Caribbean Terrorism Terror Suspects Plead Not Guilty

 

NEW YORK, CMC - Three Caribbean-born men accused of plotting to blow up the John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport in New York and the surrounding environs in Queens pleaded not guilty to the charges last Wednesday in a US federal court in Brooklyn.

Trinidadian Kareem Ibrahim, 62, and Guyanese nationals Abdul Kadir, 59, and Abdel Nur, 57, were ordered held without bail at their arraignment. Another court hearing was set for August 7.

The three were whisked away from Trinidad and Tobago by private jet last Tuesday night, in an operation that involved 15 FBI agents and local law enforcement officers. The move came less than 48 hours after their extradition challenge was struck out by the Court of Appeal in the twin-island Republic.

Another suspect, Guyana-born Russell De Freitas who was previously arrested in New York, is still in jail pending trial.

He has also pleaded not guilty. De Freitas, a naturalized American citizen, is a former cargo handler at JFK.
The four accused were indicted in New York a year ago on charges of plotting to blow up JFK, which handles 1,000 flights and over 120,000 passengers daily. If convicted, they face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Speaking to reporters outside the court on Wednesday, lawyers for the four denied that their clients were terrorists.

Attorney-at-law Daniel Nobel, who represents Nur, described the charges as "enormously exaggerated".
He said Nur "is a gracious guy".

"He is in no way an ideologue who conspired to do harm to other individuals," Nobel said.

Kadir's lawyer, Kafahni Nkrumah, said his client who is a former member of Guyana's parliament, "had no involvement in any plot to blow up JFK".

US authorities said the terror suspects planned to "cause greater destruction than in the September 11 attacks".

They said in court papers that the men hoped to use explosives to ignite the fuel pipeline feeding JFK."Any time you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United States," De Freitas allegedly said on a recording made by a Police informant.

 

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