Remarks By Commissioner Kelly At Press Conference:
At approximately 6 p.m. yesterday, detectives from the New York City Police Department’s Intelligence Division apprehended two Queens residents, Ahmed Ferhani and Mohammed Mehdi Mamdouh, after Ferhani purchased two Browning, .380 semi-automatic pistols, a Smith and Wesson handgun, ammunition, and a hand grenade in an undercover operation that culminated with his arrest at 58th Street near the West Side Highway.
Twelve detectives in six unmarked police vehicles converged on a gray, late model Toyota Corolla occupied by Ferhani. Mamdouh was arrested by three detectives at about the same time on the corner of West 57th Street and Ninth Avenue.
Just before Ferhani was apprehended, he said he wanted to obtain more handguns, silencers, a box of hand grenades, bullet-resistant vests, and police radios. By way of explanation, Ferhani said – using an expletive – that he was fed up with the way Muslims were being treated around the world. “They’re treating us like dogs,” he said.
Ferhani, a 26-year-old native of Algeria who currently resides in Queens, conspired with 20-year-old Mamdouh to bomb a synagogue in Manhattan. They did not identify the synagogue by name.
Mamdouh, a native of Casablanca, is a livery-service dispatcher. He came to the United States with his parent in August of 1999. By virtue of his parents’ naturalization, Mamdouh is a United States citizen.
Ferhani is unemployed. In addition to discussing the bombing of synagogues quote, “one after another,” he also expressed interest in bombing the Empire State Building.
Seven months ago New York City undercover officers encountered Ferhani, who expressed interest in killing Jews. He also said, “we will blow up a synagogue in Manhattan and take out the whole entire building.” On the same day, after Mamdouh said, quote, “I hate Jews,” Ferhani replied, “I want to kill them.”
Like the plotters in the Herald Square bomb plot, Ferhani discussed growing a beard and payos to disguise himself as a Hasidic Jew. We were concerned that his purchase of the guns and a grenade was part of a plan to attack Jews in the city. We decided to make the arrest at this time because of Ferhani’s interest in obtaining weapons and his expressed desire to construct increasingly powerful bombs.
Also, no matter how good the surveillance there’s always a chance a suspect may elude authorities. We did not want to risk losing track of Ferhani and Mamdouh when we knew the danger they posed, especially to New York’s Jewish community.
We established no direct ties between them and Al Qaeda or other operational terrorist groups. Ferhani and Mamdouh were lone wolves, not unlike Matin Siraj and James El-Shafay, who plotted to bomb the Herald Square subway station shortly before the Republican National Convention in 2004. As I’m sure you recall, lone wolves were also involved in the plot to bomb a synagogue and a Jewish community center in Riverdale in 2008.
These arrests come at a time when the Department of Homeland Security, in the wake of Bin Laden’s death, has reminded law enforcement in an unclassified report of the threat posed by lone wolves.
Ferhani supported Palestinians against Israel and expressed interest in going to Gaza to fight. He claimed that once, when he was jailed at Rikers, he met a Palestinian inmate who instructed him on how to make a bomb using a light bulb, a lead that is still being investigated.
He said he did not consider Hamas or Al Qaeda to be terrorist groups, and was prepared to die for jihad. Ferhani also discussed renting a farmhouse where he and others could fire weapons and have discussions without risk of being monitored.
He immigrated to the United States in August 1995 from Algeria with two siblings and his parents, who claimed asylum. He has resided since then in Queens with his family.
As a result of his asylum claim, he was granted permanent resident status by immigration authorities. However, because of his failure to appear before an immigration judge to answer questions about arrests, his case was under review for possible deportation.
I want to commend Commissioner Cohen and his team for their outstanding work in this case. The exchange of guns with suspects is always a dangerous enterprise, as illustrated last night in an unrelated undercover gun trafficking case.
I also want to thank District Attorney Vance and his outstanding team who worked so hard with us to bring these dangerous individuals to justice.
As for our undercover officers, obviously they cannot be identified. I can say, however, that NYPD undercover officers were instrumental in thwarting not only this plot and the one to bomb Herald Square, but also in identifying Carlos Almonte and Mohammed Alessa, who were arrested at Kennedy Airport last year en route to Somalia for terrorist training.
While there are no specific plots targeting New York City in the wake of Bin Laden’s death this latest case reminds us that we must remain vigilant every day using officers and detectives like those who helped bring this case to a safe and successful conclusion.
Click on image to enlarge.
Video as well as photo coverage will be published later today.
(YWN Desk – NYC)
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17 Responses
Why do we let this dreck into the country???
On a drive by media report today I heard that this was not considered a plotted terrorist attack. Oh really?!?! Was this just a bunch of friends getting together for a card game?
Ahmed Ferhani and Mohamed Mamdouh?!?
Wow! Ya mean they were moslems?!?
And I was sure they were gonna be elderly Italian men, like I saw being frisked by TSA at the airport!
Just shows, ya never know…
No. 1: We let these guys into the country (assuming they are not here illegally) because they look like a lot of other people who live respectable and productive lives. That’s why they let in my ancestors and you or your ancestors. Mostly they get it right. Some careful studies suggest that the immigrant population as a whole contains less dreck than the native-born population.
They were conservative Republicans who were against the ObamaCare health reform.
Stop being racists, and stop blaming everything on the peace-loving Muslims.
“queens men”
To Protect Shul , Please refrain conversation!
@AOM Absolutely. Islam is a genocidal cult that was invented by the genocidal pedophile Mohammed (yemach shemo vezichro).
Where is the outrage on the liberal left over this attempted terrorist attack targeting Jews? Oh, wait … Jews don’t get PC protection- only Arabs, Muslims, Blacks, and Indians.
By Shmuel Sackett
International Director, Manhigut Yehudit
One thing made Osama bin Laden public enemy #1.
One thing made him a target for America’s hit squad.
One thing – and only one thing – made his assassination justified and praised by world leaders.
He didn’t just kill Jews.
Had he limited his terrorism to Jews only, he would not have been targeted.
The same world leaders who today take great pride in his death would have celebrated his life. He would not have been killed by President Obama; he would have dined with him.
He would have been invited to the United Nations.
He would have had a worldwide speaking tour.
He would have won the Nobel peace prize.
Think I’m crazy? Mahmoud Ahmadinijad is the President of Iran.
His resume’ includes a lot more than just politics. It has been alleged that he participated in the attacks against the Jewish community of Argentina where hundreds of Jews were killed. He has stated – time and again – that he wants to destroy Israel. He wants to kill the 6,000,000 Jews (interesting number) who live here and he is feverishly working to build a bomb that will do just that.
Has he been targeted?
Is this animal on any one’s “hit list”?
Actually, just the opposite is true.
He recently spoke in the UN. He was a guest speaker in Columbia University.
Why?
Because he is only interested in killing Jews.
Khaled Mashaal is the leader of Hamas.
Hamas is a sworn enemy of Israel.
It has killed and maimed thousands of Jews since the “peace process” came about.
It has fired over 5,000 missiles into Israel, aiming for Jewish homes and hoping to kill Jewish children.
Has he been targeted?
Is this beast on anyone’s “hit list”?
Actually, just the opposite is true. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently invited Mashaal to Moscow.
Former US President Jimmy Carter has embraced Mashaal and considers him a “partner for peace”.
Why?
Because he is only interested in killing Jews.
Yasser Arafat was the leader of the PLO for almost four decades.
He has more innocent blood on his hands than bin Laden.
Yet this murderer was a guest at the Clinton White House more than any other world leader!
He spoke in the UN.
He was accepted around the world as a leader and spoke in over 30 countries.
He won the Nobel Peace Prize.
Why?
Because he was only interested in killing Jews.
His successor, Abbas is a Jew murderer, as well.
Although I can go on, I will give just one final example: Adolf Hitler.
The world knew about his plans for the Jews as early as 1933.
The world knew about Kristallnacht back in November of 1938, and of the concentration camps shortly thereafter. Yet the entire world called this monster “Herr” Hitler. They gave him respect. They recognized him as a leader. All that changed when Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. From that point on he became an enemy. Why? Because until that day he was only interested in killing Jews.
Osama bin Laden violated the golden rule: In addition to killing just Jews, he also killed non-Jews. That is why he was targeted and for no other reason!
The message to Jews – and the State of Israel – is very clear.
Learn to defend yourself. Learn to take revenge yourself.
The world will not help you with Iran, Hamas or the PLO/PA.
Ahmadinijad, Abbas & Mashaal will not make the same mistake as Bin Laden. They will continue to be accepted and embraced by the world. Understand this, accept this and deal with this.
“We have no one on whom to rely, other than our Father in Heaven”.
May today’s Jewish leaders – and the brave warriors of the IDF – engrave this on their hearts. And may they – very soon – do to these terrorists exactly what was done to Bin Laden.
to #1
For the same reason they let our parents and grandparents in.
#10, i’d hate to intrude but what is that reason exactly?
#9, I have a question for you and for the individual that wrote that piece. You are right that no one cares that Jews were killed throughout the centuries. But lets put things in perspective. We don’t care when others around the world get killed. Do we care when Rawandans are murdered in the hundreds of thousands? Do we care when brutal dictators torture and kill their own civilians? Did we care when Milosavitch was buthchering his own people? So th bottom line is, everyone is out to protect themselves. Its not that obama hates Jews and doesnt care when Hamas committs terror. He only cares about Americans the same way we only care about ourselves.
These guys are nuts! This country has to figure out a way to redesign their religion so that they don’t get any more of these ideas. If necessary edit and reprint their Koran so that they don’t read the wrong things. I am sure that an “Edited for Civilization Koran” will be a popular best seller. Then they can still be muslims and everyone can live happily ever after.
“Why do we let this dreck into the country???”
People said the same thing a century ago when Jews were arriving in America by the million. And unfortunately, they were listened to, immigration was restricted, and Six Million had no place to flee. Your attitude was exactly the attitude that contributed to their deaths.
“He would not have been killed by President Obama; he would have dined with him.”
This is motzi shem ra of the worst kind. President Obama has never had dinner with any of the thugs you mentioned. He continues to refuse to have anything to do with Hamas, Hezbollah, of the Iranian regime.
When we wake up and realize whensomething like this happens, perhaps we should wake up and realize its a direct message from G-d to do teshuva! The enemy may not be Nazi germany but the message is the same: do teshuva and unify as one klal yisroel especially during the omer.
“This is motzi shem ra of the worst kind”
Motzi shem ra doesnt apply to goyim. He can say whatever he wants about Obama
#14 ‘moitzi shem rah of the worst kind’ of course, because you say so. I really cant think of something worse