Ahmad Khan Rahami was born in Afghanistan on January 23, 1988. His family reportedly fled Afghanistan and came to the U.S. in the 90s. According the Los Angeles Times, for most of his childhood and into his college years, Rahami led an “undistinguished American life” working “at his dad’s fried chicken restaurant, going to a local college and sometimes struggled with the bills.”
But, according to Rahami’s friends and family, his demeanor changed several years ago coinciding with lengthy trips back to Afghanistan. According to U.S. officials, Rahami is believed to have traveled to Afghanistan through Pakistan at least three times for months-long visits from 2005 to 2014. During this time, he married a Pakistani woman, Asia Bibi Rahami, and brought her to the United States as his wife.
Then, two years ago in August 2014, Rahami’s father, Mohammad R. Rahami, alerted the FBI to his son’s increasingly violent behavior after he stabbed one of his brothers in the leg. Ahmad’s father recounted the story to Fox News:
“Two years [ago], I called the FBI — my son, he’s doing very bad, OK? But they check it almost two months. … They say, ‘He’s not a terrorist.’ I said, ‘OK.’
“Now they say he is a terrorist. I say, ‘OK.’”
According to the LA Times, the FBI investigated the 2014 stabbing but found no ties to terrorism and ultimately no charges were filed in what was described as a “domestic dispute.”
During at least one of his trips to Pakistan in 2014, Rahami was flagged by U.S. Customs and Border Protection due to the “pattern of his travel history” though recent FBI comments to the press seem to indicate that those “red flags” went unnoticed.
When Rahami returned to the U.S. from Pakistan, the pattern of his travel history was a red flag for border officials. Rahami was told by the officer checking his passport he would be asked additional questions about his time outside the U.S.
Information about Rahami from that secondary interview was entered into the TECS database, a repository of information about travelers maintained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to a U.S. official briefed on Rahami’s travel.
Now, we learn from the recent criminal complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of New Jersey (which is attached in its entirety at the end of this post), that Rahami began prepping for his recent attacks about 3 months ago when he started purchasing bomb-making supplies on eBay. The supplies included, among other things, citric acid, circuit boards, firing systems and lead milling balls.
Between approximately June 2O, 2016 and approximately August 10, 2016, an eBay user with the registered user name “ahmad rahimi” purchased several items on the eBay website. Each of these items was shipped to a specific business located in Perth Amboy, New Jersey (“Perth Amboy Business”). Based on the information described herein, I believe that the purchaser, “ahmad rahimi” is in fact AHMAD KHAN RAHAMI, alkla “Ahmad Rahimi,” the defendant.
On or about August 10, 2016, “ahmad rahimi’ purchased an item described in part as: “Citric Acid USP/ Food Grade 5 Lb Pack- Great for bath bombs and candy making.” I know, based on my training, experience, and conversations with other law enforcement officials, that citric acid is a precursor chemical commonly used in improvised explosives.
On or about July 31, 2016, “ahmad rahimi,, purchased an item described in part as: “10PCS 5 cm*7cm Prototyping PCB printed Circuit Board Prototype Breadboard #0043.” I know, based on my training, experience, and conversations with other law enforcement oflicials, that circuit boards are components commonly used in improvised explosive devices.
On or about July 12, 2076, “ahmad rahimi” purchased an item described in part as: “E-match+ 100pcs/ lot 11.81in For Fireworks Firing System Electric Igniters display.” On or about July 12, 2016, “ahmad rahimi” purchased an item described as: “200 Hardened Lead Milling Balls .490 in. Ball Mill Tumbling Media $rrotechnics.” In addition, on or about July 12, 2016, “ahmad rahimi” purchased an item described in part as: “loopcs/lot 1 1.8lin For Fireworks Firing System Electric Igniters display.” On or about June 20, 2016, “ahmad rahimi” purchased an item described in part as: “Sling Shot ammo .50 cal .495 lead round ba11s 25 count Lead balls .495 diameter.” And, on or about June 20, 2016, “ahmad rahimi” purchased an item described in part as: “TRUMARK SLINGSHOT 200 COUNT 5/ 16′ STEEL-BALLS AMMO SLINGSHOT STEELIES.”
Court filings also indicate that federal authorities recovered a cellphone video, shot two days before the Chelsea bombing, which appears to show Rahami blowing up a cylindrical container at or near his home in Elizabeth.
They also recovered a handwritten journal in Rahami’s possession at the time of his arrest with the following entries:
“You [USA Government] continue your [unintelligible] slaughter against the mujaheddin be it Afghanistan, Iraq, Sham [Syria], Palestine…”
“The FBI and Homeland Security [unintelligible] looking for me…[unintelligible] my heart I pray to the beautiful wise ALLAH. To not take JIHAD away from. I beg [unintelligible] for shahadat [martyrdom] and Inshallah [God Willing] this call will be answered.”
“Inshallah [God willing] the sounds of the bombs will be heard in the streets. Gun shots to your police. Death To Your OPPRESSION.”
Rahami remains in a Newark hospital recovering from gunshot wounds incurred during his arrest.
The full criminal complaint filed against Rahami can be reviewed below:
The post The Latest on NY/NJ Bomber Rahami – “Sounds Of The Bombs Will Be Heard In The Streets. Death To Your Oppression” appeared first on crude-oil.top.