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September 19, 2009
New York and Denver Terror Probe, Najibullah Zazi Admits Al Qaeda Ties
Denver man at heart of New York terror probe, Najibullah Zazi, wants to cut deal with FBI
The Afghan national at the center of a reputed Al Qaeda terror cell probe was trying to cut a deal Friday after two days of FBI grilling, sources told the Daily News.
Lawyers for Najibullah Zazi, 25, were negotiating with federal officials for an agreement where he could admit receiving military training - but deny plans to injure any Americans, sources familiar with the case said.
Zazi arrived at the FBI's Denver office Friday for a third day of questioning. He did a pair of eight-hour Q&A sessions with federal agents on the two previous days.
"Our strategy has not changed," his lawyer, Arthur Folsom, said before going inside Friday. "My client hasn't done anything. Our position is to answer the FBI's questions.
"They are asking him about everything -- the people he knows, people he's talked to, family members."
Two men were picked up Thursday for questioning in New York, but then released, a source involved in the probe said.
"We're still following all these guys," the source said. "And they know we're following them. The question is, 'Do we have everyone in the cell?'"
Zazi, whose trip from Denver to New York last weekend set off a series of police raids in Queens, filed for bankruptcy in March, court records show.
Between 2005 and 2008, he opened credit card accounts with Bank of America, Chase, Capital One, Discover and Citibank and ran up a debt of more than $50,000.
When he filed for bankruptcy, Zazi said he hadn't worked in two months.
While the interrogators focused on Zazi, authorities expanded their attention to include more potential suspects in a plot that raised concerns about the city's subway system.
When the probe began this week, five Colorado men cited as members of the cell were under a round-the-clock watch.
By Thursday, police sources said, that number had risen to as many as 12. A half-dozen were reportedly in New York, where Zazi arrived for a visit last week.
Sources said he returned to Colorado after slipping an FBI tail.
There were still no arrests three days after the NYPD raided a series of Queens apartments, taking the investigation public.
The were indications of how seriously authorities were taking the threat, which raised the specter of mass transit bombings in Spain and London.
The Homeland Security Department beefed up security in the nation's airports as a result of the Colorado-based probe, a senior official disclosed.
"Even a casual observer will notice a more visible presence of uniformed officers this week in the airports," the Homeland Security Department official told the Daily News.
Seven men who are under a federal investigation walked into a Queens U-Haul and tried to rent the largest Jumbo Sized Super Movertruck.
Feds probe alleged terrorists who tried to rent giant truck in suspected Al Qaeda bomb plot
Investigators probed a failed Queens truck rental for ties to a possible Al Qaeda bomb plot yesterday as a chief terror suspect tried making a deal to save his skin.
The New York end of the expanding federal probe centered on seven Afghan men who tried to rent the biggest truck at a Queens U-Haul on Sept. 9, sources told the Daily News.
The size of the vehicle involved - a 26-foot-long truck - suggested the conspirators wanted to pack it with explosives, sources said.
A police source acknowledged there was "quite a bit that we weren't completely sure of" about the plot or the role of Najibullah Zazi, the bearded public face of the terrorism investigation.
"We knew this guy [Zazi] wasn't innocent," the source said.
Zazi, after three days of FBI questioning, was considering a plea deal to turn informant, sources told The News.
The truck rental bid failed when none of the men could produce a valid credit card. All refused to surrender the identification needed to pay cash, the manager of the Flushing U-Haul said.
A team of FBI agents spent 10 hours Thursday combing through the Queens truck rental business.
Robert Larson, who manages the UHaul location in the St. Albans section of Queens, said he thought he was being 'punked.'
"We all feel very lucky right now," U-Haul manager Robert Larson told The News.
When the FBI arrived, Larson said, "I was wondering, 'Where is Ashton Kutcher to tell me I've been punked?'"
By the time the agents left, "I realized this is crazy, this is real, it's not a joke," Larson said.
Wild Thing's comment.......
The Attorney General will now investigate the hell out of you for unlawful interrogation techniques. Everyone knows you can’t interrogate someone for two eight hour days while letting them sleep in their own bed at night. Its 30 minutes tops. And you should apologize every 5 minutes. And give them a shoulder massage and a hot towel if they look at all tense.
Waterboard him! But since it is in Denver maybe they will do some snowboarding on him.
LOL that guy from the U-Haul place is funny. hahaha
Posted by Wild Thing at September 19, 2009 08:55 AM
Comments
The Aurora, CO police department grilled Aaron Thompson and Shelley Lowe for weeks and couldn't get them to admit killing and burying little Aaronee. Everybody in this town knew they did it. Now it is costing millions to try him. Should have turned it over to the FBI.
Posted by: horace at September 19, 2009 11:06 AM
Jimmy Carter started all this and he's still causing problems. Mr. O is following Jimmy tracks. When will they learn the only peace with these idiots is through strength.
Posted by: tzer at September 19, 2009 11:14 AM
I thought this Zazi was overly cool and calm yesterday. I hope he tells all and this turns into a major bust of muslim terror plans in the US. I also hope he is not a diversion for something evem more hideous.
Finally I hope that obama doesn't stick his nose in this situation. He and Holder could really screw up a good investigation.
Posted by: TomR at September 19, 2009 12:04 PM
Carter: It's those jooz I tell ya, you all being racist agin'.
Obama & Holder: He's an organizer, leave our boy alone!!!
Denver Cops: Uh, who did this to you Jon Benet?
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets. --Voltaire
Posted by: Jack at September 19, 2009 12:23 PM
Horace, thanks for the information,
I like how swift this has been I just
hope they stay strong with this guy
and don't give in too much for too
little information.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 19, 2009 06:49 PM
Tzer, I will never understand how anyone
cannot see this it is so true and has
been proven over and over again.....
"When will they learn the only peace with these idiots is through strength."
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 19, 2009 06:51 PM
Tom, I agree!
I am sort of holding my breath about this
hoping Obama and Holder stay out of it too.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 19, 2009 06:53 PM
Jack, thank you, yep.
Posted by: Wild Thing at September 19, 2009 06:54 PM
