Overview
On Wednesday, October 17th, Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis, a 21-year-old Bangladeshi national, was arrested by the FBI for attempting to detonate twenty 50-pound bags of an alleged explosive at the Federal Reserve Bank located at 33 Liberty Street in Lower Manhattan. After parking what he believed to be a van laden with explosives in front of the Bank, Nafis and an FBI confidential human source exited the vehicle, walked to a nearby hotel and recorded a video which was to be released with reports of the attack. After recording the video, Nafis attempted to detonate the inert explosives using a cellular telephone connected to the device. Law enforcement officials arrested Nafis after he attempted to detonate the device. He has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and intentionally providing material support and resources to a foreign terrorist organization (al Qaeda).
Key to the operation was the use of a confidential human source who was an active part of the plot from the beginning. Nafis began planning the attack in early July 2012 when he initially contacted an individual online who became an FBI source. Nafis, believing he was part of an al Qaeda cell, named several potential targets. An unspecified military base in Baltimore, the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), and an unidentified high ranking government official were all potential targets before the decision was made to actively target the Federal Reserve Bank in Lower Manhattan. Nafis believed targeting America’s economy was the most efficient way to achieve the “obliteration of America.” To this end, Nafis was willing to martyr himself to ensure some level of success with regard to an attack on U.S. soil.
Implications
This undercover operation exposed tradecraft elements of the terrorist attack cycle. For example, Nafis was seen conducting pre-operational surveillance of the NYSE, his first proposed target, in August 2012. Nafis’ surveillance of the NYSE and its security measures may have dissuaded him from attempting an attack there due to the difficulty of using an explosive-laden vehicle. Additionally, Nafis’ plot incorporates elements of past terrorist attacks. He was aiming for a financial target that if attacked would cause a significant economic impact. Similar to recent terrorism cases, Nafis was influenced online and inspired by video sermons from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s (AQAP) deceased chief of external operations, Anwar al-Awlaki. This signifies Awlaki’s continued influence on jihadist youths even after his death. Reportedly, Nafis had also mentioned his admiration for AQAP’s magazine called “Inspire,” which is readily available on the Internet. This case highlights the continued threat from individuals overseas who come to the United States lawfully but for the purposes of conducting a terrorist act.