missile system and three improvised explosive devices, all of which were incapable of actually being used. On the way there, one of the men believed they were being followed by federal agents. They returned to Newburgh until they were satisfied that they were safe, and then turned around and headed back to Stamford.
The men also conducted surveillance of military planes at the Air National Guard base, including taking photographs to prepare for the attack there.
Attempted attack and arrest
The men placed fake bombs wired to cell phones in three separate cars outside the Riverdale TempleRiverdale Temple
The Riverdale Temple is a Reform synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1947.In the 2009 New York City bomb plot, a group of American Muslims planned to blow up the temple...
and nearby Riverdale Jewish Center
Riverdale Jewish Center
The Riverdale Jewish Center is an Orthodox synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City.The rabbi as of 2011 is Jonathan Rosenblatt...
, both in the Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
community of Bronx. New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond W. Kelly
Raymond Walter Kelly is the current Commissioner of the New York City Police Department and the first person to hold the post for two non-consecutive tenures. A lifelong New Yorker, Kelly has spent 31 years in the NYPD, serving in 25 different commands and as Police Commissioner from 1992 to 1994...
said one of the suspects placed explosives, while the other three suspects served as lookouts.
The men were returning to their vehicle and heading to attack aircraft at the Stewart Air National Guard Base
Stewart Air National Guard Base
Stewart Air National Guard Base is the home of the 105th Airlift Wing , an Air Mobility Command -gained unit of the New York Air National Guard and "host" wing for the installation...
in Newburgh, New York, with the fake Stinger missiles when law enforcement stopped them. The air base shares facilities with the civilian Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport
Stewart International Airport is located in the southern Hudson Valley, west of Newburgh, New York and over north of Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The airport is located in the Town of Newburgh and the Town of New Windsor."." U.S. Census Bureau...
.
As the men were returning to the vehicle, the signal was given for the arrest. An 18-wheel New York City Police Department vehicle blocked the end of the street. The FBI informer also served as the driver of the suspects’ vehicle. Another armored vehicle arrived, and officers from the department’s Emergency Service Unit smashed the blackened windows of the S.U.V., removed the men from the vehicle, and handcuffed them on the ground. None offered resistance.
Both the car bombs and the missiles were actually fakes given to the plotters with the help of an informant for the FBI. Each of the two homemade bombs was equipped with about 37 pounds of inert material designed to look like C-4
C-4 (explosive)
C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...
plastic explosive, and "there was no danger to anyone," Kelly said.
Trial
The four men were charged with weapons and conspiracy charges at their first court appearance on the May 21, and were detained until June 5 for a preliminary hearing. The four are being held at a Westchester County jail, and were ordered to be held without bailBail
Traditionally, bail is some form of property deposited or pledged to a court to persuade it to release a suspect from jail, on the understanding that the suspect will return for trial or forfeit the bail...
. The charges – conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles – carry a maximum sentence of life in prison.
All pleaded not guilty. In March 2010 defense lawyers filed a motion to dismiss the case on grounds of entrapment
Entrapment
In criminal law, entrapment is conduct by a law enforcement agent inducing a person to commit an offense that the person would otherwise have been unlikely to commit. In many jurisdictions, entrapment is a possible defense against criminal liability...
. Relying on materials provided by the government (including recordings and FBI agents' affidavits), the defense argued that the plot was proposed and closely directed by the FBI's informant, who "suggested the targets, paid for the defendants' groceries, bought a gun, provided the fake bombs and missile, assembled the explosive devices and acted as chauffeur".
In late August 2010, government informant Shahed Hussain testified, stating that ringleader James Cromitie "hated Jews and Jewish people and he hated the American people, American soldiers. He was full of hate on those subjects. He said he would kill the president 700 times because he's the Antichrist
Antichrist
The term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
.". After a six week trial the 4 were convicted. The lawyers for the 4 have filed a motion for a new trial claiming that Hussain committed perjury during the trial. David Williams told the Village Voice that the 4 were not part of plot to hurt people but to swindle Hussain, and the incriminating statements were made to make Hussain believe the 4 were credible terrorists..
On June 29, 2011 three of the men Cromitie and both Onta and David Williams--were each sentenced to twenty-five years in prison for their parts in the attempted attack by Manhattan Federal Court Judge Colleen McMahon
Colleen McMahon
Colleen McMahon is a United States federal judge.Born in Columbus, Ohio, McMahon received a B.A. from Ohio State University in 1973 and a J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1976. She was in private practice in New York from 1976–1979 and from 1980 to 1995. She was a Speechwriter / special assistant...
who criticized both the defendants and the governments handling of the case. McMahon referring to Cromitie said "The essence of what occurred here is that a government understandably zealous to protect its citizens from terrorism came upon a man both bigoted and suggestible, one who was incapable of committing an act of terrorism on his own," "It created acts of terrorism out of his fantasies of bravado and bigotry, and then made those fantasies come true," and added "the government did not have to infiltrate and foil some nefarious plot - there was no nefarious plot to foil." She said the defendants were "not political or religious martyrs," but "thugs for hire, pure and simple." Each of the men apologized before the sentencing with Cromitie saying "I've never been a terrorist and I'll never be a terrorist,"I'm very sorry I let myself get caught up in a sting like this." and said that the anti Jewish statements recorded on tape were made up.. On September 7, 2011 McMahon sentenced LaGuerre Payen to the same 25 year prison sentence as the other defendants.
Suspects
The terrorist suspects include four blackBlack people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
Muslim men; three are African-American US citizens, and one is a Haitian immigrant. Cromitie, the leader, claims to have been born a Muslim; others maintain that he and some or all of the other suspects converted to Islam in prison
Conversion to Islam in prisons
-Concern in United States:Concern over jailhouse conversions to Islam first rose in 2001 when Imam Warith Deen Umara, Islamic chaplain for the New York State prison system, was reported to have praised the September 11 attacks...
. Cromitie recruited them at the Masjid al-Ikhlas mosque in Newburgh, New York.
The four men have been described as "extremely violent men" by prosecutors.
- James CromitieJames CromitieJames Cromitie is the alleged leader of the 2009 Bronx terrorism plot, a scheme to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York and blow up two synagogues in the Bronx....
(also known as Abdul Rahman), 53, the reported leader, claims that his parents live in AfghanistanAfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and told the FBI informant that he was angry about the US military killing Muslims in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He had lived in Brooklyn and had a record of 27 arrests for minor crimes both upstate and in New York City. - David Williams (aka Daoud)
- Onta Williams (aka Hamza)
- Laguerre Payen (aka Amin and Almondo), a native of HaitiHaitiHaiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, suffers from schizophreniaSchizophreniaSchizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
and bipolar disorderBipolar disorderBipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
. Payen often showed signs of paranoia, and kept bottles of urine in his apartment.
Reactions and aftermath
Michael BloombergMichael Bloomberg
Michael Rubens Bloomberg is the current Mayor of New York City. With a net worth of $19.5 billion in 2011, he is also the 12th-richest person in the United States...
, the mayor of New York City, praised the city's police department. Other local politicians also praised law enforcement and expressed relief. New York Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
said the plot illustrated the constant terrorist threat New York faces. On May 30, 2009, New York Governor David Paterson
David Paterson
David Alexander Paterson is an American politician who served as the 55th Governor of New York, from 2008 to 2010. During his tenure he was the first governor of New York of African American heritage and also the second legally blind governor of any U.S. state after Bob C. Riley, who was Acting...
announced he would give the Riverdale Jewish Center
Riverdale Jewish Center
The Riverdale Jewish Center is an Orthodox synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City.The rabbi as of 2011 is Jonathan Rosenblatt...
and the Riverdale Reform Temple
Riverdale Temple
The Riverdale Temple is a Reform synagogue in the Riverdale neighborhood of the Bronx, New York City. The congregation was founded in 1947.In the 2009 New York City bomb plot, a group of American Muslims planned to blow up the temple...
$25,000 each to improve their security. The money will come from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and will primarily involve the installation of alarms and surveillance equipment.
A report released by Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
’s School of Law argued that the 4 were baited by the FBI.
See also
- 1973 New York bomb plot
- 1997 Empire State Building shooting1997 Empire State Building shootingThe 1997 Empire State Building shooting occurred on February 23, 1997 when Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a 69 year-old Palestinian teacher, opened fire on the observation deck of the Empire State Building...
- 2004 financial buildings plot2004 Financial buildings plotThe 2004 financial buildings plot was a plan led by Dhiren Barot to attack a number of targets in the U.S. and the United Kingdom which is believed to have been approved by al-Qaeda....
- 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot2005 Los Angeles bomb plotThe 2005 Los Angeles bomb plot was a 2005 effort by a group of ex-convicts calling themselves Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheed to bomb several military bases, a number of synagogues, and an Israeli consulate in California....
- 2007 Fort Dix attack plot2007 Fort Dix attack plotThe 2007 Fort Dix attack plot involved a group of six radical Islamist men who conspired to stage an attack against U.S. Military personnel stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. The alleged aim of the group was to "kill as many soldiers as possible"....
- 2009 Little Rock military recruiting office shooting2009 Little Rock recruiting office shootingThe 2009 Little Rock recruiting office shooting took place on June 1, 2009, when Muslim convert Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad, aka Carlos Leon Bledsoe, opened fire with a rifle in a drive-by shooting on soldiers in front of a United States military recruiting office in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a...
- al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula-inspired attack by Yemen-trained jihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
i - 2011 Manhattan terrorism plot2011 Manhattan terrorism plotThe 2011 Manhattan terrorism plot was an alleged effort by two Muslim Arab-Americans to bomb various targets in Manhattan, New York. The suspects allegedly planned to attack an unspecified synagogue and one of them expressed interest in blowing up a church and the Empire State Building...
- effort by two MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
Arab-Americans to attack a synagogue - Buffalo SixBuffalo SixThe Buffalo Six is a group of six Yemeni-American childhood friends who were convicted of providing material support to al-Qaeda, based on the fact they had attended an Al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan together in the Spring of 2001.They are:*Mukhtar Al-Bakri,*Sahim Alwan,*Faysal...
- Conversion to Islam in prisonsConversion to Islam in prisons-Concern in United States:Concern over jailhouse conversions to Islam first rose in 2001 when Imam Warith Deen Umara, Islamic chaplain for the New York State prison system, was reported to have praised the September 11 attacks...
- List of terrorist incidents, 2009