Top Al Qaeda Leaders Said to Order U.S. Attacks, N.Y. Subway Bomb Plot

April 23, 2010 — -- A key associate of admitted al Qaeda terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi pleaded guilty on Friday at the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, as prosecutors alleged the men accused of an attempted bombing of the New York City subway were in contact with a top al Qaeda leader involved in an averted 2006 plot to bomb airlines over the Atlantic Ocean.

Zarein Ahmedzay, 25, pleaded guilty to three charges tied to his role in a plot to target the New York City subway system. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to use a weapon of mass of destruction, conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country and providing material support to al Qaeda.

According to officials involved with case, Zazi, Ahmedzay and another suspect were in contact with senior members of al Qaeda on an August 2008 trip to Pakistan.

Zazi, who was arrested in Denver in September 2009, has been cooperating with the federal government and pleaded guilty in February, admitting he planned to attack the New York subways close to the eighth anniversary of Sept. 11.

Prosecutors claimed today that Ahmedzay, Zazi and a third suspect told the top tiers of al Qaeda that they wanted to fight against U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, but were convinced to return to the United States to carry out attacks.

Zazi has said he was recruited by al Qaeda in Pakistan when he traveled there intending to join the Taliban.

Zazi and Ahmedzay allegedly traveled overseas to Pakistan with Adis Medunjanin, who also lived in the New York area. Medunjanin was charged for his alleged role in the plot in late February, but has pleaded not guilty.

According to information presented at Friday's hearing, the men were in contact with Saleh al-Somali, the former head of international operations for al Qaeda, and Rashid Rauf, one of al Qaeda's top lieutenants who was involved in helping plan the thwarted 2006 trans-Atlantic liquids aviation plot.

That plot was intended to strike at least seven jetliners bound for North America on United Airlines, American Airlines and Air Canada flights into New York, Washington, Chicago, San Francisco, Montreal and Toronto. The plotters intended to smuggle explosive liquid peroxide colored with dye inside sport drink bottles, and to assemble the bombs on the aircraft.

According to counterterrorism officials, Rauf, a British citizen, put the alleged U.K. plotters in touch with members of al Qaeda. The averted attack led to restrictions being placed on liquids for air travel.