Jury Convicts U.S. Trained Scientist of Trying to Kill Americans
A federal jury in New York City convicted Pakistani-born Aafia Siddiqui of assault and trying to murder Americans who tried to interrogate her in Afghanistan after she was taken into custody in 2008 by Afghan National Police.
Before she was apprehended, the 37-year-old Siddiqui was on the FBI's "10 Most Wanted" list.
According to Siddiqui's federal indictment (below), she had in her possession handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack," notes about making "dirty bombs," chemical and biological weapons, and listed different locations in the United States, including the Empire State Building, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, Wall Street, and the Statue of Liberty. The indictment also maintains that she had a computer 'thumb drive' in her possession with information about different 'cells,' 'attacks,' and 'enemies.'
Siddiqui received her undergraudate degree from MIT, and did graduate work in neurosicence and biology at Brandeis University near Boston.
One report alleges that Siddiqui made the FBI list after accused al Qaeda terror attack mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed allegedly disclosed Siddiqui's identity to CIA agents during an interrogation after he was captured in Pakistan.
You can read Aafia Siddiqui's federal indictment here:
Related Resources
- Pakistani Convicted in NY of Afghanistan Shooting Reuters (Feb. 3, 2010)
- Pakistani Took Chance to Kill Americans: Prosecutors, Reuters (Feb. 1, 2010)
- Neuroscientist Tells NY Trial Held in Secret Prison Reuters (Jan. 19, 2010)
- Aafia Siddiqui Indicted for Attempting to Kill United States Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges, U.S. Dept. of Justice (Sept. 2, 2008)