Bomb Suspects Allegedly Bent On "Jihad"

Would-Be Terrorists Appear In Court; Disappointed That World Trade Center No Longer Around To Attack, Prosecutor Says

(CBS/AP)  Four men arrested after planting what they thought were explosives near two New York City synagogues were disappointed that the World Trade Center wasn't still around to attack, a federal prosecutor said Thursday as the men appeared in court for the first time.

The suspects were arrested Wednesday night, shortly after planting a 37-pound mock explosive device in the trunk of a car outside the Riverdale Temple and two mock bombs in the backseat of a car outside the Riverdale Jewish Center, another synagogue a few blocks away, authorities said. Police blocked their escape with an 18-wheel truck, smashing their tinted Sport Utility Vehicle windows and apprehending the unarmed suspects.

Authorities said the men also plotted to shoot down a military plane.

James Cromitie, 55; David Williams, 28; Onta Williams, 32; and Laguerre Payen, all of Newburgh, were charged with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction within the United States and conspiracy to acquire and use anti-aircraft missiles.

All the suspects except Payen appeared in federal court in White Plains on Thursday, their hands shackled to their waists, preventing them from raising their hands while swearing to tell the truth.

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Criminal complaint against four men accused of plot to attack U.S. sites in upstate New York

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Lawyers for the defendants, all of whom are U.S. citizens, did not seek bail.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Snyder said the defendants were "eager to bring death to Jews." And he quoted one as saying: "I would like to get a synagogue."

They were "disappointed...that the best target (the World Trade Center) was hit already," he said, adding that the men were "eager to bring death to Jews." He also said Cromitie wanted to see what he did on TV and be able to say, "I'm the one who did that."

Payen was expected to appear in court later Thursday.

Earlier, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly spoke at a news conference outside the Riverdale Jewish Center in the Bronx.

"They stated that they wanted to commit jihad," Kelly said. "They were disturbed about what happened in Afghanistan and Pakistan, that Muslims were being killed."

Kelly said he believed the men knew each other through prison. They had long rap sheets for charges including drug possession and assault. During the hearing Cromitie told the judge he had used marijuana on Wednesday but was clear-headed enough to understand the proceedings.

"I see this as part of a broader trend of cells and individuals who take it upon themselves, with no connection to al Qaeda externally, to take out their frustration their anger and to try and plot something rather spectacular as in this case," CBS News national security analyst Juan Zarate told CBS News chief investigative correspondent Armen Keteyian.

An official told The Associated Press that three of the men are converts to Islam. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation.

Payen, who officials said is of Haitian descent, occasionally attended a Newburgh mosque. His statements on Islam often had to be corrected, according to Assistant Imam Hamin Rashada, who met Payen through a program that helps prisoners re-enter society.

Acting U.S. Attorney Lev L. Dassin said the defendants planned to shoot Stinger surface-to-air guided missiles at planes at the Air National Guard base in Newburgh, about 70 miles north of New York City.

The FBI and other agencies monitored the men and provided an inactive missile and inert C-4 to an informant for the defendants.

The confidential informant who broke the case told Cromitie that he was involved with Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistani terrorist group. It is one of several militant groups suspected of having links to Pakistani intelligence. Jaish set up training camps in Afghanistan under the Taliban and several senior operatives were close to Osama bin Laden.

Cromitie expressed interest in joining the group to "do jihad," according to a criminal complaint.

According to state Department of Correctional Services records, Payen was released on parole in August 2005 after serving just more than a year in prison for attempted assault in Rockland County.

Onta Williams served just more than a year in state prison for attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance in Orange County. He was released on parole in August 2003.

Cromitie has been in prison at least three times under three different names, prison records show.

He served two years on a drug sale conviction and was released on parole in 1991. Then, under the name of David Anderson, he spent 2 1/2 years in prison for selling drugs in New York City before being paroled in 1996. Under the name James Crometie, he was convicted of selling drugs in a school zone in 2000 and spent almost four years in prison before being released on parole in 2004.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Kelly met privately with congregants inside the Riverdale Jewish Center Thursday.

Nancy Harris Rouemy said she was alarmed when she learned the news from a neighbor and definitely paused before dropping off her 4-year-old son at the Riverdale Jewish Center, where he goes to school. "However, the assurance is that the perpetrators were caught and my son wouldn't be in danger," she said.

"It is so upsetting," agreed her husband, Isaac. "If it was an actual bomb, it would be a disaster. It's not just a synagogue. It's a school and there are senior citizens who come here too."

The arrests came after a nearly yearlong undercover operation that began in Newburgh. The defendants bought a digital camera at Wal-Mart to take pictures of targets, they spoke in code, and they expressed their hatred of Jews on several occasions, according to a criminal complaint.

In June 2008, the informant, who was acting under law enforcement supervision, met Cromitie in Newburgh and Cromitie complained that his parents had lived in Afghanistan and he was upset about the war there and that many Muslim people were being killed in Afghanistan and Pakistan by U.S. military forces, officials said.

Cromitie also expressed an interest in doing "something to America," they said in the complaint.

In October 2008, the informant began meeting with the defendants at a Newburgh house equipped with concealed video and audio equipment, the complaint said.

Beginning in April 2009, the four men selected the synagogues they intended to hit, it said. They also conducted surveillance of military planes at the Air National Guard Base, it said.

Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, issued a statement praising law enforcers "for their efforts in helping to prevent any harm to either Jewish institutions or to our nation's military."

"We repeat the American Muslim community's repudiation of bias-motivated crimes and of anyone who would falsely claim religious justification for violent actions," the statement said.

Rep. Peter King, the senior Republican on the House Homeland Security Committee, was briefed on the case following the arrests.

"This was a long, well-planned investigation, and it shows how real the threat is from homegrown terrorists," said King, of New York.

The defendants were jailed Wednesday night. Reporters yelled questions at three of the four men - Cromitie and David and Onta Williams - as they were taken in handcuffs into the Metropolitan Correctional Center, but the men didn't respond.

[gunownerdan]

A possibility is that one day the government will give these stupid terrorists REAL guns then blame the guns for any attacks and demand gun bans.

[mljohns00]

Another fake "anti-terrorism" case created to show us how well our Billions are spent. Our Government NEVER responds on time and never will. When they DO know about something in advance, they ignore it.

Instead, to not totally look worthless, they create their own cases by using paid informants to find angry, stupid, people, hand them a plan, and hand them weapons for the attack.

[U-R-So-Wrong]

It's as if the Clinton admin didn't WANT to detect the 9/11 planning and preparations that were taking place ON HIS WATCH.
Posted by weedapoopl at 4:46 PM : May 21, 2009

Correct......Someone didn't want the 9-11preparations hindered and they had their bases covered with disciples on the left, and neocons on the right all lined up like ducks in a row regardless of which Party won the White House in 2000 to make sure it went smoothly. Posted by cbsblogger


Good thing you're unemployed and can stay on the case.

[erb0087]

Their principles, I meant.

Cheney lies like the Devil himself to justify that tactic, when real police officers and FBI professionals can get the job done without compromising their principles.

[erb0087]

A terrorist plot stopped dead in its tracks through upstanding professional police and FBI work.

No torture was needed.

Cheney lies like the Devil himself to justify that tactic, when real police officers and FBI professionals can get the job done without compromising their principals.

[cbsblogger]

It's as if the Clinton admin didn't WANT to detect the 9/11 planning and preparations that were taking place ON HIS WATCH.
Posted by weedapoopl at 4:46 PM : May 21, 2009

Correct......Someone didn't want the 9-11preparations hindered and they had their bases covered with disciples on the left, and neocons on the right all lined up like ducks in a row regardless of which Party won the White House in 2000 to make sure it went smoothly.

[thusspokezara]

Hey boys and girls. Anybody know where these four fine New Yorkers got the money to purchase their toys?

[debinok1]

But how many muslims in this country ARE NOT creating bombs and what not? Just because SOME of the people act like that, doesn't mean you should condemn the entire thing. By your logic...Christianity should be vilified, as I can turn on the tv and find 20 who are saying Jesus this or that, while wearing a Klan hat. See what I mean? You can't condemn all of them...just based upon 4, or 20, or 1000. There are millions and millions who are good people, just doing the same things we all are doing...just trying to get through.
Posted by texasbeta

I wish I could agree with you. I just can't. Not after having lived in some areas with a very heavy Islamic population. I have heard their conversations. I have heard their hate. While they may not all be building bombs, the majority carry the same hatred of Israel ,the jewish people and Americans. One thing I have noticed is the women of Islam do not tend to be as radical, they tend to be more accepting of others, though not the jewish people or Israel. This seems to be based on the different teachings between men and women in the Islamic religion. The women are taught to be subserviant to the men, to assimilate themselves into the community where they live. Where the men are taught about Holy wars, domination, hate and destruction.

[opedpaulanderson]

A year the FBI has been following these clowns? And it is just a coincidence that they be arrested today? When The Chosen One holds a NS speech?

Please..........

[U-R-So-Wrong]

I don't like to hear stories of terrorists inside the USA. but truthfully I've become very cynical after the 8 years of Bush/Cheney and do not blindly trust any of these terrorist exposes to be more than orchestrated propaganda intended to advance someone's interest and harm others.

These "jihadists" were incompetent fools and the FBI knew it. If they were serious terrorists first they'd know how to recognize C4, and operable anti aircraft missiles and what is far more sinister, they'd be sponsored by a country state ( false flag operation anyone?) such as 9-11.

What is really behind it? I'll surmise it is a contrived escapade intended to gain one side sympathy and make it the perpetual victim and the other the perpetual villain. It's being hyped by every news channel on the hour, yet not one of these "news" outlets even mentioned the villainous multi-year case against Israeli spies and AIPAC was conveniently dropped. Posted by cbsblogger


Yeah, those Jews are still walking around lose. Guess your plan isn't finished.

[texasbeta]

Hey right wingers...where are all the right wingers who said Bush kept us safe? Aren't they supposed to now come out and say Obama is keeping us safe? We caught them. That sounds like a win to me. Where are you at?

[texasbeta]

You say that, I don't buy it. 4 American converts to the Islamic religion found the same messages of hate and destruction that so many other Islamists have followed. These 4 men did not find the message of "being a good citizen", instead they found a message of hate for the Jewish people and hate for their own countrymen and women. That seems to be the ruling message that comes from the majority of Islamist believers.
Posted by debinok1

But how many muslims in this country ARE NOT creating bombs and what not? Just because SOME of the people act like that, doesn't mean you should condemn the entire thing. By your logic...Christianity should be vilified, as I can turn on the tv and find 20 who are saying Jesus this or that, while wearing a Klan hat. See what I mean? You can't condemn all of them...just based upon 4, or 20, or 1000. There are millions and millions who are good people, just doing the same things we all are doing...just trying to get through.

[debinok1]

I think you don't know what you are talking about. You don't know the first thing about Islam and are trying to spread hate and intolerance. To be a good Muslim is...to be a good citizen of the country in which you live. The propoganda that you and other hate-mongers spread just add to the problem of intolerance.
Posted by crescentgirl

You say that, I don't buy it. 4 American converts to the Islamic religion found the same messages of hate and destruction that so many other Islamists have followed. These 4 men did not find the message of "being a good citizen", instead they found a message of hate for the Jewish people and hate for their own countrymen and women. That seems to be the ruling message that comes from the majority of Islamist believers.

[cbsblogger]

I don't like to hear stories of terrorists inside the USA. but truthfully I've become very cynical after the 8 years of Bush/Cheney and do not blindly trust any of these terrorist exposes to be more than orchestrated propaganda intended to advance someone's interest and harm others.

These "jihadists" were incompetent fools and the FBI knew it. If they were serious terrorists first they'd know how to recognize C4, and operable anti aircraft missiles and what is far more sinister, they'd be sponsored by a country state ( false flag operation anyone?) such as 9-11.

What is really behind it? I'll surmise it is a contrived escapade intended to gain one side sympathy and make it the perpetual victim and the other the perpetual villain. It's being hyped by every news channel on the hour, yet not one of these "news" outlets even mentioned the villainous multi-year case against Israeli spies and AIPAC was conveniently dropped.

[thusspokezara]

Americans heard "change, change" when Obama spoke. He was actually saying: "Chains. Chains" Remember that he grew up sucking at the breast of demons like Ellison, Malcolm X, Franz Fanon, Garvey, and Carmichael.

[weedapoopl]

let us not forget jamie gorlelick's order to prevent CIA and FBI and INS communicating with eachother... the party of liars, thieves, murderers and traitors are the ones the alqaeda wanted to win every election- because the only difference between them and alqaeda, is the dems are ALL HERE.
Posted by ralpherus at 2:27 PM : May 21, 2009


It's as if the Clinton admin didn't WANT to detect the 9/11 planning and preparations that were taking place ON HIS WATCH.

[weedapoopl]

MOST of the country conflicts with your anti-American conservative ideology, and WE'RE on the wrong side?
Posted by hungry1968-15 at 3:08 PM : May 21, 2009

You seem to have forgotten that 90 out of 100 Senators voted against Obama just yesterday.

As predicted.

Keep working on those meds. Maybe you can find a way to reduce your short-term memory loss.

[U-R-So-Wrong]

If they were upset about Afghanistan, they should have watched the documentary, "The Last Jew in Afghanistan". There's just one guy left. Pretty effective killing going on in Afghanistan, so they could have saved themselves the trouble of hunting Jews.

[thusspokezara]

Americans = Israelites. Obama = The Golden Calf. Cheney = Moses.

[rharrin1]

Get used to these attacks. There will be more. Thanks to the soft, weak liberal government.

Change!!! Change!!! Change!!!



Obamanation
Posted by wtlibs at 3:45 PM : May 21, 2009

I just can't understand how they caught them without waterboarding dozens of people.