Four New Yorkers accused of trying to bomb a synagogue and shoot down military planes pleaded not guilty Wednesday ahead of a trial that will bare the murky world of America's internal anti-terrorism struggle.
"Not guilty," each of the suspects said when asked in a federal court in White Plains, New York, how they pleaded to charges of conspiracy and attempts to use weapons of mass destruction, to attack aircraft, and kill US officers.
Judge Paul Davison told the court: "Not guilty pleas are entered with regard to all four defendants."
Authorities say the suspects -- James Cromitie, 55, David Williams, 28, Onta Williams, 32, and Laguerre Payen, 27 -- are would-be jihadists who were caught in the act of attempting to blow up a synagogue and a Jewish center in New York.
They were allegedly planning to go on and fire an anti-aircraft missiles at military planes at a National Guard air base in Newburgh, New York state.
The bombs and missiles were duds supplied in an undercover FBI operation, prosecutors say.
The four, arrested May 20 in New York, face several life sentences if convicted, the federal prosecutor's office said.
New York police chief Raymond Kelly said after their arrest that they "stated they wanted to commit jihad," or Muslim holy war.
What makes the case unusual is that the three of the men are US citizens and one is a Haitian immigrant. None have any record of links to external militant groups.
Officials say they believe the alleged gang all converted to Islam while in US prisons, where they were serving time for unrelated crimes.
The revelations fed fears of homegrown terrorism and came as debate intensified in Washington over President Barack Obama's plan to ban torture by US security forces and to shut down the controversial detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Prosecutor Eric Snyder described the suspected gang's intentions as "a plot to bring mass murder" and to "destroy military aircraft and kill military personnel."
He said that Cromitie had "complained" that the "best target," meaning the World Trade Center, had already been taken in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
New York Representative Peter King said the men, who all used Arabic aliases, were Muslim and that some had converted to Islam in prison.
In June 2008, Cromitie told an FBI informant about his anger over the US-led war in Afghanistan. The suspect then "expressed an interest in doing 'something to America,'" the criminal complaint said.
He also said he wanted to join the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, which Washington designates as a terror organization, to "do jihad."
However it remains unclear how much danger the four really posed, since they were long under surveillance -- and being aided in their plans by an FBI informant.
Beginning in October 2008, the informant began meeting with the four men at a house in which the FBI had concealed video and audio equipment. The informant has not been identified other than that he or she pleaded guilty in 2002 to a fraud scheme.
According to the criminal complaint the secret witness was central to nearly every development.
The witness discussed the plot with them, helped them procure what they thought were explosives and a Stinger missile -- in fact duds -- and even joined reconnaissance at the intended targets.
As a result, prosecutors say they have a mountain of audio and video recordings clearly showing the alleged gang preparing their conspiracy and talking about their hatred for Jews and the US war in Afghanistan.
Copyright 2009 AFP American Edition
