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Enemies Within: Inside the NYPD's Secret Spying Unit and bin Laden's Final Plot Against America

Page 34

by Matt Apuzzo


  call for Cohen resignation by, 39

  and Cohen appointment as NYPD deputy commissioner for intelligence, 40

  Hersh CIA article in, 47

  and Muslim reaction to 9/11 attack, 99

  Pentagon Papers leak by, 46–47

  and secrecy of NYPD investigations, 193

  Shata story in, 191, 192

  Siraj trial story in, 192

  Zazi interview with, 256

  New Yorker: NYPD profile in, 17

  Newark, New Jersey: mapping of Muslims in, 87

  Niebo, Joseph, 146

  Nile Valley Grocery (Brooklyn), 86

  The 9/11 Commission Report, 70

  Nixon, Richard M., 46, 47

  NYPD (New York Police Department): accomplishments of, 190–91, 257

  “black desk” at, 45

  Brennan visit to, 279

  CIA officer assignment with, 127, 283

  civil rights case against, 279

  Cohen-Sanchez vision for, 69

  corruption in, 28

  demographics of New York City and, 64

  denial of requests for public information by, 179, 193

  early intelligence activities within, 44–45

  FBI compared with, 193–94, 209

  FBI relationship with, 24, 30, 49, 229

  foreign assignments of officers of, 81–83

  infiltration of activist groups by, 41–42

  JTTF relationship with, 81, 151, 280

  mission/function of, 52, 67

  National Lawyers Guild and, 42–44

  New Left lawsuit against, 43–44

  oversight of, 142, 280–81, 283

  powers of, 209

  profiling by, 72–73

  recruiting for, 74–75, 130

  secrecy of, 281

  September 11, 2001 and, 48–49

  training of officers for, 65

  whistle-blowers within, 281 See also Demographics Unit, NYPD; Handschu rules/guidelines; Intelligence Division, NYPD; specific person or investigation

  Obama, Barack, 114, 261, 284

  Odom, William E., 19

  Office of Economic Research, CIA, 65

  Ohio: white van from, 58, 59, 248–51, 275

  Ohio State Highway Patrol, 250

  Oklahoma City bombing (1995), 51, 161

  Olson, Steve: CIAC and, 163

  and raid on Zazi apartment, 256, 258, 263–64

  retirement of, 283

  Zazi arrest and, 272

  Zazi family surveillance and, 59, 166, 167, 168, 172

  Zazi-FBI interview and, 256, 262

  Zazi investigation and, 10, 11, 12, 55, 231, 239, 241–42, 257, 259

  and Zazi Sana Pakhtana email account, 54

  Omar, Mullah, 96

  Operation Witches Brew (NYPD Intel), 216–17

  Orlando, Kim, 81

  Ostermann (dog), 166, 168, 171–72

  Pakistan: al-Qaeda in, 9, 107–14, 167, 218

  bin Laden in, 117

  Khan trips to, 203, 247

  police in, 105–6

  Shehadeh flight to, 18, 148, 229–30

  and Soviets in Afghanistan, 95

  Taliban in, 9, 102, 158

  Vinas in, 210, 213–20

  Zazi-Ahmedzay-Medunjanin trip to, 9, 16, 89, 103–18, 204, 246, 247, 268–69

  Zazi family as refugees in, 93–94, 96

  Palantir Technologies, 207–8

  Papadacos, Ari, 16, 224, 227–28, 232, 233–34, 237–38, 283

  Parker, Stuart, 86, 134, 197

  Parola, Wayne, 122, 123–24

  Patriot Act, 13–14, 205, 206

  Pearlman, Melanie, 159, 160, 161

  The Pentagon Papers, 46–47

  People’s Summit New Orleans, 144–45

  “persons of interest,” 191

  Pinkall, Steve, 129

  political groups: investigations of, 44, 142–43

  polygraph machines, 153–54

  Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, 15, 60–61, 62–63, 64, 232–33, 238

  Powers, Donald, 143, 144

  Prism program, NSA, 53

  profiling, 72–73

  Queens: Afghan community in, 92

  American Airlines Flight 587 crash in, 28–29

  demographics of, 73, 92

  ethnic neighborhoods in, 64

  population of, 92

  subway system for, 92–93

  as Zazi cross-country trip destination, 59–60, 64 See also Flushing, New York; specific person or site

  Queens College, 100–101, 140, 155, 175

  Radicalization in the West: The Home-grown Threat (NYPD), 125–27, 133, 134, 139

  Rahman, Atiyah Abd al-, 218

  Rahman, Omar Abdel, 184

  Rahman, Shamiur, 195–96

  rakers, 75–77, 85–88, 89, 128, 154, 278, 282

  Rankin, Mike, 55

  Rashid, Tariq Abdur, 132

  Rassier, William, 244

  Rauf, Rashid, 108–9, 110, 275

  Reagan, Ronald, 30, 67

  Rehak, Lisa, 55

  Reid, Richard, 71–72

  religion: and FBI-NYPD Intelligence relations, 150

  role in NYC counterterrorism efforts of, 279 See also mosques/religious schools

  religious rhetoric: and identification of terrorists, 133–35, 136–37, 138–41

  Republican National Convention (New York City, 2004), 152

  rhetoric: definition of radical, 133

  and fusion center mission, 162

  and identification of terrorists, 126, 128, 130–37, 138–41

  political, 128, 132, 137

  religious, 133–35, 136–37, 138–41

  Richardson, Bill, 66

  Ritter, William, 158, 159–61, 166, 167

  Roberts, Gene, 42

  Rohde, Stephen, 44

  Rutgers University, 24–25, 230

  Sabir, Haji, 214

  Sahb, Shah, 214

  Salafism, 138–40, 141, 194, 227

  Sana Pakhtana email account, 53–55

  Sanchez, Larry: and approval and renewal of investigations, 197

  Atta case study and, 69, 71, 72

  changes in NYPD Intelligence Division and, 138

  CIA career of, 66–67

  as CIA temporary consultant with NYPD, 66–68

  as Cohen deputy, 83

  Cohen proposal concerning, 66–68

  Cohen relationship with, 66, 69, 283

  congressional testimony of, 127, 133, 148

  creation of Intel Division and, 81

  and demographics of New York City, 69, 73

  and FBI-NYPD Intelligence relations, 149–50

  Henoch meeting with, 83–85

  and identification of terrorists, 127, 133

  mosque investigations and, 186, 187

  and NYPD foreign assignments, 83–85

  NYPD vision of, 69

  personality of, 68, 69

  post-NYPD activities of, 283

  professional background of, 66–67

  profiling and, 72

  and recruiting for NYPD, 74–75, 76

  and uniqueness of Intelligence Division, 147, 148

  Savio, Mario, 131

  Schaffer, Andrew, 197

  Schmatz, Trenton, 233

  SCIFs (Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities), 7–8

  Scott, John, 237, 238, 241

  search warrants: for Zazi in Denver, 256

  for Zazi NYC places of interest, 242

  secret prisons, 6, 68, 73, 154, 190, 259–60, 261, 279

  secret warrants, 231, 239–40, 242

  Seidel, Charlie, 124

  Senate Intelligence Committee, U.S., 36–37, 47

  Sensitive Data Unit, NYPD, 129

  September 11, 2001: al-Qaeda and, 98, 99, 112, 203

  anniversaries of, 13, 24, 59, 216, 223–34, 278

  “big wedding” as al-Qaeda code word for, 9

  Cohen views about, 150

  construction following, 5

  and demogr
aphics of New York City, 69

  and detainment of Muslim immigrants, 29

  dossiers of hijackers on, 69

  as failure of analysis, 203

  FBI and, 49

  and FBI-NYPD Intelligence Division relationship, 149

  and Handschu ruling, 52

  impact of, 13–14

  influence on Zazi of, 98

  as intelligence failure, 150, 203

  Muslim reaction to, 99

  NYPD Intelligence Division and, 48–49

  religious rhetoric and, 133–34

  and theological and geopolitical underpinnings of terrorism, 138

  and Zazi visit to Lower Manhattan, 224–25

  Shahzad, Faisal, 281

  Shata, Sheik Reda, 191–92, 193

  Shea, Jim, 14, 15, 17, 19, 60, 174, 185, 227–28, 229, 282

  Sheehan, Michael, 129, 148, 183–86

  Shehadeh, Abdel Hameed, 18, 148, 229–30

  Shehhi, Marwan al-, 70–71

  Shepard, David, 164–65

  Sherzad, Mohammad, 99

  Shibh, Ramzi bin al-, 6, 70

  Shirzad, Fatana, 99

  shoe bomber (Richard Reid), 71–72

  Shukrijumah, Adnan el-, 112–14, 115–16, 275

  Siegel, Franklin, 48

  Silber, Mitchell, 126–27, 139, 143, 144, 152, 197, 212, 280

  Silwi, Sheik Hamud al-, 189

  Siraj, Shahawar Matin, 151–52, 175, 176, 192–93

  Sirakovsky, Daniel, 174–76, 244

  60 Minutes (CBS-TV): Cohen interview on, 190

  Skillman, Chris, 263

  Slatkin, Nora, 66

  Slepian, Barnett, 131

  “sneak and peeks,” 14, 208

  Socialist Workers Party, 131

  Somali, Saleh al-, 54, 117, 160, 170, 218, 239, 275

  Somalia: Black Hawk shootdown (1993) in, 38

  Sorge, John, 122

  Special Services Unit, NYPD, 130, 192

  spiritual mentors: and identification of terrorists, 126

  “spotting and assessing,” 34

  State Department, U.S., 23–24, 82, 138, 182

  sting operations, 178

  Stolar, Elsie, 49, 50

  Stolar, Martin, 41–44, 48, 49–50, 128

  Stony Brook University: Muslim activities at, 212

  subway system, New York City: and Herald Square bombing, 151–53, 192–93, 196

  importance of, 92–93

  No. 7 train of, 92–93

  as potential al-Qaeda target, 113

  Zazi-Ahmedzay-Medunjanin plan to bomb, 118, 197, 199–201, 274

  Zazi travel on, 224

  suicide bombers: al-Feisel views about, 101

  bombs for, 3

  and Denver Art Museum threat, 159, 161

  Medunjanin views about, 101

  training for, 109–10

  Zazi-Ahmedzay-Medunjanin decision to become, 114

  Zazi interest in, 102 See also specific person

  surveillance teams, 56–57. See also specific person

  Sweeney, Bill, 6–7, 16, 202, 283

  Tablighi Jamaat (Group for Preaching), 182–83, 211

  Talib, Ali ibn Abi, 138

  Taliban: in Afghanistan, 96–97, 99, 101, 103–4, 218

  and Ahmedzay-Medunjanin-Zazi trip to Pakistan, 103–4, 110, 117

  Barelvi as anti-, 147

  and divisions among U.S. Afghan community, 99

  Lindh case and, 182

  in Pakistan, 9, 102, 158

  U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and, 101, 102 See also specific person

  targeted killing, 74

  Tea Room (Bay Ridge, Brooklyn), 133

  Technical Operations Unit, NYPD, 195–96

  telephone companies: FBI and, 207–8

  Templeton, Michael, 153–54

  Tenet, George, 39, 67–68

  terrorism: absence of, 154–55, 190, 213, 216, 257

  similarity among post-9/11 cases of, 20

  theological and geopolitical underpinnings of, 138–41

  terrorism enterprise investigations, 180–86, 188, 195, 197, 212. See also specific investigation

  Terrorist Interdiction Unit, NYPD, 132, 146, 188, 192, 194, 195

  terrorists: creation of, 133–37

  identification of, 125–27, 130–37, 138–41

  Terry, Randall, 131

  Thayba Islamic Center (Brooklyn), 146, 147

  ticking-time-bomb scenario, 259–60

  Tillman Base, U.S. (Afghanistan), 216, 217

  Times Square: bombing in, 142–45, 281

  as potential al-Qaeda target, 113

  Time’s Up (nonprofit group), 144, 188

  Torricelli, Robert, 32

  Townsend, Fran, 213

  training camps, terrorist: and identification of potential U.S. targets, 113

  Medunjanin-JTTF interview about, 268–69

  Vinas and, 213, 215–16, 218

  and Zazi-Ahmedzay-Medunjanin trip to Pakistan and Afghanistan, 106–16, 218, 267

  undercover work: at Denver Art Museum, 161

  and FBI-NYPD Intelligence relations, 150

  and Handschu-NYPD case, 48, 52

  identification of terrorists and, 130, 140–41

  mosque investigations and, 183, 186, 187

  recruitment for, 130

  Shata case and, 192

  and similarity among post-9/11 terrorism cases, 20

  United Airlines flight 175, 70

  United Nations, 23–24, 66, 230

  “urban guerrilla warfare,” 44

  USS Cole, 21

  USS Intrepid, 49

  Vietnam War, 27, 44, 46

  Vinas, Bryant Neal, 9–10, 210–21

  Wahhabism, 138–40, 146–47

  Wahhaj, Siraj, 181

  Wall Street Journal: NYPD Intel story in, 280

  Walmart: as potential al-Qaeda target, 113

  War on Terror, 49, 98–99, 184, 191, 221

  Ward, Michael, 282

  Washington Post: and Odom call for domestic CIA, 19

  “watch list,” CIA and FBI, 45

  water jug, Zazi’s, 63, 201–2, 232–33, 251, 264

  Weather Underground, 41

  “wedding”: as al-Qaeda code word, 9

  Weiss, Ira, 84

  White, Ralph, 42

  white van driver, 58, 59, 248–51, 275

  Will, Bradley, 144

  wiretaps, 154, 206–7, 279. See also specific person or agency

  Women Strike for Peace, 45

  Woolsey, R. James, 31–32

  World Trade Center: 1993 bombing of, 26, 29–30, 51, 181, 194 See also September 11, 2001

  X Team, NYPD, 146

  Yemen: hotel bombing (1992) in, 38

  Zam Zam Stop & Shop Store (Brooklyn), 181–82

  Zarinni, Ahmad, 210, 211, 212, 216–17, 221

  Zawahiri, Ayman al-, 260

  Zazi family: in Colorado, 59, 117–18, 225–26, 239–42

  Denver FBI investigation of, 59, 157, 158, 163, 165–68, 171–72

  in Flushing, 9, 89, 93, 97–104

  and Najibullah return to Denver, 239–42

  as refugees in Pakistan, 93–94, 96 See also specific member

  Zazi, Amanullah (cousin), 97, 106, 158, 174, 226, 244, 255, 256, 263, 270, 273, 275

  Zazi, Bibi (mother), 94, 97, 163, 255, 256, 263, 265

  Zazi, Lal Muhammad (uncle), 105, 106

  Zazi, Marzia (wife), 101, 102

  Zazi, Merwari (sister), 94, 97, 100, 263, 265

  Zazi, Mohammed Wali (father): Afzali telephone call to, 225–26, 245, 266

  Amanullah and, 97, 106

  concerns about Najibullah of, 239

  Denver police questioning of, 225–26

  and divisions within Afghan community, 99

  FBI/JTTF arrest of, 271, 272

  FBI/JTTF interview with, 265–66

  FBI/JTTF investigation/surveillance of, 10, 158, 167, 168, 171–72, 239–42

  immigration status of, 270

  and Jaji
garage chemicals, 255–56

  migration of, 93–94

  Najibullah car rental and, 10, 235

  and Najibullah email to al-Qaeda, 55

  and Najibullah-FBI interview, 258, 270

  and Najibullah return to Denver, 239–42

  and Najibullah trip to Pakistan/Afghanistan, 104

  personal background of, 93, 94, 96

  as political refugee, 97

  as refugee in Pakistan, 94

  as Taliban supporter, 99

  and taping of Najibullah conversations, 239–42

  telephone call to Najibullah from, 226

  trial and sentencing of, 275

  as U.S. immigrant worker, 96

  U.S. visa for, 94

  Zazi, Najibullah: and absence of terrorist attacks argument, 155

  Afghanistan/Pakistan trip of, 9, 16, 89, 103–18, 204, 246, 247, 268–69

  Afzali telephone calls to and from, 226–27, 228, 229, 231–32, 236, 245

  agencies involved in investigation of, 25–26

  Ahmedzay-Medunjanin pact with, 103–4

  al-Qaeda and, 102, 257, 267, 268, 271–72

  and Bear Mountain trip with Ahmedzay, 118

  bomb making by, 1–3, 8–9, 199, 203, 235–36, 254–56, 265, 268, 271

  coffee cart business of, 9, 100, 118, 224, 225, 243

  computer of, 230, 232, 233, 234, 237, 253, 254, 263, 268

  cover story for, 103, 104–5

  cross-country trip of, 10–12, 15, 53–64, 157, 176–77, 248–51, 267

  in Denver area, 1–3, 8–9, 10–11, 53–58, 117–18, 239–42, 253–57, 258–59, 264–72

  Denver return flight of, 203, 230, 236–39

  drone attacks influence on, 112

  email of, 8–9, 53–55, 116, 157, 201, 236, 239, 268, 271, 279

  as failure, 279–80

  financing of activities of, 103–4

  in Flushing, 9, 91, 97–103, 116–17, 118–19, 155, 176–77, 199–201, 202–7, 209, 223–27, 230–32, 235–37

  George Washington Bridge search of, 62–64, 118, 158, 171, 177, 201–2, 227, 232–33, 236

  guilty plea of, 274

  and identification of terrorists, 155

  influence of September 11 on, 98

  lack of information about, 89, 197, 221

  legal case against, 236–38, 248, 261–62, 267, 271

  martyrdom video of, 118

  media and, 256–57, 269, 271, 272–73

  Medunjanin influence on, 100

  Mohammed telephone call to, 226

  NYPD/NYPD Intel investigation/surveillance and, 17, 26, 60, 89, 173–76, 209, 223, 227–28

  Pakistan trips of, 9, 102

  personal background of, 91–92, 94, 97–99, 100, 101

  scale of, 199, 203, 248, 254, 265, 268

  sentencing of, 275

  subway bomb plot of, 118, 197, 199–201, 274

  suicide bombing and, 102, 109–10, 114, 268

  suicide video of, 115–16

  as Taliban supporter, 102, 254

  terrorist education/training for, 101–2, 106–16, 218, 267

 

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