MAY 1994 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS ARRIVES IN THE US) Faris emigrated to the United States in May 1994 - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03
1999 : (SECRETARY OF STATE DESIGNATES AL QAEDA AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION) Federal law prohibits the providing of material support and resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations. Al Qaeda was designed by the Secretary of State in 1999 to be a foreign terrorist organization - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
DECEMBER 1999 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS BECOMES A US CITIZEN) [Faris] became a naturalized citizen in December 1999, soon after he became eligible - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03
2000 -2002 : (OHIO TRUCKER FARIS ATTENDS MEETINGS WITH SENIOR AL QAEDA FIGURES IN PAKISTAN & AFGHANISTAN) Faris attends a series of meetings with senior al-Qaida figures between 2000 and 2002 in Afghanistan and Pakistan. - "US Al-Qaida's Brooklyn Bridge plot," by David Teather in New York, Guardian , 6/20/03
2000 late : (OHIO TRUCKDRIVER FARIS TRAVELS FROM PAKISTAN TO AFGHANISTAN) Faris traveled with a longtime friend [a senior leaders in al Qaeda and bin Laden’s “right foot” - a man who served a critical leadership role in providing supplies and materials needed by al Qaeda.] from Pakistan to Afghanistan in late 2000. At a training camp in Afghanistan, Faris was introduced to Usama bin Laden. ...during a meeting in late 2000, one of bin Laden’s men asked him about “ultralight” airplanes, and said al Qaeda was looking to procure an “escape airplane.” ... about two months later, he performed an Internet search at a café in Karachi, Pakistan and obtained information about ultralights, which he turned over to his friend for use by al Qaeda. ...Faris accompanied his friend to a factory to order sleeping bags for al Qaeda, and visiting a travel agency at the request of his friend to obtain extensions on several airline tickets for use by members of al Qaeda. - according to later admissions by Faris- "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
OCTOBER 2001 : (SECRETARY OF STATE REDESIGNATES AL QAEDA AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION) Federal law prohibits the providing of material support and resources to designated foreign terrorist organizations. Al Qaeda was redesignated as a foreign terrorist organization in October 2001. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
2002 early (April or earlier) : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS VISITS PAKISTAN & MEETS BIN LADEN'S NO. 3 MAN; THEY TELL HIM AL QAEDA WAS INTERESTED IN CARGO PLANES, PLANNING SIMULTANEOUS ATTACKS ON NY & DC, AND IN DERAILING TRAINS) Faris visited Karachi in early 2002 and was introduced to a man identified by his friend as the “number three man” to bin Laden - in fact, a senior operational leader in al Qaeda. ... at a meeting a few weeks later, the operational leader asked what he could do for al Qaeda. ....Faris... discussed his work as a truck driver in the United States, his trucking routes and deliveries for airport cargo planes. The al Qaeda leader told Faris he was interested in cargo planes because they would hold “more weight and more fuel.”
... the operational leader then told Faris that al Qaeda was planning two simultaneous attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The senior al Qaeda leader spoke with Faris about destroying a bridge in New York City by severing its suspension cables, and tasked Faris with obtaining the equipment needed for that operation - described as “gas cutters” but to be referred to as “gas stations” in future coded communications. The leader also explained that al Qaeda was planning to derail trains, and asked Faris to procure the tools for that plot as well. - according to later admissions by Faris - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
APRIL 2002 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS RETURNS TO THE US FROM PAKISTAN, BEGINS RESEARCHING GAS CUTTERS & NY CITY BRIDGE) Faris ....returned to the United States from Pakistan in April 2002. He researched “gas cutters” and the New York City bridge on the Internet. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
APRIL - MARCH 2002 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS SENDS CODED MESSAGE VIA ONE PERSON TO FRIEND IN PAKISTAN SAYING HE WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL IN OBTAINING EQUIPMENT) Between April 2002 and March 2003, Faris sent several coded messages through another individual to his longtime friend in Pakistan, indicating he had been unsuccessful in his attempts to obtained the necessary equipment. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
2002 late : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS TRAVELS TO NY CITY TO CASE BRIDGE) Faris traveled to New York City in late 2002 to examine the bridge, and... concluded that the plot to destroy the bridge by severing cables was unlikely to succeed because of the bridge’s security and structure. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
2002 late : (OHIO TRUCKER TRAVELS TO NY TO STUDY THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE; AT SOME POINT HE WAS TOLD TO FIND TOOLS USEFUL FOR DERAILINGS TRAINS) [Faris] researched the [Brooklyn] bridge on the internet and travelled to New York late last year to examine it, concluding that the plot to sever the cables was unlikely to succeed because of the structure and heavy security. Faris, 34, sent a message to al-Qaida leaders saying: "The weather is too hot." He was also told to obtain tools that could be used to derail trains. In coded messages, the tools were referred to as "mechanics shops". - "US Al-Qaida's Brooklyn Bridge plot," by David Teather in New York, Guardian , 6/20/03
2003 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS SENDS MESSAGE) In early 2003, Faris sends a message [to his friend in Pakistan?] that “the weather is too hot” - a coded message indicating that the bridge plot was unlikely to succeed. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
MAY 2003 : (AL QAEDA TERRORIST AND OHIO TRUCKER FARID PAYS A SPEEDING FINE) Faris paid a $200 speeding fine in May but had not been seen in weeks at his tiny, white frame house in Columbus. It is likely, however, that Faris was in custody before May 1. - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03
MAY 1, 2003 : (KASHMIRI-BORN OHIO TRUCKER FARIS aka RAUF PLEADS GUILTY TO AIDING AL QAEDA) Iyman Faris, 34, alias Mohammad Rauf, pleaded guilty May 1 to living "a secret double life" in which he worked on figuring out how to plunge a particular New York bridge into the river by cutting its suspension cables with "gas cutters" and obtaining "torque tools" to derail trains in the Washington area. Faris, a Kashmir native who emigrated to Columbus, Ohio, and drove fuel trucks with access to U.S. airports, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine when he is sentenced Aug. 1. - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03
MAY 1, 2003 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : FARIS CHARGED, PLEADS GUILTY TO CASING A NY CITY BRIDGE) Iyman Faris, a/k/a Mohammad Rauf, 34, of Columbus, Ohio, was charged in a two-count criminal information filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 1, 2003. Faris pleaded guilty to the charges in the criminal information on the same day. [The charges and plea agreement would not be unsealed for the public until June 19, 2003.].
In court documents accompanying the plea agreement, Faris admitted casing a New York City bridge for al Qaeda, and researching and providing information to al Qaeda regarding the tools necessary for possible attacks on U.S. targets. Specifically, Faris admits traveling with a longtime friend from Pakistan to Afghanistan in late 2000. At a training camp in Afghanistan, Faris was introduced to Usama bin Laden. Faris admitted knowing that bin Laden and his friend were senior leaders in al Qaeda, and understood that his friend was bin Laden’s “right foot” - a man who served a critical leadership role in providing supplies and materials needed by al Qaeda.
Faris admitted that during a meeting in late 2000, one of bin Laden’s men asked him about “ultralight” airplanes, and said al Qaeda was looking to procure an “escape airplane.” Faris admitted that about two months later, he performed an Internet search at a café in Karachi, Pakistan and obtained information about ultralights, which he turned over to his friend for use by al Qaeda.
Faris also admitted accompanying his friend to a factory to order sleeping bags for al Qaeda, and visiting a travel agency at the request of his friend to obtain extensions on several airline tickets for use by members of al Qaeda. Faris visited Karachi in early 2002 and was introduced to a man identified by his friend as the “number three man” to bin Laden - in fact, a senior operational leader in al Qaeda. Faris admitted that at a meeting a few weeks later, the operational leader asked what he could do for al Qaeda. Faris said he discussed his work as a truck driver in the United States, his trucking routes and deliveries for airport cargo planes. The al Qaeda leader told Faris he was interested in cargo planes because they would hold “more weight and more fuel.”
According to Faris’ admission, the operational leader then told Faris that al Qaeda was planning two simultaneous attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C. The senior al Qaeda leader spoke with Faris about destroying a bridge in New York City by severing its suspension cables, and tasked Faris with obtaining the equipment needed for that operation - described as “gas cutters” but to be referred to as “gas stations” in future coded communications. The leader also explained that al Qaeda was planning to derail trains, and asked Faris to procure the tools for that plot as well.
Faris admitted that upon returning to the United States from Pakistan in April 2002, he researched “gas cutters” and the New York City bridge on the Internet. Between April 2002 and March 2003, he sent several coded messages through another individual to his longtime friend in Pakistan, indicating he had been unsuccessful in his attempts to obtained the necessary equipment. Faris admitted to traveling to New York City in late 2002 to examine the bridge, and said he concluded that the plot to destroy the bridge by severing cables was unlikely to succeed because of the bridge’s security and structure. In early 2003, he sent a message that “the weather is too hot” - a coded message indicating that the bridge plot was unlikely to succeed. - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
JUNE 19, 2003 : (AL QAEDA NY BRIDGE PLOT CASE : OHIO TRUCKER FARIS ADMITTED GUILT & PLEA BARGAINED : HE HAD BOUGHT SLEEPING BAGS FO RAL QAEDA, RESEARCHED THE POSSIBLE USE OF ULTRALIGHTS, AND HELPED GET EXTENSIONS ON AIRLINE TICKETS FOR 6 TERRORISTS TO FLY TO YEMEN, DELIVERED MONEY & CELL PHONES) The two-count plea-bargain unsealed [today] showed that Faris admitted giving material support to al Qaeda and to joining a conspiracy to commit new acts of terror. The plea document describes numerous, more serious offenses with which he was not charged, which may indicate he has become a cooperating witness. Papers in the case were unsealed [today] in Alexandria federal court by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, who also presides over the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person yet charged with direct participation in the September 11 attacks. The plea document said Faris canceled plans for the bridge attack because security was too tight and its suspension cables did not seem vulnerable. Early this year, he dispatched a coded message that said, "The weather is too hot."
In addition to acting as a foot soldier who scouted targets, Faris admitted he bought 2,000 sleeping bags for al Qaeda terrorists and researched use of ultralight airplanes for the group.
He also said he disguised himself to visit a travel agent and obtain extensions on airline tickets for six al Qaeda agents' flights to Yemen, and delivered money and cell phones for the terrorist group. - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03
JUNE 19, 2003 Thursday : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : ) WASHINGTON, D.C. - Attorney General John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Acting Assistant Attorney General Christopher Wray of the Criminal Division and U.S. Attorneys Greg Lockhart of the Southern District of Ohio and Paul McNulty of the Eastern District of Virginia announced today that an Ohio truck driver has pleaded guilty to providing material support and resources to al Qaeda and conspiracy for providing the terrorist organization with information about possible U.S. targets for attack.
Iyman Faris, a/k/a Mohammad Rauf, 34, of Columbus, Ohio, was charged in a two-count criminal information filed under seal in the U.S. District Court in Alexandria, Virginia, on May 1, 2003. Faris pleaded guilty to the charges in the criminal information on the same day. The charges and plea agreement were unsealed today.
Faris, a naturalized U.S. citizen who was born in Kashmir, faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and fines of up to $500,000 at his sentencing, currently scheduled for Aug. 1, 2003.
“This case has many of the hallmarks we have to come to recognize in al Qaeda operations: recruitment of sympathetic operatives, extensive planning and travel inside several countries, and extensive use of hard-to-track communications such as cell phones and the Internet cafes,” said Attorney General John Ashcroft. “In apprehending Faris and reaching this plea agreement, we have taken another American-based al Qaeda operative off the streets, who appeared to be a hard-working American trucker, but secretly scouted terrorist strikes that could have killed many of his fellow citizens.” - "OHIO TRUCK DRIVER PLEADS GUILTY TO PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT TO AL QAEDA," Dept. of Justice press release, WWW.USDOJ.GOV , THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2003
JUNE 20, 2003 : (OHIO TRUCKDRIVER BRIDGE & TRAIN PLOTS) A truck driver who became an American citizen three years ago has admitted his involvement in an al-Qaida terrorist plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Kashmiri-born Iyman Faris was ordered by leaders of the terrorist network to get hold of equipment to cut the cables of the bridge, according to documents unsealed in Washington yesterday. Faris, who lives in Columbus, Ohio, pleaded guilty to two criminal charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to provide support. According to his affidavit, Faris attended a series of meetings with senior al-Qaida figures between 2000 and 2002 in Afghanistan and Pakistan. [Faris] researched the [Brooklyn] bridge on the internet and travelled to New York late last year to examine it, concluding that the plot to sever the cables was unlikely to succeed because of the structure and heavy security. Faris, 34, sent a message to al-Qaida leaders saying: "The weather is too hot." He was also told to obtain tools that could be used to derail trains. In coded messages, the tools were referred to as "mechanics shops". The US attorney general John Ashcroft said: "This case highlights the very real threats that still exist here." Faris could face 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. - "US Al-Qaida's Brooklyn Bridge plot," by David Teather in New York, Guardian , 6/20/03
JUNE 23, 2003 : (OHIO TRUCKER/BROOKLYN BRIDGE CASE : NEWSWEEK SAYS FARID'S BRIDGE PLOT WAS GIVEN UP BY KSM) However, a June 23 Newsweek article reported the substance of the charges... and said the information was provided by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, accused of being the mastermind in the September 11 attack and once a "most wanted" terrorist in the Manila-based plot to bomb as many as 12 airliners over the Pacific. Newsweek said Faris paid a $200 speeding fine in May but had not been seen in weeks at his tiny, white frame house in Columbus. It is likely, however, that Faris was in custody before May 1. - "U.S. citizen secretly pleads guilty to scouting hit sites for al Qaeda ," by Frank J. Murray, Washington Times , 6/20/03