Dhiren Barot, British Al-Queda Agent Convicted

Before the last Presidential election in 2004, President Bush was accused of using the Homeland Security Warning system for political purposes, reminding American Citizens that he was on the job and was trying to protect people- something that his opponent, John Kerry, would not do adequately.

I remember that month. Only New York, New Jersey and Washington DC were on High alert, specifically financial targets. As it turns out, the threat was very real. Homeland Security were protecting us from Dhiren Barot, who intended to launch attacks in the United States.

Barot used to be Hindu, but he converted to Islam in 1992. He eventually came to be a leader of Al-Queda in Britain, and was planning to blow up several buildings in New York and Washington DC. When he was caught, he had the following in his possession:

• A reconnaissance plan of the Prudential Building in New Jersey
• Reconnaissance plans of the International Monetary Fund in Washington DC, the stock exchange and Citigroup, both in New York
• Two notebooks with information on explosives

He admitted his crimes in a British court. He will likely go to jail for life. From Reuters here:

LONDON (Reuters) – A Briton arrested amid a massive U.S. security alert two years ago admitted in a London court on Thursday to plotting to blow up the New York Stock Exchange and carry out “dirty bomb” attacks in Britain.

Dhiren Barot, a Muslim convert, admitted to plotting to blow up the stock exchange and other U.S. financial hubs including the headquarters of the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Citigroup and Prudential in Washington, New Jersey and New York.

“Explosions at these premises were clearly designed to kill as many people as possible,” said prosecuting lawyer Edmund Lawson.

Amid tight security at Woolwich Crown Court in South London, Barot pleaded guilty to conspiracy to murder and prosecutors outlined the details of his confession.

He admitted planning strikes on unspecified British targets in a conspiracy called the “Gas Limos Project,” which “involved parking three limos with gas cylinders with explosives and detonating them in underground carparks,” Lawson said.

Barot admitted another plan to detonate at least one “dirty bomb” contaminated with radiological material in Britain. The prosecution said Barot claimed the dirty bomb was not designed to kill but “rather to cause injury, fear terror and chaos.”

We found out about this plot because we forced Khaleed Shiek Mohammed to spill his guts on the other terror plots we had planned. Leftists in this country don’t want us to force confessions out of terrorists because “it makes us look mean to the world.”

I would rather look mean than look dead. And maybe if we look mean enough, people will stop trying to hurt us.