Terrorism-related charges were filed against two Chicago men today, accusing them of plotting against targets in Western Europe, including "facilities and employees" of a Danish newspaper that printed cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked riots in the Muslim world
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The cartoonist Knut Westergaard
Protesters
The two men are David Coleman Headley, originally Daood Gilani, a US citizen and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani Canadian, both men are in their late forties.
Headley and the people he communicated with coded their plan for attacks over the cartoon as "the Mickey Mouse Project," according to the affidavit. He allegedly traveled to Denmark in January 2009 and visited two offices of the newspaper that printed the cartoon, Jyllands-Posten, in Copenhagen and Arhus, Denmark. During his visits he claimed to be a businessman interested in advertising with the paper, according to the document.
He visited Denmark and Europe again in July 2009.
Chicago Breaking News
Accordning to the indictment papers
Headley was arrested on Oct. 3 as he prepared to board a flight from Chicago to Philadelphia, intending to travel on to Pakistan. During a search of Headley’s luggage, a memory stick was recovered that contained approximately 10 short videos of Copenhagen, including video focused on the Jyllands-Posten building in King’s Square taken both during the day and night, as well as a nearby Danish military barracks and the exterior and interior of Copenhagen’s central train station, consistent with the checklist he stored which mentioned "route design." In addition, Headley had an airline reservation, allegedly made by Rana, to fly from Atlanta to Copenhagen on Oct. 29, 2009.
Rana according to the indictment papers
helped arrange Headley’s travels overseas and conceal their true nature and purpose to surveil potential terror targets overseas, and discussed potential targets for attack with Headley
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He is the owner of a Kinsman, Illinois farm providing halal meat. He was arrersted in a razzia last week Massive FBI Raid on Islamic Slaughterhouse Mystifies Tiny Illinois Town
Indictment papers
Headley is reported to have confessed, while Rana denies the charges.
Living in Scandinavia we are used to thinking of ourselves as a peaceful corner of the world, but episodes like this shows terror knows no borders. Thanks to the FBI for avoiding a possible attack this time.