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| Lodi gang is an al-Qaeda cell |
| 2005-06-09 |
| A lengthy investigation has uncovered a suspected al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Lodi, in the midst of California's agricultural heartland, federal authorities said yesterday. Umer Hayat Umer Hayat, 47, an ice cream truck driver, and his son Hamid Hayat, 22, were arrested Sunday on charges of lying to the FBI. The two men, both believed to be U.S. citizens, are accused of attempting to deceive agents about Hamid Hayat's six-month stint at an al-Qaeda terrorist training camp in Pakistan in 2003 and 2004. Authorities said the investigation has been under way for several years but declined to comment further about the breadth and scope of the alleged operation. "We believe . . . various individuals connected to al-Qaeda have been operating in the Lodi area in various capacities, including individuals who have received terrorist training abroad, with the specific intent to initiate a terrorist attack in the United States," FBI Agent Keith Slotter said at a hastily arranged news conference yesterday. Slotter and U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott said agents had not interrupted preparations for an imminent assault on a domestic target. "I want to make it clear . . . we did not find these guys in the middle of executing a plan of attack," Scott said. Authorities said two other men were detained Monday. Mohammed Adil Khan, 47, and Shabbir Ahmed, 37, were arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for violating terms of their visas. Both are citizens of Pakistan who were living in Lodi. Ahmed has functioned as the imam of the Lodi Muslim Mosque, and Khan is affiliated with the Farooqia Islamic Center, another mosque near the city, the FBI said. Wazhma Mojaddidi, an El Dorado Hills attorney representing Hamid Hayat, said she could not comment on the allegations against her client. Hamid Hayat is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow. Attorneys for the three other men could not be reached for comment. Hamid Hayat said he received training in explosives, other weapons and hand-to-hand combat at the al-Qaeda camp, according to court documents. "Hamid stated that during his training, photos of various high-ranking U.S. political figures, including President Bush, would be pasted onto their targets," FBI Agent Pedro Aguilar said in an affidavit filed in federal court. U.S. Attorney Scott said Hamid Hayat "confirmed the camp was run by al-Qaeda operatives and that they were being trained on how to kill Americans. "He further stated he had specifically requested to come to the United States to carry out his jihadi mission," Scott said. Although the U.S. attorney and FBI agent in charge were circumspect about details, the affidavit offered some clues and raised more questions. Hamid Hayat apparently had been in Pakistan for more than two years when he attempted to return on a flight to San Francisco late last month, according to Aguilar's account. Hamid Hayat was on a "no fly" list, which meant he was barred from flying into the United States, for reasons federal authorities declined to discuss yesterday. While the plane was airborne, agents at the FBI's headquarters alerted the Sacramento office and the flight was diverted to Japan. An FBI agent interviewed Hayat and allowed him to continue to San Francisco, according to the affidavit. Hayat was interviewed by the FBI last Friday and at first denied any link to terror camps. But the next day he was given a polygraph test and admitted he attended the camp in 2003 and 2004, according to the affidavit. After insisting his son had no knowledge of the terrorist camps, Umer Hayat also changed his story after he was shown a videotape of his son's confession, according to the affidavit. He then "admitted he paid for Hamid's flight and had provided him with an allowance of $100 per month, knowing his intention was to attend a jihadi training camp," FBI agent Aguilar alleged. Umer Hayat also said he had toured several al-Qaeda training camps and that his father-in-law was a "close personal friend" of one of the camp operators, according to Aguilar. Umer Hayat was denied bail at his arraignment Tuesday. His attorney, Johnny Griffin III, declined to return a telephone call seeking comment. Slotter, the FBI agent in charge, said that although the suspects are believed to be "committed to acts of jihad against the U.S.," agents haven't recovered information outlining "exact plans, timing or specific targets of opportunity." He dismissed reports that hospitals and food stores were targeted. "This investigation is ongoing and evolving literally by the moment," Scott said. "We fully anticipate there will be further developments in the hours and days ahead." Scott refused to say whether authorities believe the suspected Lodi cell has established connections elsewhere in the state or nation. In Washington, President Bush said he had been briefed on the matter. "I was very impressed by the use of intelligence and the follow-up," Bush said. "And that's what the American people need to know, that when we find any hint about any possible wrongdoing or a possible cell, that we'll follow up – by the way, honoring the civil liberties of those to whom we follow up." The Hayats live in a working-class neighborhood of Lodi, a city ringed by thousands of acres of vineyards and farmland in the Sacramento delta. Their street, like their neighborhood, is made up largely of single-family houses and small apartment buildings. Connie Fink, who lives in an apartment across from the house where the Hayats have lived for at least five years, said she never dreamed anyone in the area would be accused of terrorism. "I guess you never really know who your neighbors are," she said. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |