ANOTHER PUBLIC BOMBING

[HairOfTheDog]

Back in July, a college student stepped on an explosive while vacationing in Central Park, New York. His foot was blown off.

He told his parents and others that he stepped on a bomb, but police seemed to treat it as a mishap with a hidden homemade firework.

That incident is now being investigated for possible connections with last weekend's shoot-out/bombings in New Jersey and New York (dozens were injured, but fortunately there were no fatalities).

THE LATEST BOMBINGS



SUSPECT & CHARGES:
^ Ahmad Rahami, 28, was charged Tuesday with four counts in federal court in connection with an explosion in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood and an unexploded pressure cooker found nearby.

A complaint filed in US District Court in Manhattan contains details from Rahami's handwritten journal, damaged from a shootout with police, and more evidence from the investigation.

The complaint charges Rahami with use of weapons of mass destruction, bombing a public place, destruction of property and use of a destructive device.

The charges are the latest news in a fast-moving investigation. The naturalized US citizen also faces charges in state court in New Jersey stemming from a shootout with police in Linden.

The complaint sheds new light on Rahami's alleged motives and means, and the time line of the incidents.

Today, a U.S. Attorney announced that Rahami has been charge with premeditated terrorism, in addition to previous charges.

[HairOfTheDog]

EVIDENCE:
Two cell phones used in the bombs were shipped to the same Perth Amboy, New Jersey, store located about 500 meters from a residence listed on Rahami's 2012 passport application as home.

The "user address" for the phone attached to the unexploded pressure cooker bomb found in Chelsea belonged to Rahami's residence, the complaint alleges.

A social media account associated with the phone contained videos of violent extremist content.

The Chelsea explosion came from a "high explosive charge" placed inside a pressure cooker and left in a dumpster. The blast propelled the dumpster 100 feet and shattered windows 400 feet above the detonation. The bomb was packed with ball bearings and steel nuts, likely to increase the lethality of the device, that traveled as far as 650 feet from the site, the complaint alleges.

An unexploded pressure cooker was packed with similar components, including a cell phone that would act as a timer. Twelve fingerprints recovered from the the pressure cooker, duct tape, and triggering cell phone were matched to Rahami.

In addition to bin Laden, the journal contained references Anwar al-Awlaki and Fort Hood, Texas, mass shooter Nidal Hasan. There are mentions of pipe bombs, a pressure cooker bomb and a partial sentence, "in the streets they plan to run a mile." It closes with "Inshallah," God willing, "the sounds of the bombs will be heard in the streets. Gun shots to your police. Death To Your OPPRESSION."

[HairOfTheDog]

PREVIOUS VIOLENT CRIMES / FAMILY REPORTS:


Yesterday, Rahami's father ^ told reporters that he called the FBI two years ago when his son was acting violently.

The FBI interviewed Rahami's father in 2014 after a violent domestic dispute. That interview stemmed from a tip alleging that Rahami's father was calling his son a terrorist, according to two US officials.

However, there are contradictory accounts of how Rahami came to the attention of law enforcement. His father told reporters that he contacted the FBI and expressed his concern after the dispute.

But when the FBI talked with the father, he recanted his claim that his son was a terrorist but did express concern that Ahmad was engaged in criminal or gang activity, a federal law enforcement source said.

Ultimately, federal investigators believed it was a domestic dispute, several federal officials told CNN. At the time of that interview, Rahami was in jail following a family dispute in which he stabbed one of his relatives.

The FBI never interviewed Ahmad Rahami, according to officials. He was never placed in an FBI database of potential terrorists, officials said.

[HairOfTheDog]

HOW THE SUSPECT WAS FOUND:


Surveillance video from Saturday evening shows a man believed to be Rahami dragging what appeared to be a duffel bag with wheels near the site of the West 23^rd Street explosion about 40 minutes before the blast.

About 10 minutes later, surveillance video showed the same man with the same duffel bag on West 27^th Street, near the site of the second bomb.

Rahami was identified Sunday afternoon through a fingerprint. Evidence from the cell phone on the pressure cooker also led to Rahami's identification. Authorities revealed his identity on Monday morning.

He was captured four hours later in Linden, NJ, about 20 miles from New York City. Police found him after a bar owner spotted him sleeping in the doorway of his bar.

When officers responded, Rahami pulled out a handgun and opened fire, striking an officer in his protective vest over his chest. A foot chase ensued, during which Rahami shot at a police car, causing a bullet to graze another officer in the face.

The chase ended when Rahami was shot multiple times. He was taken to a hospital for surgery.

Rahami was charged with five counts of attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon and second-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose for those incidents on Monday.

His bail has been set at $5.2 million.

[HairOfTheDog]

THE SUSPECT'S WIFE; WHAT DID SHE KNOW?

While he was in Pakistan in 2011, Rahami married a Pakistani woman. That same year, he filed paperwork to bring her back to the US, and it was approved in 2012. However it's unclear if she came to the US at that time.

In 2014, Rahami contacted Congressman Albio Sires' office from Islamabad, saying he was concerned about his wife's passport and visa. It turned out her Pakistani passport had expired. Once it was renewed, she discovered she was pregnant. She was told she would need a visa for the baby as well. It is unclear what happened to the child.

However, Rahami's wife eventually made it to the US -- and she left before Saturday's attacks, according to a law enforcement official.

She is cooperating with investigators, according to the source. She has spoken with US officials in the UAE.


WITNESSES CURRENTLY SOUGHT BY POLICE:


^ Two men were captured on video removing the explosives from the duffel bag on the street and taking the luggage itself. Luckily, they were not injured and are said not to be suspects. But, police want to identify and question them.



Source: http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/21/us/new-yor...index.html

[Midwest Spy]

Sounds like there's overwhelming evidence that this terrorist tried to blow up Americans.

Death sentence.

[Maggot]

Maybe he was mentally incompetent or under the influence of drugs or something. Maybe he had issues growing up in a war torn area. He may not have been in his right mind.

[HairOfTheDog]

Maybe he was mentally incompetent or under the influence of drugs or something. Maybe he had issues growing up in a war torn area. He may not have been in his right mind.

Yeah, maybe.

But, if so, none of that is a defense that will get him off the hook for premeditated attempted murder and terrorism.

He's toast, as it should be.

[Maggot]

Maybe he was mentally incompetent or under the influence of drugs or something. Maybe he had issues growing up in a war torn area. He may not have been in his right mind.

Yeah, maybe.

But, if so, none of that is a defense that will get him off the hook for premeditated attempted murder and terrorism.

He's toast, as it should be.

I have to agree and would personally saw off his arms with a chain saw but some lawyer looking for a name will try his best to get name recognition and this idiot off the hook costing more in the long run than it cost to feed an inner city school for a year.

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, given that nobody died, I'm not sure Rahami will get a death sentence even if he faces federal charges. But, I'd be surprised if he gets less than life without parole at any rate.

Police are investigating whether he had any assistance or if he instead acted alone.

His Pakistani wife is said to be cooperating without delay. She and the couple's two children were on a pre-planned vacation and had been since June. Investigators caught up with her in United Arab Emirates before her scheduled return. She reportedly claims to be surprised by what her husband did.