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The new 'Prince' of terrorism
 HE was told not to grow a beard, wear Islamic clothing or show any sign of religious devotion. During his recruitment as a soldier in the global jihad, Assem Hammoud was told to act like a typical young, secular Lebanese man and warned not to attract attention, a senior Lebanese security official said. Hammoud was an ideal recruit because he did not have any apparent ties to militants. "He had no criminal history, and no history of involvement with militant groups," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "He was living a normal life, far from any suspicion."Hammoud, 31, was allegedly the mastermind behind a suicide bombing plot to blow up railway tunnels under the Hudson River in New York. The plan was foiled in April, after months of investigation, with Hammoud's arrest in Beirut. The planned attack, details of which were released yesterday by New York officials, was intended to flood the subway and kill commuters. Hammoud became involved with militant Islamic websites in 2003, soon after the US invaded Iraq. "He was angry with what America was doing in Iraq, and he began spending time on these Islamic sites and chat rooms," said the official, who was familiar with Hammoud's interrogations. "He became more and more deeply involved. He sank into this extremist environment." Posted by: Fred 2006-07-09 |
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