Bryant Neal Vinas
Encyclopedia
Bryant Neal Vinas is a Hispanic Muslim
American
convicted of participating in and supporting Al-Qaeda
plots in Afghanistan
and the U.S.
After converting to Islam in 2004, he traveled to Waziristan
, Pakistan
in 2007 with the intention of meeting and joining a jihad
ist group to fight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. He was accepted into al-Qaeda and received training in general combat and military explosives.
He also volunteered detailed information about the operation of the Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) system to a senior al-Qaeda leader to help plan a bomb attack on an LIRR commuter train in New York's Penn Station
. Subsequently, he participated in two al-Qaeda rocket attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in September 2008.
He was captured by Pakistani forces in 2008 and transferred to FBI custody. In January 2009 he pled guilty to all three charges against him.
, with his parents and his sister, Lina. His parents had both immigrated to the U.S., his mother from Argentina and his father, now a retired engineer, from Peru. A one-time Boy Scout
who grew up in Medford, New York
, Vinas was raised Catholic
.
His parents divorced in 2000. Vinas graduated from Longwood High School in Middle Island, New York
. He joined the U.S. Army at age 18 in 2002, but was discharged after just three weeks of basic training
at Fort Jackson in South Carolina
.
While first living with his mother in Medford, Vinas had a dispute with her and moved in with his father in Patchogue, New York
, in approximately 2005. He worked as a licensed truck driver and at a car wash
, and sporadically attended technical college.
in 2004, and is a member of the Salafi
sect. He attended the Islamic Association of Long Island
, a local Selden, New York
mosque
, most members of which are Pakistani. He attended the mosque regularly from approximately 2004/05 until late 2007, and began going by the name "Ibrahim" there.
Mosque president Nayyar Imam said he talked regularly to FBI and Homeland Security
officials and that he kept "an eye like a hawk on this place". On the other hand, a former FBI counter-terrorism official said "there could be a person in the mosque who has some radical thoughts and ideas who the imam knows nothing about," and that suspected extremists had in fact been identified at the mosque. Vinas began wearing Islamic robes and a skullcap, immersed himself in the Koran and studying Arabic, brought three Pakistani friends from the mosque to his father's home on one occasion, and encouraged his father to consider converting to Islam. Law enforcement officials believe he was radicalized through the internet, as his confiscated computer revealed that while in the U.S. he had visited jidahist websites.
In September 2007, he quit his job and abruptly left his father's home, saying he wanted to study Islam
and Arabic.
ist group which fought U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Three of his Pakistani friends in New York helped him plan his trip.
One friend arranged for relatives in Lahore
to greet Vinas and find him a hotel. Another one introduced him to an Afghan family in Lahore who, through a cousin, connected him with a Taliban commander, the "chief of a group of fighters who have fought the U.S., NATO, and Afghan forces in Afghanistan." On September 12, Vinas joined the Taliban chief's group, crossed the Afghan border and took part in an attack on an American base. Vinas then returned to the Pakistani tribal area of Mohmand
, in the North-West Frontier Province
.
He also traveled to Peshwar, Pakistan, to have a doctor amputate the little toe of his right foot due to an unspecified ailment. Peshawar is just east of Pakistan's volatile Federally Administered Tribal Areas
(the FATA). The Center for Strategic and International Studies
describes the FATA as:
Later in 2007 he traveled to Waziristan
, Pakistan
. He made contact with members of al-Qaeda from Yemen
and Saudi Arabia
and its leadership, and with "a good reference" was accepted into al-Qaeda.
He received "military type training" in the Waziristan's al-Qaeda camp between March and August 2008. During intake, he filled out an information form, listed his relatives, handed his passport over, and adopted an alias.
His training included "courses" in general combat, firearms (the AK-47
, machine gun, and pistol), rocket-propelled grenades, a 15-day course in military explosives theory and assembly (including TNT, C4
, voltmeter
s, and suicide belts), and a course in assassination and silencers. Ten to twenty other students were in his classes. There were other classes offered in forgery
, poison, and "advanced bombs". The trainees' performance was evaluated in writing and the reports kept in their personnel file. He lived in safe house
s with trainees from Europe and Turkey, and learned Arabic, Dari
, and Urdu
. He agreed to become a suicide bomber, but his handlers eventually decided that he needed more indoctrination and training.
Vina took part with other masked fighters in an al-Qaeda propaganda video featuring Abu Yahya al-Libi
, a leader and frequent spokesman. He also had contact with Rashid Rauf
, a Pakistani/British member reportedly involved in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
to bring down U.S. flights.
in Pakistan in 2008. Zazi, from Queens, had also traveled to Pakistan (flying with friends to Peshawar in August 2008) to join the Taliban and fight against the U.S. military and its allies in Afghanistan.
In Peshawar, he and his friends were instead recruited by al-Qaeda, and taken to a training camp in Waziristan. Zazi also underwent weapons and explosives training there in 2008.
Al-Qaeda leaders also discussed target locations in New York City with Zazi, including the New York City subways. Zazi returned to the U.S. in January 2009. He was arrested in September 2009, accused of planning suicide bombings during rush hour
on the New York City subway system, and has pleaded guilty.
He provided detailed information about the operation of the New York City transit system and the Long Island Rail Road
(LIRR) system, communications equipment and personnel to a senior al-Qaeda leader between March and November 2008. He had gleaned the information as a frequent rider on the LIRR.
The purpose was to help plan a bomb attack on an LIRR commuter train in New York's Penn Station
. His later admission of a plot to blow up an LIRR train inside Penn Station triggered a U.S. security alert over the 2008 Thanksgiving
holiday.
Subsequently, he participated at the direction of al-Qaeda in two rocket attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in September 2008. Both attacks failed.
He was transferred to FBI custody and began cooperating with authorities.
He originally pleaded "not guilty". But he switched and pleaded guilty to all three charges on January 28, 2009, in United States District Court
in the Eastern District of New York before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
He has been linked to a Belgian-French terror cell, and to Moez Garsallaoui, a Tunisian Islamist militant whom he may have met while in Pakistan. He is expected to be a key witness in the cases of other al-Qaeda members, including Malika El Aroud
, a Morrocan-born Belgian woman accused of recruiting al-Qaeda members over the internet. Another friend was a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, Hamza el Alami.
As of July 2009, he was reported to be in the custody of United States Marshals in an undisclosed location in New York State.
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
convicted of participating in and supporting Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
plots 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 the U.S.
After converting to Islam in 2004, he traveled to Waziristan
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
in 2007 with the intention of meeting and joining a jihad
Jihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
ist group to fight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. He was accepted into al-Qaeda and received training in general combat and military explosives.
He also volunteered detailed information about the operation of the Long Island Rail Road
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR) system to a senior al-Qaeda leader to help plan a bomb attack on an LIRR commuter train in New York's Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
. Subsequently, he participated in two al-Qaeda rocket attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in September 2008.
He was captured by Pakistani forces in 2008 and transferred to FBI custody. In January 2009 he pled guilty to all three charges against him.
Early life
Vinas lived on Long IslandLong Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, with his parents and his sister, Lina. His parents had both immigrated to the U.S., his mother from Argentina and his father, now a retired engineer, from Peru. A one-time Boy Scout
Boy Scout
A Scout is a boy or a girl, usually 11 to 18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement. Because of the large age and development span, many Scouting associations have split this age group into a junior and a senior section...
who grew up in Medford, New York
Medford, New York
Medford is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 21,985 at the 2000 census.Medford is a community in the southwest part of the Town of Brookhaven...
, Vinas was raised Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
.
His parents divorced in 2000. Vinas graduated from Longwood High School in Middle Island, New York
Middle Island, New York
Middle Island is a hamlet in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 9,702 at the 2000 census. It is situated between the towns of Coram and Ridge, to the west and east, respectively, and Rocky Point and Yaphank to the north and south...
. He joined the U.S. Army at age 18 in 2002, but was discharged after just three weeks of basic training
Basic Training
Basic Training may refer to:* Basic Training, a 1971 American documentary directed by Frederick Wiseman* Basic Training , an American sex comedy* Recruit training...
at Fort Jackson in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
.
While first living with his mother in Medford, Vinas had a dispute with her and moved in with his father in Patchogue, New York
Patchogue, New York
-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
, in approximately 2005. He worked as a licensed truck driver and at a car wash
Car wash
A car wash or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles.- Categories :...
, and sporadically attended technical college.
Conversion to Islam
He converted to IslamIslam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
in 2004, and is a member of the Salafi
Salafi
A Salafi come from Sunni Islam is a follower of an Islamic movement, Salafiyyah, that is supposed to take the Salaf who lived during the patristic period of early Islam as model examples...
sect. He attended the Islamic Association of Long Island
Islamic Association of Long Island
The Islamic Association of Long Island is a mosque at 10 Park Hill Drive in Selden, New York, eastern Long Island, 65 miles east of New York City. It was founded in 1974 and is oldest chartered mosque on Long Island....
, a local Selden, New York
Selden, New York
Selden is a hamlet in the town of Brookhaven in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 21,861 at the 2000 census.-Early Settlement:...
mosque
Mosque
A mosque is a place of worship for followers of Islam. The word is likely to have entered the English language through French , from Portuguese , from Spanish , and from Berber , ultimately originating in — . The Arabic word masjid literally means a place of prostration...
, most members of which are Pakistani. He attended the mosque regularly from approximately 2004/05 until late 2007, and began going by the name "Ibrahim" there.
Mosque president Nayyar Imam said he talked regularly to FBI and Homeland Security
Homeland security
Homeland security is an umbrella term for security efforts to protect states against terrorist activity. Specifically, is a concerted national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the U.S., reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism, and minimize the damage and recover from attacks that do...
officials and that he kept "an eye like a hawk on this place". On the other hand, a former FBI counter-terrorism official said "there could be a person in the mosque who has some radical thoughts and ideas who the imam knows nothing about," and that suspected extremists had in fact been identified at the mosque. Vinas began wearing Islamic robes and a skullcap, immersed himself in the Koran and studying Arabic, brought three Pakistani friends from the mosque to his father's home on one occasion, and encouraged his father to consider converting to Islam. Law enforcement officials believe he was radicalized through the internet, as his confiscated computer revealed that while in the U.S. he had visited jidahist websites.
In September 2007, he quit his job and abruptly left his father's home, saying he wanted to study Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and Arabic.
Taliban
On September 10, 2007, Vinas traveled to Lahore, Pakistan intending to join jihadJihad
Jihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
ist group which fought U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Three of his Pakistani friends in New York helped him plan his trip.
One friend arranged for relatives in Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
to greet Vinas and find him a hotel. Another one introduced him to an Afghan family in Lahore who, through a cousin, connected him with a Taliban commander, the "chief of a group of fighters who have fought the U.S., NATO, and Afghan forces in Afghanistan." On September 12, Vinas joined the Taliban chief's group, crossed the Afghan border and took part in an attack on an American base. Vinas then returned to the Pakistani tribal area of Mohmand
Mohmand
The Mohmand are a clan of Sarban Pashtuns, living primarily in the FATA & Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan & northeastern Afghanistan.- Demographics :...
, in the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
.
He also traveled to Peshwar, Pakistan, to have a doctor amputate the little toe of his right foot due to an unspecified ailment. Peshawar is just east of Pakistan's volatile Federally Administered Tribal Areas
Federally Administered Tribal Areas
The Federally Administered Tribal Areas are a semi-autonomous tribal region in the northwest of Pakistan, lying between the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the neighboring country of Afghanistan. The FATA comprise seven Agencies and six FRs...
(the FATA). The Center for Strategic and International Studies
Center for Strategic and International Studies
The Center for Strategic and International Studies is a bipartisan Washington, D.C., foreign policy think tank. The center was founded in 1962 by Admiral Arleigh Burke and Ambassador David Manker Abshire, originally as part of Georgetown University...
describes the FATA as:
ground zeroGround zeroThe term ground zero describes the point on the Earth's surface closest to a detonation...
in the U.S. JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
ist war, and home to many al-Qaeda operatives, especially the numerous foreigners from the Arab world, Central Asia Muslim areas of the Far East, and even Europe who flock to this war zone for training [and] indoctrination.
Al-Qaeda training camp
Waziristan
Waziristan is a mountainous region near the Northwest of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and covering some 11,585 km² . The area is entirely populated by ethnic Pashtuns . The language spoken in the valley is Pashto/Pakhto...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. He made contact with members of al-Qaeda from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
and Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
and its leadership, and with "a good reference" was accepted into al-Qaeda.
He received "military type training" in the Waziristan's al-Qaeda camp between March and August 2008. During intake, he filled out an information form, listed his relatives, handed his passport over, and adopted an alias.
His training included "courses" in general combat, firearms (the AK-47
AK-47
The AK-47 is a selective-fire, gas-operated 7.62×39mm assault rifle, first developed in the Soviet Union by Mikhail Kalashnikov. It is officially known as Avtomat Kalashnikova . It is also known as a Kalashnikov, an "AK", or in Russian slang, Kalash.Design work on the AK-47 began in the last year...
, machine gun, and pistol), rocket-propelled grenades, a 15-day course in military explosives theory and assembly (including TNT, C4
C-4 (explosive)
C4 or Composition C4 is a common variety of the plastic explosive known as Composition C.-Composition and manufacture:C4 is made up of explosives, plastic binder, plasticizer and usually marker or odorizing taggant chemicals such as 2,3-dimethyl-2,3-dinitrobutane to help detect the explosive and...
, voltmeter
Voltmeter
A voltmeter is an instrument used for measuring electrical potential difference between two points in an electric circuit. Analog voltmeters move a pointer across a scale in proportion to the voltage of the circuit; digital voltmeters give a numerical display of voltage by use of an analog to...
s, and suicide belts), and a course in assassination and silencers. Ten to twenty other students were in his classes. There were other classes offered in forgery
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
, poison, and "advanced bombs". The trainees' performance was evaluated in writing and the reports kept in their personnel file. He lived in safe house
Safe house
In the jargon of law enforcement and intelligence agencies, a safe house is a secure location, suitable for hiding witnesses, agents or other persons perceived as being in danger...
s with trainees from Europe and Turkey, and learned Arabic, Dari
Dari (Eastern Persian)
Dari or Fārsī-ye Darī in historical terms refers to the Persian court language of the Sassanids. In contemporary usage, the term refers to the dialects of modern Persian language spoken in Afghanistan, and hence known as Afghan Persian in some Western sources. It is the term officially recognized...
, and Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. He agreed to become a suicide bomber, but his handlers eventually decided that he needed more indoctrination and training.
Vina took part with other masked fighters in an al-Qaeda propaganda video featuring Abu Yahya al-Libi
Abu Yahya al-Libi
Abu Yahya al-Libi , c. 1963, is an Islamist ideologue and leading high-ranking official within al-Qaeda, and an alleged member of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group. and is believed to be able to speak Urdu, Pashto and Arabic....
, a leader and frequent spokesman. He also had contact with Rashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf
Rashid Rauf was an alleged Al-Qaeda operative. He was a dual citizen of Britain and Pakistan who was arrested in Bhawalpur, Pakistan in connection with the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot in August 2006, a day before some arrests were made in Britain...
, a Pakistani/British member reportedly involved in the 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
2006 transatlantic aircraft plot
The 2006 transatlantic aircraft plot was a terrorist plot to detonate liquid explosives carried on board at least 10 airliners travelling from the United Kingdom to the United States and Canada...
to bring down U.S. flights.
Najibullah Zazi
Vinas met Najibullah ZaziNajibullah Zazi
Najibullah Zazi is an Afghan-American who was arrested in September 2009 as part of the 2009 U.S. Al Qaeda group accused of planning suicide bombings on the New York City subway system, and has pled guilty as have two other defendants. U.S...
in Pakistan in 2008. Zazi, from Queens, had also traveled to Pakistan (flying with friends to Peshawar in August 2008) to join the Taliban and fight against the U.S. military and its allies in Afghanistan.
In Peshawar, he and his friends were instead recruited by al-Qaeda, and taken to a training camp in Waziristan. Zazi also underwent weapons and explosives training there in 2008.
Al-Qaeda leaders also discussed target locations in New York City with Zazi, including the New York City subways. Zazi returned to the U.S. in January 2009. He was arrested in September 2009, accused of planning suicide bombings during rush hour
Rush hour
A rush hour or peak hour is a part of the day during which traffic congestion on roads and crowding on public transport is at its highest. Normally, this happens twice a day—once in the morning and once in the evening, the times during when the most people commute...
on the New York City subway system, and has pleaded guilty.
Plot to bomb Penn Station; rocket attacks
Long Island Rail Road
The Long Island Rail Road or LIRR is a commuter rail system serving the length of Long Island, New York. It is the busiest commuter railroad in North America, serving about 81.5 million passengers each year. Established in 1834 and having operated continuously since then, it is the oldest US...
(LIRR) system, communications equipment and personnel to a senior al-Qaeda leader between March and November 2008. He had gleaned the information as a frequent rider on the LIRR.
The purpose was to help plan a bomb attack on an LIRR commuter train in New York's Penn Station
Pennsylvania Station (New York City)
Pennsylvania Station—commonly known as Penn Station—is the major intercity train station and a major commuter rail hub in New York City. It is one of the busiest rail stations in the world, and a hub for inbound and outbound railroad traffic in New York City. The New York City Subway system also...
. His later admission of a plot to blow up an LIRR train inside Penn Station triggered a U.S. security alert over the 2008 Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
holiday.
Subsequently, he participated at the direction of al-Qaeda in two rocket attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan in September 2008. Both attacks failed.
Arrest
He traveled again to Peshwar, Pakistan, in October 2008, this time in search of a wife, and to buy supplies and use the internet. It was there that he was captured in November 2008 by Pakistani troops, guided by U.S. agents who had been tracking him.He was transferred to FBI custody and began cooperating with authorities.
Charges and guilty plea
Vinas was charged with conspiracy to murder U.S. nationals, providing material support to Al-Qaeda, and providing “expert advice and assistance” (in relation to the information about the LIRR). The charges carried a maximum penalty of life in prison.He originally pleaded "not guilty". But he switched and pleaded guilty to all three charges on January 28, 2009, in United States District Court
United States district court
The United States district courts are the general trial courts of the United States federal court system. Both civil and criminal cases are filed in the district court, which is a court of law, equity, and admiralty. There is a United States bankruptcy court associated with each United States...
in the Eastern District of New York before Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis.
Cooperation
He has been cooperative with officials, providing information and playing the role of key prosecution witness in at least two terrorism trials in Europe. In these trials, his testimony has placed suspects in al-Qaeda training camps, linking them to the terrorist network. In addition, he has provided what intelligence officials have described as a "treasure trove" of valuable information about the workings of the Al-Qaeda network; as a speaker of Arabic, Dari, and Urdu who had rare contact with al-Qaeda leadership and participated in extensive training, he is uniquely familiar with the organization. The cooperation from Vinas has been described as a major intelligence progress in understanding the process of Western-born potential jihadists getting through to terrorist training in remote areas of Pakistan.He has been linked to a Belgian-French terror cell, and to Moez Garsallaoui, a Tunisian Islamist militant whom he may have met while in Pakistan. He is expected to be a key witness in the cases of other al-Qaeda members, including Malika El Aroud
Malika El Aroud
Malika El Aroud is a Moroccan-born Belgian Muslim activist known for her Islamist writings on the internet....
, a Morrocan-born Belgian woman accused of recruiting al-Qaeda members over the internet. Another friend was a Frenchman of Moroccan descent, Hamza el Alami.
As of July 2009, he was reported to be in the custody of United States Marshals in an undisclosed location in New York State.
Reaction
"He's not my son no more," said Maria Luisa Uraga, his mother. "I don't know him if he's able to do this. He has no family anymore."See also
- Carlos "Omar" Almonte, Muslim Hispanic convert from New Jersey, arrested in Operation Arabian Knight on terrorism charges
- Michael FintonMichael FintonMichael C. Finton, also known as Talib Islam , a convert to Islam and a part-time cook at a fish and chicken restaurant, attempted to bomb the Paul Findley Federal Building and the adjacent offices of Congressman Aaron Schock in downtown Springfield, Illinois, on September 24, 2009...
, American convert to Islam, attempted 2009 bombing of U.S. target with FBI agent he thought was al-Qaeda member - Sharif MobleySharif MobleySharif Mobley is a suspected al-Qaeda and al-Shabab member who was arrested in Yemen in March 2010 by counter-terrorism officers following a shooting in which he was allegedly the perpetrator. Mobley had moved to Yemen two years prior...
, American suspected al-Qaeda member, arrested in Yemen in 2010 and suspected of killing guard in escape attempt - David Matthew Hicks
- Yaser Esam HamdiYaser Esam HamdiYaser Esam Hamdi is a now-former American citizen who was captured in Afghanistan in 2001. It is claimed by the U.S. government that he was fighting against U.S. and Afghan Northern Alliance forces with the Taliban...
- Adam Yahiye GadahnAdam Yahiye GadahnAdam Yahiye Gadahn is an American who is a senior operative, cultural interpreter, spokesman and media advisor for the Sunni islamist group Al-Qaeda. Since 2004, he appeared in a number of videos produced by Al-Qaeda as "Azzam the American"...
- 2009 detention of Americans by Pakistan2009 detention of Americans by PakistanFive Muslim Americans with suspected ties to terrorism were detained on December 9, 2009, in Pakistan. The five men, part of an increasing trend in homegrown terrorism, in their late teens to early twenties and from the Washington, D.C., suburbs, were detained during a police raid on a house with...
, five Muslim Americans charged by Pakistan in 2010 with terrorism-related offenses - List of notable converts to Islam
- Naser Jason AbdoNaser Jason AbdoNaser Jason Abdo is a Muslim US Army Private First Class who is currently being held without bond for possession of an unregistered firearm and allegedly planning to attack a restaurant frequented by soldiers from Fort Hood.-Early life:Abdo grew up in Garland, Texas and attended Richardson Terrace...