Later, Qaeda!
Ex-fanatic may soon walk after aiding feds
One-time Al Qaeda acolyte Najibullah Zazi, who proved far more devastating as a federal witness than a terrorist, received a prison sentence Thursday of just 10 years in jail — much of it already time served.
A repentant Zazi, 33, offered an apology and expressed his thanks for the shot at redemption offered by prosecutors after his September 2009 arrest in a failed suicide bomb plot targeting the New York subway system. He faced possible life imprisonment for the horrifying scheme, but will instead likely walk free before the 18th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
“I tried hard to correct the mistakes I made by cooperating with the government,” Zazi said at the Brooklyn Federal Courthouse hearing. “I am not the same person … I am very sorry for the harm I caused to my family, my friends and others, and I ask for forgiveness.”
The ex-Al Qaeda operative arrived in court nine years after turning on his associates, a decision that helped convict an assortment of terror suspects — including his own father, and co-conspirator Adis Medunjanin. With the support of prosecutors, Zazi received a sentence far more lenient than ever thought possible.
U.S. District Court Judge Raymond Dearie acknowledged his qualms in signing off on the sentence.
“The doubt still lingers in my mind, and I hope you understand me,” said Dearie. “Has he rejected Satan? I think you have.”
The judge then mentioned a Tuesday letter sent to him by Zazi with a quote from the Koran: “Whoever saves a life, it is as though he had saved all of mankind.”
“You have saved a life,” declared Dearie before imposing the sentence.
There were no details on the date of Zazi’s release, although his lawyer said it will happen “fairly soon.” Zazi will also remain under lifetime supervision as part of his sentencing, and it was unclear if he would join the federal Witness Protecion Program.
Federal proseutors, in a 25age court filing ubmitted before entencing, made he case for lenincy as they laid ut Zazi’s efforts gainst Al Qaeda.
“Over the past ine years, he has hown a lot of hought and care bout why he ommitted the rime he did,” said Assistant U.S. Atorney Douglas ravda at the earing. “To his redit, the defendant … provided extraordinary cooperation. He has provided critical intelligence about Al Qaeda.”
Zazi testified at the trials of terrorists, provided info to prosecutors in other investigations, and even encouraged fellow terror bomber Zarein Ahmedzay to become a government witness. The two had plotted the 2009 subway bombings, timed for the eighth anniversary of 9/11, before the scheme was thwarted by authorities.
His 2015 testimony helped put away Pakistani national Abid Naseer for a terrorist bombing plot targeting a shopping mall in Manchester, England. And he even helped prosecutors with their case against his father, Mohammed Wali Zazi, convicted in 2011 of conspiring to obstruct justice.
In all, he met more than 100 times with government investigators — viewing hundreds of photographs and offering insight into a number of cases.
“I have represented Mr. Zazi for almost 10 years, and during that time I saw the transformation of a man in his 20s to a mature man, an educated adult who has aided this country in the fight against terrorism here and aboard,” said his lawyer William Stampur. “I can tell the court he has disavowed radical Islam in all terms.”