FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in the US

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FBI arrests Afghan man who officials say planned Election Day attack in the US

2024-10-09 10:43 Last Updated At：10:50

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI has arrested an Afghan man who officials say was inspired by the Islamic State militant organization and was plotting an Election Day attack targeting large crowds in the U.S., the Justice Department said Tuesday.

Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City told investigators after his arrest Monday that he had planned his attack to coincide with Election Day next month and that he and a co-conspirator expected to die as martyrs, according to charging documents.

Tawhedi, who arrived in the U.S. in September 2021, had taken steps in recent weeks to advance his attack plans, including by ordering AK-47 rifles, liquidating his family's assets and buying one-way tickets for his wife and child to travel home to Afghanistan, officials said.

The arrest comes as the FBI confronts heightened concerns over the possibility of extremist violence on U.S. soil, with Director Christopher Wray telling The Associated Press in August that he was "hard pressed to think of a time in my career where so many different kinds of threats are all elevated at once.”

“Terrorism is still the FBI’s number one priority, and we will use every resource to protect the American people,” Wray said in a statement Tuesday.

An FBI affidavit does not reveal precisely how Tawhedi came onto investigators' radar, but cites what it says is evidence from recent months showing his determination in planning an attack. A photograph from July included in the affidavit depicts a man investigators identified as Tawhedi reading to two young children, including his daughter, “a text that describes the rewards a martyr receives in the afterlife.”

Officials say Tawhedi also consumed Islamic State propaganda, contributed to a charity that functions as a front for the militant group and communicated with a person who the FBI determined from a prior investigation was involved in recruitment and indoctrination of people interested in extremism. He also viewed webcams for the White House and the Washington Monument in July.

Tawhedi's alleged co-conspirator was not identified by the Justice Department, which described him only as a juvenile, a fellow Afghan national and the brother of Tawhedi's wife.

After the two advertised the sale of personal property on Facebook, the FBI enlisted an informant last month to respond to the offer and strike up a relationship. The informant later invited them to a gun range, where they ordered weapons from an undercover FBI official who was posing as a business partner of the informant, according to court papers.

Tawhedi was arrested Monday after taking possession of two AK-47 rifles and ammunition he had ordered, officials said. The unidentified co-conspirator was also arrested but the Justice Department did not provide details because he is a juvenile.

After he was arrested, the Justice Department said, Tawhedi told investigators he had planned an attack for Election Day that would target large gatherings of people.

Tawhedi was charged with conspiring and attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State, which is designated by the U.S. as a foreign terrorist organization. The charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

He appeared in court Tuesday and was ordered detained. An email to an attorney listed as representing him did not immediately return an email seeking comment.

It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer who could speak on his behalf.

A for-sale sign stood in the yard outside a modest, two-story brick home listed as being connected to Tawhedi’s family in the Oklahoma City suburb of Moore.

A woman who identified herself as Tawhedi’s wife declined to discuss the case.

“We don’t want to talk in the media,” said the woman, who did not give her name.

Tawhedi entered the U.S. on a special immigrant visa in 2021 and has been on parole status pending the conclusion of his immigration proceedings, the Justice Department said. The program permits eligible Afghans who helped Americans, despite great personal risk to themselves and their loved ones, to apply for entry into America with their families.

Eligible Afghans include interpreters for the U.S. military as well as individuals integral to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. While the program has existed since 2009, the number of applicants skyrocketed after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.

Shawn VanDiver, the president of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of organizations dedicated to helping Afghans trying to leave Afghanistan, said that though the charges are serious, “it’s critical that we do not assign blame to an entire community for the actions of one individual. Thousands of Afghans who resettled in the United States are working to build new lives and contribute to our shared future.”

“These are the same individuals who stood shoulder to shoulder with us in Afghanistan for over two decades, defending the values we hold dear,” he said in a statement. “Now, they are our neighbors, and we must support them as they seek safety and stability in their new home.”

Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana in Washington and Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.

Lindor relishes his 1st home game in a month as Mets trounce Phillies for 2-1 lead in NLDS

2024-10-09 10:42 Last Updated At：10:50

NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Lindor waited a month to get back in the lineup at Citi Field.

When he finally did Tuesday, was it everything he envisioned?

“It was better,” Lindor said, flashing that signature smile. “Pretty cool. Pretty special."

Playing at home for the first time since Sept. 8 after being sidelined by a back injury, the Mets' star shortstop was serenaded by “MVP!” chants from a sellout crowd that also resumed happily singing along to his walk-up song, “My Girl” by The Temptations.

At the plate, Lindor went 1 for 5 with an RBI double in the eighth inning that punctuated New York's 7-2 victory over the rival Philadelphia Phillies in Game 3 of their NL Division Series.

The surprising Mets took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five set and can reach the National League Championship Series with another victory Wednesday at home.

“Amazing. Amazing. The fans really put on a great show,” Lindor said. “Great atmosphere.”

A contender for the NL MVP award, Lindor injured his back Sept. 13 in Philadelphia and played just one inning over the next 10 games before returning Sept. 27 in Milwaukee.

After two weeks of dramatic twists and turns on the road, the Mets were back in their own ballpark Tuesday for the first time since Sept. 22.

“I always felt confident that I was going to come back, but you never know,” Lindor said.

The leadoff hitter is a huge reason the Mets were able to make it this far and earn two Division Series games in Queens.

Among a string of clutch contributions, his tying homer in the ninth inning Sept. 11 at Toronto broke up Bowden Francis' no-hit bid and sparked a critical Mets victory, and his go-ahead homer in the ninth on Sept. 30 in Atlanta clinched a postseason berth.

Lindor also fought back from a 1-2 count to draw an eight-pitch walk leading off the ninth against All-Star closer Devin Williams last Thursday in Milwaukee, helping to set up Pete Alonso’s go-ahead homer that saved New York’s season in the Wild Card Series clincher.

“I’m in a good place right now. I’m living the life I always wanted," Lindor said.

After working hard with the athletic training staff for weeks just to get back on the field, Lindor received a loud ovation during formal introductions prior to Game 3. The “MVP! MVP!” chants started even before his name was announced.

Then in the first inning, Citi Field fans once again sang along to “My Girl” as he stepped to the plate.

The switch-hitter flied out to the warning track in right-center.

“We’ve got to play well here otherwise we get booed here, too,” Lindor said before the game, drawing laughs from reporters.

His back injury caused him to become familiar with some new medical terms.

“There’s a couple of different ones, whether it’s names of injections or names of the L4, L5, S1, facet joints, all that stuff. I’m out here learning anatomy,” he said. “So it wasn’t a good process, but I guess it made me a little smarter.”

Lindor goes through a lengthy pregame routine with athletic trainers to stay healthy enough to play, but said now he's “in a very good spot.”

“I can’t praise the trainers enough (for) how good they have done their job. It’s one of those where if I sit for too long and I get up, I feel it. But it’s not as bad,” Lindor said. “No one that’s playing baseball right now is playing pain-free. We all have something happening. My back, it’s in a much, much better spot. I’m not even thinking about it at this point.”

Mets manager Carlos Mendoza noted the 30-year-old Lindor is not only “locked in,” but “a lot more mature” and even keel.

“He understands that it happens quick. Can’t get too high, can’t get too low,” Mendoza said. “He’s been in a lot of playoff games. He’s been in the World Series. And I think he’s enjoying it. I don’t think he’s probably expressing as much, but deep inside this is what he wants. This is what he wants not only for him but for the team and the organization. So, proud of him.”

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