Two comrades of confessed terror plotter Najibullah Zazi were charged today of conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction in connection with a plan to bomb New York City subways.
The indictment unsealed today charges Zarein Ahmedzay and Adis Medunjanin with being the planned second and third suicide bombers in Zazi's plot to detonate explosives on the subway during rush hour last September.
Ahmedzay and Medunjanin went to high school with Zazi in Queens and are accused of traveling with him to Pakistan in 2008. They had been indicted with lying to federal authorities about their travel to Pakistan.
Both pleaded not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Knox said additional charges in the case would come "likely from overseas" and those accused are expected to be brought to the United States for prosecution "promptly." He explained the plot was meant to be "similar to the London subway attack in 2005."
"The facts alleged in this indictment shed further light on the scope of this attempted attack and underscore the importance of using every tool we have available to both disrupt plots against our nation and hold suspected terrorists accountable for their actions,” said Attorney General Holder.
“This attack would have been deadly, and the many agents, prosecutors and intelligence professionals who worked together seamlessly to thwart it deserve our thanks," he said.
Zazi admitted Monday he got terrorism training during the trip. The former Colorado airport shuttle driver says he returned to the United States and planned to detonate bombs in the subway around the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly confirmed this week that the Zazi plot on the subway would have targeted trains at rush hour and would have used suicide bombers.
Medunjanin has pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan. Ahmedzay has denied lying to the FBI about places he visited during the trip. They are due in court Thursday.
