This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-38056114
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Yemeni man in NYC accused of Islamic State plot | Yemeni man in NYC accused of Islamic State plot |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A Yemeni man living in New York City has been charged with attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group, say US authorities. | A Yemeni man living in New York City has been charged with attempting to provide support to the Islamic State group, say US authorities. |
| Mohammed Rafik Naji, 37, had expressed support for an attack in Times Square, according to a criminal complaint. | Mohammed Rafik Naji, 37, had expressed support for an attack in Times Square, according to a criminal complaint. |
| The 37-year-old, who lives in Brooklyn, was charged on Monday, said a spokeswoman for the FBI. | The 37-year-old, who lives in Brooklyn, was charged on Monday, said a spokeswoman for the FBI. |
| Times Square was the site of a failed car bomb attempt in 2010 carried out by a 30-year-old Connecticut resident. | Times Square was the site of a failed car bomb attempt in 2010 carried out by a 30-year-old Connecticut resident. |
| A paid police informant made contact with Mr Naji in August 2015. | |
| Suspicions had been aroused after he flew to Turkey with the alleged ambition of joining Islamic State in Yemen. | |
| He had emailed his girlfriend while he was away, asking her for money and sending her a "selfie" of himself in black clothing wearing an armoured vest, according to court papers | |
| When he flew back to New York later in 2015, he remained in contact with the informant and one recorded conversation five days after the Nice attacks led to him being charged. | |
| In that conversation, Mr Naji expressed his support for staging a similar attack - 84 people were killed in France by a lorry driving into crowds celebrating Bastille Day - in New York's Times Square, say prosecutors. | |
| "They want an operation in Times Square, reconnaissance group already put out a scene, the Islamic State already put up scenes of Times Square, you understand," Mr Naji said, according to the court papers. | |
| "I said that was an indication for whoever is smart to know." |