- Metropolitan Police Service Press Release on Charges In August 2004, Dhiren Barot, Nadeem Tarmohamed, Qaisar Shaffi, Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, Abdul Aziz Jalil, Omar Abdul Rehman, Junade Feroze, and Zia Ul-Haq were charged in England with conspiring to commit murder. Matthew Phillip Monks was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon.
- Metropolitan Police Service Press Release on Barot Sentencing Barot, who attended terrorist training camps in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Philippines, pled guilty in October 2006, admitting he conspired to commit murder in the U.K. and the U.S. In November 2006, Barot was jailed for life, though that sentence was reduced to thirty years on appeal. According to the Met Police, Barot and his cell plotted mass-casualty, coordinated attacks in the U.K., “including detonating a dirty bomb, launching an attack on a train and packing three limousines with gas cylinders and explosives before setting them off in underground car parks." Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Met Counter Terrorism Command, said, “He is a full-time terrorist. His training showed through. He used anti-surveillance, coded messages and secret meetings...”
- Crown Prosecution Service Press Release on Barot Sentencing This press release pointed out that "the charge of conspiracy to murder covered a four year period and included a wide range criminal activity, involving plans for attacks in the UK and attacks on buildings in the USA, including: the IMF and World Bank buildings, Washington; the New York Stock Exchange and Citigroup buildings, New York; and the Prudential Building, Newark, New Jersey."
- Crown Prosecution Service Press Release on Qaisar Shaffi Conviction In June 2007, Shaffi, a member of "one of the most dangerous terrorist cells in the UK," was convicted of conspiracy to murder. Junade Feroze, Zia Ul Haq, Abdul Aziz Jalil, Omar Abdur Rehman, and Nadeem Tarmohamed, pled guilty to causing explosions before Shaffi's trial.
- Metropolitan Police Service Press Release on Conviction and Sentencing of Barot's Support Cell In June 2007, Qaisar Shaffi was sentenced to 15 years in jail. The six other support cell members were sentenced to between 15 and 26 years in prison. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Peter Clarke, head of the Met Counter Terrorism Command, commented, “…they were the planning team and were needed by Barot to contribute expertise in areas that he was lacking. They were the trusted few who researched, carried out reconnaissance and supported Barot. Each had a different role to play. Barot needed minders and drivers - people who could look after him as he carried out reconnaissance and conducted his meetings. He needed people to carry out research,15 gain access to specialist libraries, supply vehicles, false identities and travel documents, bank accounts, money and safe houses. These terrorists were skilled in anti-surveillance techniques, the use of coded messages and arranging secret meetings. Indeed, on one occasion Feroze and Jalil travelled literally hundreds of miles to use an internet café before returning to London to continue with their planning. “
- U.S. Indictment of Barot et al. In April 2005, U.S. prosecutors announced the indictment of Dhiren Barot, Nadeem Tarmohamed, and Qaisar Shaffi on charges of conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, providing material support to terrorists, and conspiring to destroy buildings. Barot and his coconspirators conducted chillingly detailed surveillance on the Citigroup Center, the New York Stock Exchange, the Prudential Plaza, the International Monetary Fund Building, and the World Bank. By striking at the heart of the U.S. economy, Barot hoped to further Usama Bin Laden's goal of "bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy" and, in the words of a senior Justice Department official, "kill as many Americans as possible."
- DOJ Press Release on Barot Indictment
- Picture of Dhiren Barot (Added 3/6/08) The Met Police released this charge photo of Dhiren Barot.
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Junade Feroze and Picture (Added 3/6/08) According to the Met Police, Feroze "was amongst Barot's most trusted associates...Through his family's business he had access to vehicles, tyres and gas canisters which would have been useful in carrying out the attacks." Further, "his attendance at talks and lectures given by the radical and convicted clerics Abdullah-el-Faisal and Abu Hamza, together with material found both at his home and the Safestore in Blackburn (rented in a false name) established that he subscribes to an extreme form of ideology."
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Zia Ul Haq and Picture (Added 3/6/08) This fact sheet states that "Ul Haq helped Barot with the UK and US terrorist planning." Additionally, "handwritten notes found in the garage at Bolton Road, Harrow, were in Ul Haq's handwriting and had his fingerprints on them. The notes were about the properties and explosive effects of compressed gas cylinders, the principal explosive referred to in the UK attack plans."
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Abdul Aziz Jalil and Picture (Added 3/6/08) Jalil "was amongst Barot's most trusted associates...and provided the support Barot needed to be able to operate in the UK." His "laptop contained files relevant to the recovered terrorist plans and it was used to view the four American attack proposals in February 2004."
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Omar Abdur Rehman and Picture (Added 3/6/08) The Met Police assesses that "Rehman was of considerable use in preparing the attack plans. While he was working at the Ramada hotel renovation work was being carried out. This gave him the opportunity to observe the fire alarm system and the means of disabling - this is referred to in the early draft of a section of the UK attack plans."
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Qaisar Shaffi and Picture (Added 3/6/08) Shaffi traveled with Barot to the U.S. on Barot's second reconnaissance trip.
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Nadeem Tarmohamed and Picture (Added 3/6/08) Tarmohamed twice traveled to the U.S with Barot to conduct reconnaissance. Reflecting the close relationship between the two, Barot dedicated his book "The Army of Madinah in Kashmir" to Tarmohamed, and the two held joint held joint credit cards. A search of his home turned up a hard drive "which contained files showing he had helped Barot produce the attack plans."
- Met Police Fact Sheet on Mohammed Naveed Bhatti and Picture (Added 3/6/08) Bhatti provided support to the conspiracy, which entailed "the use of his home to store the planning materials, access to the computer at Bolton Road, Harrow, financial, transportation etc."
- Barot's Targeting Package on the Citigroup Center (Added 3/6/08) Barot authored a forty-five page targeting package on the Citigroup Center, located on Manhattan's East Side. In his notes on the Center, Barot suggested five tactics for carrying out an attack: A) “Park a vehicle next to one of the columns.” B) “Park a vehicle directly on Lexington Avenue near the front entrance.” C) “Rent office space inside Citigroup itself.” D) “Arson (hijacking petrol/oil tankers or anything similar and steering in…)…also be advised that Kerosene burns more powerfully than an ordinarily fueled fire (although it may not be hot enough to melt steel unless used in very large quantities).” E) “Flying object.” Barot excitedly described the significant amount of glass in the building: “...this building is almost completely made to resemble a glass house – which could be devastating in an emergency scenario…when shattered, each piece of glass becomes a potential flying piece of cutthroat shrapnel!!”
- Barot's Targeting Package on the New York Stock Exchange (Added 3/6/08) Barot assembled a 28-page targeting package that reveals a thorough attention to detail. He wrote, “approximately 13 vehicles pass by the main NYSE entrance per minute,” and “approximately 14 persons pass by the NYSE every minute – on each side of the sidewalk.” Turning his attention to the building’s vulnerabilities, Barot wrote, “remember to note that there are windows behind the six columns at the main entrance on Broad Street…This may render it a little fragile – depending on the type of glass. However, it is quite high up.”
- Barot's Targeting Package on the Prudential Plaza (Added 3/6/08) Barot’s cell researched the possibility of attacking the Prudential Plaza in Newark, New Jersey. In the thirty-seven page package he compiled on the Prudential Plaza, Barot argued that “the most obvious technique to utilize…if you do not mind history repeating itself, would be a limousine in the V.I.P. underground car park with all except the front seats removed...” This tactic is advantageous because “large vans or anything of similar size may not fit through the entrance” and “only limousines can be seen entering/leaving this area anyways (black ones). Moreover an added benefit for utilizing this method is that the underground V.I.P. car park is situated directly underneath the center of the main offices that rise up." While the limousine operation was Barot’s preference, Barot added that “arson in general may be the best chance."
- Barot's Targeting Package on the International Monetary Fund & World Bank (Added 3/6/08) Barot’s 28-page targeting package on the IMF demonstrates a methodical surveillance effort. Barot also provided information on the surrounding area, listing the proximity of military bases, fire stations, police stations, schools/libraries, hospitals, and airports. Proposing “escape routes,” he wrote, “public transport/Taxis etc. or your own means. Overall, Barot described a challenging security environment, commenting, “the IMF building and the entire area has more security attending than any top corporation that you might think of, since the authorities are committed to its protection.” Barot assessed that the “closest you will probably get to the building is by visiting the IMF Center” or by “go[ing] into the World Bank bookshop.” While much of Barot’s notes on the World Bank have been redacted by British authorities, the document does state, “outside the building there is no extended pavement, i.e. vehicle ramming is possible.” Suggesting sources for further research, he wrote that “the most comprehensive source of information about the Bank’s work is its Public Information Center."
- Barot's "Rough Presentation for Gas Limos Project" (Added 3/6/08) Given Barot’s suggestion that operatives detonate explosives in a limousine parked in the Prudential Center’s basement, it is worth noting that Barot produced a detailed report on the specifics of what he termed the “Gas Limos Project.” Identifying his goals at the outset, Barot established five primary objectives: 1) Able to benefit Deen; 2) To be able to inflict mass damage and chaos; 3) Ease of procurement (for materials); 4) Relatively safe for handling; 5) Internationally applicable (transferable). For Barot, “ease of procurement” was critically important due to the fact that “in much of the western world it is not always possible/feasible to obtain real destructive ingredients, e.g. common explosives.” Thus, “from the beginning the project was based on being an improvised destructive device, hence the choice of gas.” Turning his attention to the method of hiding/delivering the IED, he laid out requirements for a vehicle, including being able to drive into underground parking areas and navigate tight corners. Additionally, the vehicle must have tinted windows “to hide the IED” and “must be able to…look the part” since “many car parks, especially in central areas are frequented by expensive executive cars that are driven by VIPs and businessmen.”
- "Final Presentation" (Added 3/6/08) This document summarizes Barot's research on the production of a radiation dispersal device (RDD), or "dirty bombs."
- "Hazard" (Added 3/6/08) This document is similar to the "Final Presentation" and "represents the product of open source research into the use of radioactive materials for terrorist purposes."
- Barot's "The Army of Madinah in Kashmir" (Added 3/6/08) Using the name ‘Esa al-Hindi, Barot authored a book titled "The Army of Madinah in Kashmir." In that book, Barot wrote: “The United States of America today as we know it could be described as the tip of the spear against al-Islam in modern times. It is the foremost member of the elite Grand Seven (these are predominantly a collection of caucasian, racist, supremacist nations) in the United Nations, and has the greatest sway over the right to vote. Being in the driving seat of this alliance, one would think it quite easy for her to strongly urge…the government of New Delhi to bring to a cessation its mass violations of numerous U.N. policies.”
- Photo of Bhatti's Computer Room and Photo of Bhatti's Garage #1 and Photo of Garage #2 and Photo of Garage #3 and Brunei Univ. ID Card and Petrol Tanker Driver Advertisement (Added 3/6/08) The Met Police notes that authorities searching Bhatti's address in Bolton Road, Harrow discovered "documents and files on computer hard drives [that] contained research material for the targeting plans." Also at Bhatti's address, investigators discovered a fake Brunei University ID card with Barot's picture on it, which Barot used to conduct research; Bhatti was a student at Brunei. Authorities discovered a hiring notice for an oil tanker driver at Bhatti’s home.
- Photo of Visa Application in False Name and Photo of Feroze's Home (Added 3/6/08) When searching Feroze's home, authorities found a Pakistani visa application in the fake name of Haris Feroze. Barot utilized that visa, along with a forged passport, to travel to Pakistan in February 2004.
- Photo of Ul Haq's Will and Photo of Ul Haq's Home#1 and Photo of Ul Haq's Home #2 (Added 3/6/08) Seized during a search of Ul Haq's home, this will states: "Ask bro's and sisters to forgive me."
- Photo of Jalil's Handwritten Instructions #1 and Photo of Instructions #2 and Photo of Instructions #3 and Application for Large Goods Vehicle License (Added 3/6/08) Seized during a search of Ul Haq's home, this will states: "Ask bro's and sisters to forgive me." Authorities also found an application for a Large Goods Vehicle license, filled out in the name of Abdul Aziz Jalil.
- Photo of Rehman's Notes on Fire Alarm Systems (Added 3/6/08) When searching Rehman's residence, investigators found notes on fire alarm systems.
- Photo of Hazardous Chemicals - Desk Reference Book and Photo of Hazardous Chemicals Handbook (Added 3/6/08) According to the Met Police, these books "were traced to University College Library Science Section and detectives were able to match possession of some of the books to Barot through fingerprints. The information gained from this book assisted Barot to develop his 'gas limos' project..."
- Photo of Barot's Handwritten Notes on Military Training #1 and Photo of Training Notes #2 and Photo of Training Notes #3 (Added 3/6/08) According to the Met Police, these notes were "made by Barot" and are "consistent with receiving pseudo military training in field craft, weapons, ambushes, and the preparation and placement of explosives, home made explosives and improvised explosive devices. These were linked to Barot by fingerprints, handwriting, and forensic linguistics."
- Map of Barot's Surveillance Route in NYC and Key to Route (Added 3/6/08) According to the Met Police, these notes were "made by Barot" and are "consistent with receiving pseudo military training in field craft, weapons, ambushes, and the preparation and placement of explosives, home made explosives and improvised explosive devices. These were linked to Barot by fingerprints, handwriting, and forensic linguistics."
- Barot's World Bank Book (Added 3/6/08) According to the Met Police, these notes were "made by Barot" and are "consistent with receiving pseudo military training in field craft, weapons, ambushes, and the preparation and placement of explosives, home made explosives and improvised explosive devices. These were linked to Barot by fingerprints, handwriting, and forensic linguistics."
- NEFA "Target: America" Report "The East Coast Buildings Plot"