Man who aided prosecutors sentenced in bomb plot

NEW YORK — A man who plotted to bomb New York City’s subways, then switched sides after his arrest and spent nearly a decade helping the U.S. identify and prosecute terrorists, was rewarded for his help Thursday with a sentence of 10 years in prison, effectively time he has already served.

Najibullah Zazi, a 33-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen who became radicalized and received explosives training from al-qaida after traveling to Pakistan in 2008, faced up to life in prison after pleading guilty to terrorism-related charges.

The subway plot sent shockwaves through New York and the federal law enforcement community, underscoring the continuing threat of terrorism years after 9/11. But federal prosecutors said Zazi, after his 2009 arrest, provided “extraordinary” assistance to U.S. counterterrorism authorities, implicating his closest friends and offering a window into the inner-workings of al-qaida.

U.S. District Raymond J. Dearie described Zazi’s cooperation as “unprecedented.” “I have no doubt you saved a life,” Dearie said, adding he believed Zazi had undergone a compelling transformation during his years in custody.

Zazi apologized and asked for forgiveness. He said he is not the same person he was more than a decade ago, when he became radicalized in part by listening to sermons by Anwar al-awlaki, the al-qaida propagandist.

Zazi will remain on federal probation for the rest of his life. The sentence also requires he continue to cooperate.