Federal prosecutors Tuesday said the Queens man accused of training in an al Qaeda camp had planned to kill American servicemen in Afghanistan.
Adis Medunjanin went to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan in August 2008 "with the intent to kill U.S. service members in Afghanistan," said James Loonam, an assistant United States Attorney. He added that prosecutors "anticipate additional charges" against Medunjanin.
Medunjanin, 25, a Bosnian born U.S. citizen, has pleaded not guilty and his defense attorney Tuesday again claimed after the brief hearing that authorities had improperly questioned his client after he had crashed his car on the Whitestone Expressway January 7th. Medunjanin had apparently been trying to shake an FBI surveillance, sources have said.
His associate, cab driver Zarein Ahmedzay, may face additional charges, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday in another proceeding at Brooklyn Federal Court. For now, Admedzay, a 24-year old Afghani immigrant, is accused of lying to FBI agents investigating a terrorism case. His defense attorney did not make a bail application Tuesday and both suspects remain behind bars.
Authorities say both men are linked to former Queens resident Najibullah Zazi, 24, a Colorado airport driver originally from Afghanistan who has pleaded not guilty to undergoing terror training and plotting to blow up New York targets with homemade bombs. Prosecutors also said that Medunjanin case could be combined with Zazi's.
All three men had attended Flushing High School.
