Iyman Faris
Encyclopedia
Iyman Faris is a Pakistani American
former truck driver from Columbus, Ohio
who was convicted of providing material support
to Al Qaeda, for his role in a plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge
. His name has sometimes been mistranscribed or reported as Lyman Harris.
On June 22, 2003, the United States Department of Justice
revealed to Time
that Faris had served as a double agent for the FBI for months. Faris was detained two weeks after Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan on March 1. While installed as a double agent
for the U.S. government, Faris sent messages to his terrorist commanders by mobile phone and email from an FBI safe house in Virginia
. A senior Bush administration
official told Time, "He was sitting in the safe house making calls for us. It was a huge triumph."
the following year, and moved along to Afghanistan
, where he is accused of having met Osama bin Laden
.
While in the region, documents provided to the court show that Faris was asked to investigate the possibility of using an ultralight aircraft as an "escape plane" for bin Laden. He used an internet cafe
in Karachi, Pakistan to research ultralights and purchased 2000 sleeping bag
s.
At some point Faris was counseled by a local imam
for suicidality, and tried to jump off a bridge in Columbus before he was restrained and taken for a psychiatric evaluation. Faris' five-year marriage ended in 2000. His ex-wife later said he had suffered from hearing imaginary voices and sudden bouts of believing that somebody was choking him.
re-issued for several unknown colleagues. Since he wasn't the original purchaser, he claimed to be a preacher from Tablighi Jamaat
.
In early 2002, Faris was introduced to an operative identified only as "C-2", and learned of a plot allegedly involving the simultaneous destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge
by cutting through cables with blowtorches, and a second group that would derail a train in Washington D.C. Faris' investigations into obtaining the necessary tools for the dual-operation involved asking a friend where he might purchase welding equipment, and researching the structure of the bridge on the internet. He concluded that the operation was unlikely, and sent a message back to Pakistan calling off the plot, stating that "The weather is too hot".
He was then granted a deal to work as a double agent, reporting to the FBI. He was ordered to leave his home in Columbus, and stay at a safe house
in Virginia from which he would appear to continue discussions with his contacts, reporting the information back to the authorities. He told authorities that Majid Khan, a Baltimore youth who worked at his father's gas station, had referred to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as an "uncle" and spoken of a desire to kill Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf
. After Khan was taken into custody, sent to a CIA black site
and transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Faris said that his accusations were "an absolute lie" and that he had been coerced into making the statements.
working under orders from the FBI.
On September 25 he sought to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming that while he admitted to meeting with Khalid, he had merely been seeking information about Al-Qaeda for a book he wanted to write. He argued that Khalid was giving false information to authorities as revenge, for Faris refusing to be recruited into Al-Qaeda by the lieutenant. The appeal was rejected. On October 28 he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema
.
According to the New York Times, the plot was uncovered with assistance from the NSA eavesdropping
program. Faris' new lawyer David B. Smith announced that they were looking into a direct lawsuit against George W. Bush
, who personally authorized the illegal wiretaps. In 2004, Nuradin Abdi, charged with plotting to detonate explosives in shopping centres, said that Faris had picked him up from Port Columbus International Airport
.
Pakistani American
A Pakistani American is any citizen or resident of the United States who has Pakistani heritage.- History in the United States :Muslim immigrants from areas that are now part of Pakistan have been migrating to America and first entered the United States as early as the eighteenth century, working...
former truck driver from Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
who was convicted of providing material support
Providing material support for terrorism
Providing material support for terrorism is a provision of the USA PATRIOT Act which prohibits material support to groups designated as terrorists. The four types of support described are “training,” “expert advice or assistance,” “service,” and “personnel.” In June 2010 the United States Supreme...
to Al Qaeda, for his role in a plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. His name has sometimes been mistranscribed or reported as Lyman Harris.
On June 22, 2003, the United States Department of Justice
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
revealed to Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
that Faris had served as a double agent for the FBI for months. Faris was detained two weeks after Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan on March 1. While installed as a double agent
Double agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
for the U.S. government, Faris sent messages to his terrorist commanders by mobile phone and email from an FBI safe house in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. A senior Bush administration
George W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
official told Time, "He was sitting in the safe house making calls for us. It was a huge triumph."
Early history
He first entered the United States in 1994, and married Geneva Bowling the following year. Faris became a U.S. citizen in 1999, and allegedly returned to PakistanPakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
the following year, and moved along to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , 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...
, where he is accused of having met Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
While in the region, documents provided to the court show that Faris was asked to investigate the possibility of using an ultralight aircraft as an "escape plane" for bin Laden. He used an internet cafe
Internet cafe
An Internet café or cybercafé is a place which provides internet access to the public, usually for a fee. These businesses usually provide snacks and drinks, hence the café in the name...
in Karachi, Pakistan to research ultralights and purchased 2000 sleeping bag
Sleeping bag
A sleeping bag is a protective "bag" for a person to sleep in, essentially a blanket that can be closed with a zipper or similar means, and functions as a bed in situations where a bed is unavailable . Its primary purpose is to provide warmth and thermal insulation...
s.
At some point Faris was counseled by a local imam
Imam
An imam is an Islamic leadership position, often the worship leader of a mosque and the Muslim community. Similar to spiritual leaders, the imam is the one who leads Islamic worship services. More often, the community turns to the mosque imam if they have a religious question...
for suicidality, and tried to jump off a bridge in Columbus before he was restrained and taken for a psychiatric evaluation. Faris' five-year marriage ended in 2000. His ex-wife later said he had suffered from hearing imaginary voices and sudden bouts of believing that somebody was choking him.
Brooklyn Bridge plot
In late 2001, while in Pakistan, Faris went to a travel agency to have expired airline tickets to YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
re-issued for several unknown colleagues. Since he wasn't the original purchaser, he claimed to be a preacher from Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat
Tablighi Jamaat is a religious movement which was founded in 1926 by Muhammad Ilyas al-Kandhlawi in India. The movement primarily aims at Tablighi spiritual reformation by working at the grass roots level, reaching out to Muslims across all social and economic spectra to bring them closer to...
.
In early 2002, Faris was introduced to an operative identified only as "C-2", and learned of a plot allegedly involving the simultaneous destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
by cutting through cables with blowtorches, and a second group that would derail a train in Washington D.C. Faris' investigations into obtaining the necessary tools for the dual-operation involved asking a friend where he might purchase welding equipment, and researching the structure of the bridge on the internet. He concluded that the operation was unlikely, and sent a message back to Pakistan calling off the plot, stating that "The weather is too hot".
Working for FBI
On March 19, 2003, Faris was visited by two FBI agents and an anti-terror officer, who confronted him with testimony from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and the results of an intercepted telephone call. Faris was reportedly friendly and accommodating, and agreed to let the agents search his apartment the following day.He was then granted a deal to work as a double agent, reporting to the FBI. He was ordered to leave his home in Columbus, and stay at a safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
in Virginia from which he would appear to continue discussions with his contacts, reporting the information back to the authorities. He told authorities that Majid Khan, a Baltimore youth who worked at his father's gas station, had referred to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed as an "uncle" and spoken of a desire to kill Pakistani dictator Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
. After Khan was taken into custody, sent to a CIA black site
Black site
In military terminology, a black site is a location at which an unacknowledged black project is conducted. Recently, the term has gained notoriety in describing secret prisons operated by the United States Central Intelligence Agency , generally outside of U.S. territory and legal jurisdiction. It...
and transferred to Guantanamo Bay, Faris said that his accusations were "an absolute lie" and that he had been coerced into making the statements.
Criminal charges
On May 1, 2003, Faris pled guilty to both charges, providing material support and resources to Al Qaeda and conspiracy for providing the terrorist organization with information about possible U.S. targets for attack. The documents relating to the charges were not unsealed until June 19, 2003. Shortly after, it was revealed that Faris had in fact been a double agentDouble agent
A double agent, commonly abbreviated referral of double secret agent, is a counterintelligence term used to designate an employee of a secret service or organization, whose primary aim is to spy on the target organization, but who in fact is a member of that same target organization oneself. They...
working under orders from the FBI.
On September 25 he sought to withdraw his guilty plea, claiming that while he admitted to meeting with Khalid, he had merely been seeking information about Al-Qaeda for a book he wanted to write. He argued that Khalid was giving false information to authorities as revenge, for Faris refusing to be recruited into Al-Qaeda by the lieutenant. The appeal was rejected. On October 28 he was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment by District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema
Leonie Brinkema
Leonie M. Brinkema is a United States District Court judge, in the Eastern District of Virginia.-Early life and education:...
.
According to the New York Times, the plot was uncovered with assistance from the NSA eavesdropping
NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns surveillance of persons within the United States during the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency as part of the war on terror...
program. Faris' new lawyer David B. Smith announced that they were looking into a direct lawsuit against George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who personally authorized the illegal wiretaps. In 2004, Nuradin Abdi, charged with plotting to detonate explosives in shopping centres, said that Faris had picked him up from Port Columbus International Airport
Port Columbus International Airport
Port Columbus International Airport , commonly shortened to Port Columbus, is a Class C international airport located east of downtown Columbus, Ohio, USA. It is managed by the Columbus Regional Airport Authority, which also oversees operations at Rickenbacker International Airport and Bolton Field...
.
External links
- http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/faris/usfaris603criminf.pdf United States v. Faris (PDF), FindLawFindLawFindLaw is a business of Thomson Reuters that provides online legal information and online marketing services for law firms. FindLaw was created by Stacy Stern, Martin Roscheisen and Tim Stanley in 1995, and was acquired by Thomson West in 2001....
- "Iyman Faris Sentenced for Providing Material Support to Al Qaeda", press release, Department of JusticeUnited States Department of JusticeThe United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
, October 28, 2003. - Bush Lets U.S. Spy on Callers Without Courts James Risen and Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, December 16, 2005.