US public never in danger from Metro bomber

Barack Obama was informed about bomb plot before suspect’s arrest, says White House spokesman.

WASHINGTON: The US public was never in danger from a subway bombing plot allegedly involving a Pakistani-American suspect and President Barack Obama was informed about it before suspect’s arrest, the White House said on Thursday.

The White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said that the Justice Department, the FBI and national security officials had been “on top of this case from the beginning.”

“The FBI was aware of Farooq Ahmed’s activities from before the alleged attempt began and closely monitored him until his arrest,” said the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), which runs the Metro.

US media suggested the months-long operation that led to Ahmed’s arrest had been an FBI sting.

Ahmed’s neighbor Anushaya Fitzgerald said that she was stunned when she learned of his arrest.

There was “no indication at all” that Ahmed, was involved in any extremist activity, she said.

Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science from The City University of New York and is married and has a small son but Fitzgerald said they had left.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2010.