Well, it's snowing like crazy here this morning so I grabbed a cup of coffee and curled up with the Tahawwur Rana criminal complaint and my trusty pink high-lighter. (Wading through documents so you don't have to, possums! Who loves you better than Dinah?)
My notes: Looks like Rana folded like a cheap lawn chair when the feds got to him. ---->
Keeping in mind that all parties are innocent until proven guilty and that the accused have a right to face their accusers in court - let me just say that in my opinion they got this sucker dead to rights. Well, until some moonbat lawyer steps in and starts manipulating our justice system against us, that is. Be that as it may, let's proceed.
Several things:
1.) Rana and his co-jihadis, Individual A (Headley) and Individual B and L-E-T member A were a small cell that was dedicated to committing jihad - this time with a twist. Instead of Muslims from other countries attacking the Great Satan, Muslims from the Great Satan were going to reverse engineer an attack on Europe, specifically Denmark, in revenge for the Mohammed cartoons. (Nothing like holding a grudge is there?)
And when I say they were dedicated to this cause - they continued their plotting despite numerous setbacks. For example: When L-e-T decided they had bigger jihadi fish to fry by targeting India, our intrepid cell persevered and kept trying to badger al qaeda man Ilyas Kashmiri of the HUJI as a resource. When he was reportedly killed in a Predator Drone attack (bwa-ha-ha) they decided to continue on their own. Until they heard the news that Kashmiri was alive and well - at that point co-conspirator Headley's final trip to Pakistan was booked.
2.) They had the means (although the source of their $ was not identified in the complaint). They had the methods. Between the $, the INTERNET - google, orbitz, expedia, gmail, yahoo mail and message boards, Rana's cover as an "upstanding citizen" in the community, his Immigration Company/Halal Slaughterhouse/grocery, their multiple targets, and all their double secret codes they had a good jihadi gig going. They had the motive - I mean come on, they are Muslim. What other motive could they possibly need? And last but not least, through Headley's American citizenship they had the opportunity to travel the world freely as can be evidenced in the number of trips taken between late 2008 to present.
3.) Drones work dammit! Recorded emails and phone conversations reveal the dear boys were heartbroken and distressed by the effectiveness of the Predator drones. They lamented at length how "they were shutting everything down". Boo-hoo-hoo.
To summarize further:
About the co-conspirators: Tahawwur Rana, an upstanding Chicago businessman. Individual A - American citizen David C Headley aka Daood Gilani, an associate of Rana's. Individual B - Man of Mystery, currently under arrest in Pakistan (what do you want to bet that he's the one that tweaked the authorities to Rana and Headley?). L-e-T Member A, an unidentified member of the L-e-T in Pakistan and Ilyas Kashmiri, HUJI leader and al Qaeda link.
About the investigation: It occurred between late 2008 to present. Methods employed: recorded phone calls, emails, information from other investigations, voice recognition software, highway toll records, physical surveillance and internet traffic data.
About the aspiring jihadis: Rana and Headley attended the same high school. They were in frequent contact by phone and email, conducting all of their correspondence and conversations in Urdu. They constructed elaborate and detailed codes to disguise their true intent. Headley traveled the globe using Rana's immigration company as a cover. (I hope the feds can get Rana on tax charges too - because a W2 or 1099 form was never filed for Headley as an employee or consultant.)
Headley had no visible means of financial support and was found of using the names of deceased individuals for legal purposes. (i.e the lease on his apartment, email accounts, etc.) As late as September 28, Rana was attempting to arrange a 5 year business visa to Pakistan for Headley who he claimed was an American who didn't have any Pakistani background (lie). Small world story - the Consul General attended the same high school as Rana and Headley. Problems arose with this scheme when the Consul General told Rana to send his employee into the consulate in person. Oops. And whatever they were planning they must have been serious because Headley made sure his affairs were in order, sending along a last will and testament to Rana from his Denmark-Pakistan trip.
About their targets: Multiple targets were discussed but they settled on Jyllands Posten in Denmark because they "slandered our prophet" and were "disposed toward violence for the offenders". Headley made two trips to Copenhagen, visiting Copenhagen and Arhaus where he visited the offices conducted surveillance of Jyllands Posten under the auspices of buying advertising space for Rana's immigration company. The memory stick confiscated from Headley's computer was chockful of detailed data, pictures and other pertinent info about Jyllands Posten and their facilities. OAN, it looks like if they would have blasted Jyllands Posten they could have had a two-fer, the French Embassy is immediately adjacent to the JP Copenhagen location.
About the Mickey Mouse Project and other code nonsense: Beginning in September 8 2008, Headley and Rana began corresponding with Individual B and L-e-T Member A regarding the Jyllands Posten attack using the code words Mickey Mouse Project and Northern Project. They also used the code phrase "Doctor" and "Pir Sahib" (spiritual guide) to refer to Ilyas Kashmiri.
What about Ilyas Kashmiri? Based on what I can surmise from the docs the Slaughterhouse 2 were put in contact with him via Individual B and L-e-T member A. He sounds like the Big Kahuna. Kashmiri was the ameer of the Azad Kashmir chapter of HUJI and was considered to be one of the most dangerous of the al- Qaeda linked Pakistani commanders. He was Number 4 on Pakistan's most wanted list. He has been charged in the murder of a top Pakistan commander, Maj. Gen Amir Faisal Alvi, the leader of their Special Services Group. He is also named as being involved in the kidnapping of a famous Pakistani film producer and distributor.
About Rana folding like a cheap lawn chair when caught: Upon his arrest he was advised and waived his Miranda rights then he spilled his guts and totally fingered Headley: He knew Headley was affiliated with L-e-T, he knew Headley had been recieved L-e-T terror training, he knew that Headley HAD MET with Ilyas Kashmiri within the past year and knew that Headley had been in contact with Individual B and L-e-T member A. He also acknowledged Headley's anger about the Mohammed cartoons and admitted that he would NOT have done any business with the newspaper that published them.
I especially liked this part: "This is not intended to be an exhaustive account of statements that RANA has made, but a summary for purposes of this affidavit." Looks like there's more there!
Some loose ends yet to be tied up:
1.) Follow the money. There was no mention of where the cell got their funding - unless Rana's myriad businesses (the slaughterhouse, the grocery, the immigration service with it's job service arm) provided a front for money laundering, etc.
2.) Where's the beef? The criminal complaint has no mention as to exactly what type of attack they were planning or where they would get the materials to carry it out. It's pure useless conjecture on my part, I know, but I wonder if Headley's last trip to Pakistan (he was picked up at the Chicago airport with a memory stick full of surveillance material on Jyllands Posten) was going to be an attempt to finalize those pesky details.
3.) Who are the "Abdalians" and do they figure anywhere into this plot?
4.) What madrassah and mosque did these bad actors (and high school buds) attend?
5.) What is the current status of HUJI Kahuna and al Qaeda link, Ilyas Kashmiri?
Stay tuned.
Cross posted at Report on Arrakis.
Update: 2:20 pm MST - Additional info can be found upthread. (Welcome Jawas and FReepers)
wow ur gonna look like the biggest fuckin dumbass when he comes out clean, u racist bitch
Posted by: Haywood Jablomi | October 28, 2009 at 03:48 PM
"Comes out clean." Hahahahahahaha.
He's as guilty as sin and he's a chickenshit, too.
He waived his Miranda rights and was squealing on his fellow jihadi like the proverbial pig when the feds arrested him.
Trying to cop a deal and save his slimy skin.
Bwa-ha-ha-ahahahahhah! (I'm laughing so hard I'm afraid I'll wet my pants)
Posted by: Dinah Lord | October 28, 2009 at 04:31 PM
HAHA, how ignorant can you people be ? You know there are other languages in the world, and im pretty sure other countries beyond America...including arabic in which "jihad" means to struggle....bunch of ignorants + idiots with no life = people like you who sit on their behinds all day thinking America is the shit (it literally is because of people like yourself)
Posted by: LMAO | October 28, 2009 at 11:23 PM
Go peddle your taqiyyah elsewhere, son. We're hip to your trip here.
"Jihad means loser" (giggle)
Posted by: Dinah Lord | October 29, 2009 at 12:37 AM