Mohammed Junaid Babar

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Mohammed Junaid Babar is a Pakistani-American who, after pleading guilty to terrorist related offences in New York, testified in March 2006 against a group of men accused of plotting bomb attacks in London. [1]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early life

Mohammed Babar moved to the United States with his family when he was two years old and grew up in Queens, New York.[2] He attended La Salle Military Academy, an all boy military boarding school in Oakdale, Long Island and graduated with the rank of Second Lieutenant in 1994. He studied pharmacy at St. John's University in New York but dropped out. He adopted radical views of Islam during the Gulf War when he was employed in a number of unskilled jobs including Valet parking. He joined various groups including the al-Muhajiroun [3]

[edit] September 11, 2001 Attacks

Mohammed Babar's mother worked in the World Trade Center on the 9th floor[4] and survived the Terrorist Attacks on September 11th. Within one week of the attack, he decided to move to Pakistan and fight against the United States led invasion in Afghanistan. He supplied materials such as Night vision goggles, sleeping bags, waterproof socks and ponchos and money to high-ranking al-Qaeda official in South Waziristan

[edit] Arrest in America

He was arrested in New York in April 2004 after his return from Pakistan, and on June 2, 2004, pleaded guilty to five counts of providing, and conspiring to provide, money and supplies to Al Qaeda terrorists fighting in Afghanistan against U.S., international forces, or the Northern Alliance.

He faced up to 70 years in prison, but will serve less time after agreeing to cooperature fully with any investigation or prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office.[5]

[edit] Operation Crevice

Babar was the star witness in the case against seven terrorist suspects arrested in Britain in March 2004 as part of Operation Crevice. He has been flown to London to give evidence in the case, and arrived at court amid heavy security, driven from a police station in an armoured convoy with a helicopter overhead.[1]

During his testimony he claimed to have been part of two separate attempts to kill General Pervez Musharraf in 2002 and admitted that he would be facing the death penalty in Pakistan if he was not working for the FBI.[2]. He also said that he had associated with Abu Hamza and Omar Bakri Mohammed.

He also in 2007 told a British court during 17 days of testimony that he ran training camps in Pakistan for Islamic militants and nurtured a generation of homegrown British terrorists. Babar is still working with the British under a deal that he will not be charged as long as he cooperates.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Rosie Cowan. "FBI informer 'met Britons on Afghan jihad'", The Guardian, 24 March 2005. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. 
  2. ^ Rosie Cowan. "Witness at terror trial admits plots to kill Pakistan president", The Guardian, 31 March 2006. Retrieved on 2006-12-18. 
  3. ^ AP. "American says he trained terrorists, cheered videos of 9/11", CNN, 1 May 2007. Retrieved on 2007-05-01.