Washington: Terror suspect Najibullah Zazi
has been indicted on a charge of conspiring to detonate bombs
in the United States.
Zazi is to appear today in court in Denver on a count of
lying to terrorism investigators. The new charge of conspiracy
to use weapons of mass destruction was filed in New York.
The two-page indictment offers few details, but a
separate document, a government motion seeking to deny bail to
the 24-year-old Afghan immigrant, lays out evidence gathered
by investigators.
The document says that on Sept 6 and 7, Zazi tried on
multiple times to communicate with another individual "seeking
to correct mixtures of ingredients to make explosives."
"Each communication," the papers say, was "more urgent
than the last."
On those days, Zazi rented a suite at a hotel in his
hometown of Aurora, Colorado, authorities charge. The room had
a kitchen, and subsequent FBI testing for explosives and
residue in the suite found the presence of residue in the vent
above the stove.
Authorities plan to transfer him to the federal court in
New York to face the new charge.
Zazi has publicly denied any terrorist plotting. Counter
terrorism agents fear he and others may have been planning to
detonate homemade bombs on New York City commuter trains.
Bureau Report
