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WASHINGTON: A Pakistani-American has pleaded guilty to financing the 2009 terrorist attack on the ISI office in Lahore, US officials said.
Reaz Qadir Khan, 51, has admitted to “providing advice and financial assistance” to those who carried out the attack, the United States Attorney’s Office in Portland, Oregon, announced on Friday.
The bombing killed approximately 30 people, mostly ISI employees, and injured 300 more. Khan’s main contact, Maldivian Abu Jaleel, was also killed in the suicide bombing.
Read: Man charged in US for aiding bomber
Khan is a naturalised US citizen who lived in Portland and worked at a water treatment facility. He is an NED graduate and also has a master’s degree in engineering from a US university.
According to court documents, Khan sent money to Ali Jaleel, a citizen of the Maldives Islands, and two others who rammed a large, bomb-laden truck into ISI’s Lahore office on May 27, 2009.
Also read: LHC upholds death penalty in ISI office attack
Shortly after the attack, Al Qaeda released Jaleel’s video statement, claiming responsibility for the suicide bombing. The video also showed him preparing for the attack at a terrorists’ hideout in Fata.
Khan used emails and intermediaries to communicate with Jaleel and for sending money to him and his family.
He also sent him instructions on how to travel undetected in Pakistan.
The FBI initially arrested Khan on terrorism charges but later changed it to abetting and helping terrorists after he agreed to plead guilty. Under the arrangement, Khan can be sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment and can also be deported to Pakistan after serving his sentence.
Published in Dawn, February 15th, 2015
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Comments (46) Closed
Feb 15, 2015 07:50am
It amazes me how a person with good job and citizenship can resort to such things
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Feb 15, 2015 08:09am
So now we should blame US for this ?? just like India blamed Pakistan for 26/11 only because one of the attackers was "from Pakistan"
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Feb 15, 2015 08:12am
87 months, now that is a joke! He should get the death penalty in the US and Pakistan.
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Feb 15, 2015 08:34am
Khan,US, What a misleading news???What goes around comes around.Once an asset now becomes a traitor.
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Feb 15, 2015 08:51am
It is really hard to believe that educated and dignified professionals can lower themselves to such levels. It's a pity that even education fails to thwart some people's criminal inclination."
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Feb 15, 2015 09:12am
I am putting on my pakistani hat. CIA made him do it.
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Feb 15, 2015 09:15am
Hah. Love how the headline said "US Man.."!
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Feb 15, 2015 09:18am
I think Dawn needs to exercise a bit of caution/responsibility when deciding on headline. Given the volatile anti american sentiment among the public is it wise to say 'US man' when the man was really a Pakistani, with a US passport like half this country?
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Feb 15, 2015 09:27am
The 'US man' is Pakistani origin . . .
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Feb 15, 2015 09:27am
Does this prove American involvement?
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Feb 15, 2015 09:38am
So raymond davis was also a Us man of pak origin Crybabies above
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Feb 15, 2015 10:03am
Pleading guilty means 87 years for helping kill over 30 people ? I wonder if that afia woman pleased guilty for snatching gun how much sentence she would have got fifity years may be.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:35am
Well he is a US citizen and Dawn is right in saying US man. So, technically a US citizen is involved in financing terrorism in Pakistan. ISI would want him to be deported for obvious reasons.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:36am
And here is a lesson to learn.terrorism is a multifacet issue.even educated entities are victims of such "fanaticism".We need to address our nation on sound basis as well as "youth" must be taught about positiveness of social and ethical values.No one can rise from ashes but a motivated and educated nation.These might be are difficult times on our nation,but history is evident ,how we have crossed such tough times.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:47am
@Rabia who trained him there.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:54am
Just 87 months for abetting, financing and guiding!!! Just because it is Pakistan at the receiving end. What about Dr. Afia Siddiqui? Why is she sentenced "forever"??? Just because it is US at the receiving end. This is US injustice system.
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Feb 15, 2015 12:55pm
Hi,
Please correct 87 months to 87 years. 87 years is equivalent to life imprisonment in US. Please do not compare this case with Afia Siddiqui. She is not a Pakistani. She held US passport and was found involved in terrorist activities. He husband was nephew of Al Qaeda leader Khaled Sheikh Muhammad and she had business being in Afghanistan. So, stop this infatuation with Afia Siddiqui.
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Feb 15, 2015 01:02pm
@Lone Ranger
only 87 months in an American prison. Then he gets thrown to the Pakistan court system
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Feb 15, 2015 01:41pm
The question is who made him do this. Who is the hidden hand that really orchastrted this murderous act. I do not think he was a loner.
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Feb 15, 2015 01:49pm
How about his financial assets. It must be freeze and US did good and send this person Pakistan. We will arrest him at airport and then later hanged him. He already found guilty and our Army courts give him worm welcome.
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Feb 15, 2015 02:25pm
Did we not blame India for this one?
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Feb 15, 2015 02:45pm
The case in point, proves that flowed religiosity leads people to kill and terrorize others.
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Feb 15, 2015 04:29pm
Kudos to the American's for helping find justice for the victims of the bombing attack. To the best of my knowledge he's a naturalized US Citizen and therefor can't be deported to Pakistan after his sentence is served - it's also unlikely he would want to return to face the wrath of the ISI.
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Feb 15, 2015 06:06pm
@Human - Why not? But the problem is to convince the Rest of the World!
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Feb 15, 2015 06:31pm
@Human
In Samjotha Express carnage no one was from Pakistan but India needed to accuses Pakistan to externalize its own internal failures.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:04pm
Makfath-eAmal, he should face now the consequences and jest because of him many innocent people lost their life's.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:47pm
@Human not one but alloff them wer from pakistan.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:53pm
This guy getting such lift sentence is unjust. Isn't he responsible of killing and causing such horrible destruction.
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Feb 15, 2015 07:55pm
@Human The answer lies in the fact that in both cases persons were of Pakistani origin.
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Feb 15, 2015 08:55pm
The crime occurred in Pakistan. He may be a citizen of USA but was born in Pakistan. He should be send to face justice in Pakistan.
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Feb 15, 2015 09:08pm
Like always, blameit on India!! :D
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Feb 15, 2015 09:17pm
@Rajdeep Anand (Indian)
Any doubt Sir ?
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Feb 15, 2015 10:04pm
@Human pak interior minister rehman malik said the attack was planned in pakistan...thats why Lakhvi is in jail.....atleast read wikipedia before commenting....
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Feb 15, 2015 10:20pm
He should have been given life sentence in USA
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Feb 15, 2015 10:24pm
@Salman Yeah thats he is arrested by FBI and trying to prove that look we did this and now we have proof of this.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:28pm
@Ahmed Saeed yes but when it turned out to be otherwise we not openly accepted this but also the culprits are behind the bar. The main culprit is waiting for hanging and other culprit is under trial.
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Feb 15, 2015 10:46pm
I am wonder how a person make effort to be qualified and being worked in good position in USA. what are thing to divert his mind to force him to act a such a terrorist activities.
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Feb 15, 2015 11:02pm
whole world knows all da terrorism which is spilled in our country is funded by outside world countries like US n india,....
everyone knows,,,,
media should step up n uncover such traitors,,,
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Feb 15, 2015 11:04pm
@riaz khan He is guilty of financing a terror operation in other country. In US , he ll be charged for that and then he deported to Pak.
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Feb 15, 2015 11:59pm
send him here, we will hang him high, you US will only allow him to escape through loopholes of this right and that statute etc. ... until he may strike again when free or even in prison
jst send him across, he's got our blood on his hands and we want his neck
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Feb 16, 2015 01:48am
Please deport him
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Feb 16, 2015 04:50am
There is more to the story then what's been told. This man was clearly working for someone who wants harm done to Pakistan and its people. To say the least he was being funded by an organisation that has been known to kidnap, and torture people in safe houses. Pakistan should demand US for more information on this. He is been made a escape goat like all the famous operatives before him like Saddam Hussain and Noriega who have been neautralized.
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Feb 16, 2015 06:21am
They send him to Pakistan for his speedy final journey!
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Feb 16, 2015 06:29am
I would like to see the face of this "educated," criminal who has basically committed the murders by giving his financial and other
support.
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Feb 16, 2015 07:40am
@Human Not ONLY 1 ALL the attackers were from Pakistan.
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Feb 16, 2015 08:35am
@Human Not one but all were Pakistanis and recording showed that the instructions and ecouragement were given to these terrorists while they were there, how to kill and attack by some one in Pakiatan. Why we Pakianis want to defend these terrorists.
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