James Cromitie
Encyclopedia
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
.
In April 2009, Cromitie and his three alleged accomplices chose their targets. They allegedly attempted 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.
Cromitie, an African American
, claims to have been born a Muslim; others claim that he and some or all of the other suspects converted to Islam in prison
. He allegedly recruited them at the Masjid al-Ikhlas mosque in Newburgh, New York, which he attended.
Cromitie (also known as Abdul Rahman), age 53, also claims that his parents live in Afghanistan
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 in both upstate New York and New York City. The four are being held at a Westchester County jail, and their lawyers declined to file bail applications.
In late August 2010, government informant Shahed Hussain testified, stating 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 (then George W. Bush
) 700 times because he's the Antichrist
."
2009 Bronx terrorism plot
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....
, a scheme to shoot down military airplanes flying out of an Air National Guard base in Newburgh, New York
Newburgh (city), New York
Newburgh is a city located in Orange County, New York, United States, north of New York City, and south of Albany, on the Hudson River. Newburgh is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie-Newburgh-Middletown metropolitan area, which includes all of Dutchess and Orange counties. The Newburgh area was...
and blow up two synagogues 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...
.
In April 2009, Cromitie and his three alleged accomplices chose their targets. They allegedly attempted 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.
Cromitie, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, claims to have been born a Muslim; others claim 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...
. He allegedly recruited them at the Masjid al-Ikhlas mosque in Newburgh, New York, which he attended.
Cromitie (also known as Abdul Rahman), age 53, also claims that his parents live in 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...
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 in both upstate New York and New York City. The four are being held at a Westchester County jail, and their lawyers declined to file bail applications.
In late August 2010, government informant Shahed Hussain testified, stating 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 (then 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....
) 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...
."