Pakastani accused of "jihad" in Miami jail

Reuters | 03-26-02 | Reuters

[fredtaps]

Pakistani accused of "jihad' in Miami jail

MIAMI, March 26 (Reuters) - A Pakistani man identified in a published report as a suspect in a plot to blow up power plants and other sites in south Florida was being held on Tuesday for deportation, a U.S. immigration official said.

Citing law enforcement sources, The New York Times reported on Tuesday that Imran Mandhai, 19, of Hollywood, Florida, was arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service about a month ago.

The law enforcement officials said Mandhai conspired last March and April to acquire guns and explosives for a "jihad" (holy struggle) against the United States, the newspaper said.

"He is in our custody. He is in removal proceedings. Right now that's the only information I can confirm," Miami INS spokeswoman Patricia Mancha told Reuters.

A spokeswoman with the immigration court system, which operates separately from the INS, said the attempt to deport Mandhai was based on two allegations.

One alleges is that he violated U.S. law by engaging in "espionage or sabotage" or attempts to export sensitive goods or information. The other alleges he engaged in "terrorist activity."

The spokeswoman declined to give specifics of the allegations, but said Mandhai was scheduled to have his next appearance before the immigration court on May 16.

The Times said law enforcement officials and associates of Mandhai said he became disenchanted with American life and was attracted to militant Islamic politics after coming to the United States in April 1998.

Officials said an FBI informant reported in 2001 that Mandhai was trying to organize a plot to bomb electrical power stations and other sites, the newspaper said.

In April 2001, he tried to buy an AK-47 assault rifle at a gun show in Fort Lauderdale but his credit card was rejected, the Times said. One of his targets was a Florida Power & Light plant near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

It was not known if Mandhai succeeded in making bombs or buying components, the newspaper said.

An FBI spokeswoman in Miami was not immediately available for comment.

The Times said FBI officials suggested the Justice Department might still bring charges against Mandhai or others but Florida officials said the case had been turned over to the INS after Justice Department lawyers declined to prosecute.

Mandhai's father, Muhammad Farooq Mandhai, told the newspaper his son, who was being held at the Krome Detention Center, an immigration jail near Miami, had done nothing wrong.

He described his son as a hard-working student at Broward Community College in Fort Lauderdale who wanted a career in computers.

[The KG9 Kid]

"... In April 2001, he tried to buy an AK-47 assault rifle at a gun show in Fort Lauderdale but his credit card was rejected..."

That's the trick that many people who sell at gun shows use when they don't want to sell to someone.

[RangeRatt]

while that may or may not be the case here (credit card refusal), I am thankful that the merchant in question reserved his right to refuse service.

[nagdt]

Funny, a friend who runs a radio station or two in Miami said he was thinking of running a big newspaper ad in northern sections of the country during really really cold weather encouraging anybody but ethnic minorities to move to Miami. I thought it was funny at the time, but now think more Americans need to move to Miami to balance the scales.

[InkStone]

“He's in our custody now. With the INS on the job, America’s troubles are over. Our ongoing concern is that he feels comfortable in the Hilton Suite we’ve provided him. He did initially feel some slight degree of unease over the Afghani goat cheese provided. We have since apologized and had ethnically correct Pakistani goat cheese specially flown in overnight.” Miami INS spokeswoman P.T. Barnum told Reuters.