Thursday, November 1, 2012

Mass. Man Sentenced to 17 Years for Terror Plot; Northeastern Univ. Grad Planned to Use Drones

A Massachusetts man was sentenced today (November 1, 2012) to 17 years in prison in a plot to fly remote-controlled planes (drones) packed with explosives into the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol, according to the Associated Press website.

Rezwan Ferdaus, 27, of Ashland, pleaded guilty in July to attempting to provide material support to terrorists and attempting to damage and destroy federal buildings with an explosive. As part of the plea agreement between prosecutors and Ferdaus' attorney, both sides agreed to recommend the 17-year sentence.

Ferdaus -- a Muslim-American who grew up in Massachusetts and earned a physics degree from Northeastern University -- delivered a long, soft-spoken statement in which he offered no apology for his actions, but thanked his family and friends for supporting him. He said he has accepted his fate and "can dream of a brighter future."

Ferdaus did not make any direct anti-American statements, but he did refer to "a world filled with injustices." He added, "Who other than God knows best what it takes to make a good human being?"

No comments:

Post a Comment