Jump to content

Aafia Siddiqui: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous editNext edit →
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
KeptSouth (talk | contribs)
11,468 edits
touch up
KeptSouth (talk | contribs)
11,468 edits
Undid revision 375797144 by KeptSouth (talk) - revert my unintentional reversion to an earlier version
Line 4: Line 4:
| image_size =
| image_size =
| alt =black-and-white headshot of dark-haired, unsmiling woman with dark eyes
| alt =black-and-white headshot of dark-haired, unsmiling woman with dark eyes
| caption = [[Facial composite]], created by FBI by altering her drivers license image<ref name="emma"/>
| caption = [[Facial composite]], created by FBI for a wanted poster<ref name="emma"/>
| birth_name =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|03|02}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1972|03|02}}
Line 14: Line 14:
| other_names = Fahrem; Saliha; Feriel Shahin<ref name="emma"/>
| other_names = Fahrem; Saliha; Feriel Shahin<ref name="emma"/>
| known_for =
| known_for =
| education =
| education =
| alma_mater =[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|M.I.T.]], B.S. (1995)</br>[[Brandeis University|Brandeis]], Ph.D. (2001)
| alma_mater =[[Massachusetts Institute of Technology|M.I.T.]], B.S. (1995)</br>[[Brandeis University|Brandeis]], Ph.D. (2001)
| employer =
| employer =
Line 47: Line 47:
| misc =
| misc =
}}
}}
'''Aafia Siddiqui''' (born March 2, 1972, in [[Karachi]], Pakistan) is a [[Muslim]] Pakistani [[neuroscientist]], accused by the U.S. of being an [[al-Qaeda]] member.<ref name=TIME1/> She was named one of seven "most wanted" al-Qaeda fugitives by the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) and was the subject of a five-year international manhunt. In 2008 she was arrested in Afghanistan, and was shot and wounded while in custody after she allegedly grabbed the unattended rifle of one of her American interrogators and began shooting. She was convicted in February 2010 in U.S. federal court of attempting to murder her U.S. interrogators.<ref name="indi"/><ref name="convic"/>
'''Aafia Siddiqui''' (born March 2, 1972, in [[Karachi]], Pakistan) is an American-educated Pakistani [[neuroscientist]] who was accused by the U.S. of being an [[al-Qaeda]] member,<ref name=TIME1/> and later convicted of attempting to murder U.S. interrogators.


A [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT) [[alumna]] and [[Brandeis University]] Ph.D., she had disappeared in Pakistan in March 2003 along with her three young children.<ref name="emma"/><ref name="indi"/><ref name=TIME1/> Her disappearance followed the arrest of [[Khalid Sheikh Muhammad]], alleged chief planner of the September 11 attacks and the uncle of her second husband, and the subsequent issuance by the FBI of a global "wanted for questioning" alert for her.<ref name="emma"/> She was arrested July 17, 2008 by the [[Afghan National Police]] outside the compound of governor of [[Ghazni Province]].<ref name=DerSpiegel/> The police said she had in her possession a number of documents describing the creation of explosives, chemical weapons, [[Ebola]], [[dirty bomb]]s, and [[Radiological weapon|radiological agents]], and handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack".<ref name="comp"/>
A devout [[Muslim]] who was involved with Islamic charities, she disappeared with her three young children in March 2003 in Pakistan shortly after the arrest of her second husband's uncle, [[Khalid Sheikh Muhammad]], the alleged chief planner of the September 11 attacks.<ref name="emma"/><ref name="indi"/><ref name=TIME1/> The [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] (FBI) then issued a global "wanted for questioning" alert for Siddiqui.<ref name="emma"/> One year later, she was named as one of the seven "most wanted" al-Qaeda fugitives by the FBI, and became the subject of an international manhunt.


The shooting incident occurred in Afghanistan at a police station the day after her arrest.<ref name="guardian2">{{cite news|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|location=New York|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/04/pakistan-neuroscientist-united-states-afghanistan|title=Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder of U.S. agents|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] (UK)|date=February 4, 2010|accessdate=April 10, 2010}}</ref> After receiving medical attention for her severe wounds, Siddiqui was flown to the U.S., where she was charged with two counts of attempted murder, armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.<ref name="indi"/><ref name="comp"/> The federal judge declared her mentally fit to stand trial, despite conflicting medical opinion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Weiser |first=Benjamin |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/pakistani-scientist-is-found-fit-to-stand-trial/ |title=Pakistani Scientist Is Found Fit to Stand Trial|work=City Room Blog|publisher=The New York Times|date=July 29, 2009|accessdate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> On February 3, 2010, the jury convicted her on all counts.<ref name="indi"/><ref name="convic">{{cite press release|url=http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/February10/siddiquiaafiaverdictpr.pdf|title=Aafia Siddiqui Found Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court of Attempting to Murder U.S. Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges|publisher=Public Information Office, United States Attorney Southern District of New York|date=February 3, 2010|accessdate=February 14, 2010}}</ref><ref name="guardian2"/><ref name="nytimes1"/> She faces a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison on the firearm charge, and could also get up to 20 years for each attempted murder and firearms charge, and up to 8 years on each of the remaining assault counts. Her sentencing hearing was originally scheduled for May 6, 2010, but was deferred to August 16.<ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/06-May-2010/Hearing-deferred-to-Aug-16/ Hearing deferred to Aug 16]</ref>
In July 2008, she was arrested by [[Afghan National Police]] outside the compound of the governor of [[Ghazni Province]], on suspicion of being a suicide bomber. The police said she was carrying in her handbag documents describing the creation of chemical, biological and [[radiological weapons]], and had handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack".<ref name="comp"/> She was shot and severely wounded the the day after her arrest when she allegedly grabbed the unattended rifle of one of her American interrogators and began shooting.<ref name="guardian2">{{cite news|last=Pilkington|first=Ed|location=New York|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/feb/04/pakistan-neuroscientist-united-states-afghanistan|title=Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder of U.S. agents|newspaper=[[The Guardian]] (UK)|date=February 4, 2010|accessdate=April 10, 2010}}</ref> She received medical attention for her wounds, and was flown to the U.S., where she was charged with two counts of attempted murder, armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.<ref name="indi"/><ref name="comp"/> After receiving psychological therapy, the federal judge declared her mentally fit to stand trial, though there was a dissenting medical opinion.<ref>{{cite news|last=Weiser |first=Benjamin |url=http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/29/pakistani-scientist-is-found-fit-to-stand-trial/ |title=Pakistani Scientist Is Found Fit to Stand Trial|work=City Room Blog|publisher=The New York Times|date=July 29, 2009|accessdate=May 13, 2010}}</ref> <ref name=Harpers/> [[Amnesty International]] monitored the trial "to assess the fairness of the proceedings, given many unresolved questions surrounding the case."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/004/2010/en/12fabc51-a78a-4e9a-938e-d4c589eba1d4/amr510042010en.html|title=Amnesty International to observe the Trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui|publisher=Amnesty.org|date=January 19, 2010|author=Amnesty Intl staff}}</ref> She was tried and convicted by a jury on all counts in February 2010 in Manhattan federal district court.<ref name="guardian2"/><ref name="nytimes1"/><ref name="indi"/><ref name="convic">{{cite press release|url=http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/pressreleases/February10/siddiquiaafiaverdictpr.pdf|title=Aafia Siddiqui Found Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court of Attempting to Murder U.S. Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges|publisher=Public Information Office, United States Attorney Southern District of New York|date=February 3, 2010|accessdate=February 14, 2010}}</ref>, and will be sentenced to a minimum of 30 years and maximum of life in prison on August 16, 2010.<ref>[http://www.nation.com.pk/pakistan-news-newspaper-daily-english-online/Politics/06-May-2010/Hearing-deferred-to-Aug-16/ Hearing deferred to Aug 16]</ref> The charges against her stemmed solely from the shooting, and Siddiqui has not to date been charged with or prosecuted for any terrorism-related offenses.<ref name=bbc7544008/><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/September/08-nsd-765.html|title=Aafia Siddiqui Indicted for Attempting to Kill United States Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges|date=September 8, 2008| publisher=U.S. Department of Justice}}</ref>


The charges against her stemmed solely from the shooting, and Siddiqui has not to date been charged with or prosecuted for any terrorism-related offenses.<ref name=bbc7544008/><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/2008/September/08-nsd-765.html|title=Aafia Siddiqui Indicted for Attempting to Kill United States Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges|date=September 8, 2008| publisher=U.S. Department of Justice}}</ref><ref name=Harpers/> [[Amnesty International]] monitored the trial "to assess the fairness of the proceedings, given many unresolved questions surrounding the case."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/AMR51/004/2010/en/12fabc51-a78a-4e9a-938e-d4c589eba1d4/amr510042010en.html|title=Amnesty International to observe the Trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui|publisher=Amnesty.org|date=January 19, 2010|author=Amnesty Intl staff}}</ref> Many of Siddiqui's supporters, including international human rights organizations have claimed that Siddiqui was not an extremist and that she, along with her young children, were illegally detained and interrogated by Pakistani intelligence, likely at the behest of the U.S. Siddiqui’s family said she was abducted and tortured by US intelligence.<ref name=TIME1/> The U.S. and Pakistan governments have denied all such claims.<ref name="alleg">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2010/01/19/suspected_mit_terrorist_begins_trial_today_in_nyc/?page=full|title=Alleged Pakistani militant stands trial today in NYC; Scientist trained at MIT, Brandeis|last=Stockman|first=Farah|date=January 19, 2010|newspaper=The Boston Globe|accessdate=February 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name=OneIndia2010-02-05/>
Many of Siddiqui's supporters, including international human rights organizations, have claimed that Siddiqui was not an extremist and that she and her young children, were illegally detained and interrogated by Pakistani intelligence during the time of her disappearance, likely at the behest of the U.S. Siddiqui’s family has said she was abducted and tortured by U.S. intelligence.<ref name=TIME1/> The U.S. and Pakistan governments have denied all such claims.<ref name="alleg">{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2010/01/19/suspected_mit_terrorist_begins_trial_today_in_nyc/?page=full|title=Alleged Pakistani militant stands trial today in NYC; Scientist trained at MIT, Brandeis|last=Stockman|first=Farah|date=January 19, 2010|newspaper=The Boston Globe|accessdate=February 12, 2010}}</ref><ref name=OneIndia2010-02-05/>


== Biography ==
== Biography ==

Revision as of 20:58, 27 July 2010

Aafia Siddiqui
black-and-white headshot of dark-haired, unsmiling woman with dark eyes
Facial composite, created by FBI for a wanted poster[1]
Born (1972-03-02) March 2, 1972 (age 52)
Karachi, Pakistan
Other namesFahrem; Saliha; Feriel Shahin[1]
CitizenshipPakistani[2][3]
Alma materM.I.T., B.S. (1995)
Brandeis, Ph.D. (2001)
OccupationNeuroscientist[4]
Criminal charge(s)i) Two counts of attempted murder of U.S. nationals, officers, and employees;
ii) Assault with a deadly and dangerous weapon;
iii) Carrying and using a firearm; and
iv) three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[5]
Criminal penaltyConvicted; awaiting August 16, 2010, sentencing.[6]
Criminal statusbeing held at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn
Spouse(s)Mohammed Khan (1995 – October 21, 2002);
Ammar al-Baluchi (2003–present)
ChildrenMohammad Ahmed/Ali Hassan (b. 1996);
Mariam Bint Muhammad (b. 1998); and
Suleman (b. September 2002)
Parent(s)Muhammad Salay Siddiqui (father);
Ismet (née Faroochi) Siddiqui (mother)
RelativesKhalid Sheikh Muhammad, uncle of her husband

Aafia Siddiqui (born March 2, 1972, in Karachi, Pakistan) is an American-educated Pakistani neuroscientist who was accused by the U.S. of being an al-Qaeda member,[4] and later convicted of attempting to murder U.S. interrogators.

A devout Muslim who was involved with Islamic charities, she disappeared with her three young children in March 2003 in Pakistan shortly after the arrest of her second husband's uncle, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, the alleged chief planner of the September 11 attacks.[1][5][4] The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) then issued a global "wanted for questioning" alert for Siddiqui.[1] One year later, she was named as one of the seven "most wanted" al-Qaeda fugitives by the FBI, and became the subject of an international manhunt.

In July 2008, she was arrested by Afghan National Police outside the compound of the governor of Ghazni Province, on suspicion of being a suicide bomber. The police said she was carrying in her handbag documents describing the creation of chemical, biological and radiological weapons, and had handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack".[7] She was shot and severely wounded the the day after her arrest when she allegedly grabbed the unattended rifle of one of her American interrogators and began shooting.[8] She received medical attention for her wounds, and was flown to the U.S., where she was charged with two counts of attempted murder, armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[5][7] After receiving psychological therapy, the federal judge declared her mentally fit to stand trial, though there was a dissenting medical opinion.[9] [10] Amnesty International monitored the trial "to assess the fairness of the proceedings, given many unresolved questions surrounding the case."[11] She was tried and convicted by a jury on all counts in February 2010 in Manhattan federal district court.[8][12][5][13], and will be sentenced to a minimum of 30 years and maximum of life in prison on August 16, 2010.[14] The charges against her stemmed solely from the shooting, and Siddiqui has not to date been charged with or prosecuted for any terrorism-related offenses.[15][16]

Many of Siddiqui's supporters, including international human rights organizations, have claimed that Siddiqui was not an extremist and that she and her young children, were illegally detained and interrogated by Pakistani intelligence during the time of her disappearance, likely at the behest of the U.S. Siddiqui’s family has said she was abducted and tortured by U.S. intelligence.[4] The U.S. and Pakistan governments have denied all such claims.[17][18]

Biography

Early life

Siddiqui is the youngest of three siblings.[1] She attended school in Zambia until the age of eight, and then subsequently in Karachi, Pakistan.[19] Her father, Muhammad Salay Siddiqui, was a British-trained neurosurgeon, and her mother, Ismet (née Faroochi), is a now-retired Islamic teacher and social worker, who was prominent in political-religious circles.[1][20][21][22][23] She has one brother Mohammad Azi Siddiqui, an architect, who lives in Texas;[19] her sister, Fowzia, is a Harvard-trained neurologist who lives and works in Pakistan.[1][22][19][24]

Undergraduate education

Siddiqui moved to Texas in the United States on a student visa in 1990, joining her brother.[17][19][25] After attending the University of Houston for three semesters, she transferred to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[22][19] In 1992, as a sophomore, Siddiqui received a Carroll L. Wilson Award for her research proposal "Islamization in Pakistan and its Effects on Women".[1][19][26] As a junior, she received a $1,200 City Days fellowship through MIT's program to help clean up Cambridge elementary school playgrounds.[1]

She was regarded as religious by her fellow MIT students, but not unusually so: Marnie Biando, a former student who lived in the dorm at the time said "She was just nice and soft-spoken, [and not] terribly assertive."[22] She joined the Muslim Students' Association (MSA),[1][27] and a fellow Pakistani recalls her recruiting for association meetings and distributing pamphlets.[15] Journalist Deborah Scroggins believes Siddiqui may have been drawn into the world of terrorism through her contacts made there:

At MIT, several of the MSA's most active members had fallen under the spell of Abdullah Azzam, a Muslim Brother who was Osama bin Laden's mentor.... [Azzam] had established the Al Kifah Refugee Center to function as its worldwide recruiting post, propaganda office, and fund-raising center for the mujahideen fighting in Afghanistan... It would become the nucleus of the al-Qaeda organization.[1]

Siddiqui solicited money for the Al Kifah Refugee Center, which advocated armed violence, one of its members had just killed Rabbi Meir Kahane in 1990, and it was tied to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[1][28] Through the MAS she met several committed Islamists, including Suheil Laher, its imam, who publicly advocated Islamization and jihad before 9/11.[20] Fox News, citing Brandeis records, reported that Siddiqui taught General Biology Lab, a course required for undergraduate biology majors, pre-med and pre-dental students, in early 1999.[29]

When Pakistan asked the U.S. for help in 2003 in combating religious extremism, Siddiqui circulated the announcement with a scornful note deriding Pakistan for "officially" joining "the typical gang of our contemporary Muslim governments", closing her email with a quote from the Quran warning Muslims not to take Jews and Christians as friends.[1] She wrote three guides for teaching Islam, expressing the hope in one: "that our humble effort continues ... and more and more people come to the [religion] of Allah until America becomes a Muslim land."[1] She also took a 12-hour pistol training course at the Braintree Rifle and Pistol Club.[30]

While she initially majored in Biochemical and Biophysical Studies at MIT, she graduated in 1995 with a BS in Biology.[5][4][19][31] In February 1996, she wrote an article for the MIT information systems newsletter I/S entitled "Four Ways to get MITnet Applications for Macs and PCs".[32]

Postgraduate, work and marriage

headshot of dark-haired man with a small moustache
Amjad Mohammed Khan, Siddiqui's first husband

In 1995 she had an arranged marriage to anesthesiologist Amjad Mohammed Khan from Karachi, just out of medical school, whom she had never seen.[20][17] They were married over the phone.[28] Her husband came to the U.S., and they lived first in Lexington, Massachusetts, and then in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Roxbury (in Boston), as he worked as an anesthesiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital.[1][17] She gave birth to a son in 1996 (Mohammad Ahmed/Ali Hassan), and in September 1998 had a daughter (Mariam Bint e Muhammad); both are American citizens.[20][33]

Siddiqui studied cognitive neuroscience in a Ph.D. program at Brandeis University.[5][17][34] She received a Ph.D. degree in 2001 for her dissertation, entitled "Separating the Components of Imitation",[19][35] and also co-authored a journal article.[36]

In 1999, while living in Boston, Siddiqui (as president), her husband (as treasurer), and her sister (as resident agent) founded the Institute of Islamic Research and Teaching as a nonprofit organization.[19][37][38] On October 3, 2005, the Internal Revenue Service revoked the organization's charitable status.[39]

She attended a mosque outside the city where she stored copies of the Quran and other Islamic literature for distribution.[40] She also helped establish the Dawa Resource Center, a program that distributed Qurans and offered Islam-based advice to prison inmates.[33]

Divorce, remarriage, and al-Qaeda allegations

According to a dossier prepared by U.N. investigators for the 9/11 Commission, Siddiqui was one of six alleged al-Qaeda members who bought blood diamonds in Liberia immediately prior to the September 11, 2001, attacks.[41] Alan White, former chief investigator of a U.N.-backed war crimes tribunal in Liberia, said she was the woman who called herself 'Fahrem'[20] (alternative seems to be 'Feriel Shahin') who was in Monrovia on June 16, 2001 to buy blood diamonds – easily transportable, convertible, and untraceable assets – worth $19 million which her accusers believe were for funding al-Qaeda operations.[1][20][22][42] Three years later, in May 2004, one of the go-betweens in the deal identified Siddiqui as Shahin. However, her family and that of her husband say it is impossible. Siddiquis' lawyer says there are credit-card receipts and other records which show that she was in Boston at the time;[1] FBI agent Dennis Lormel, who investigated terrorism financing, said the agency quickly ruled out her involvement, although she remained suspected of money laundering.[10]

In the summer of 2001, the couple moved to Malden, Massachusetts.[1] According to Khan, after the September 11 attacks Siddiqui insisted on leaving the U.S., saying that it was unsafe for them and their children to remain.[43] He also said that she wanted him to move to Afghanistan, and work as a medic for the mujahideen.[10][17]

In May 2002, the FBI questioned Siddiqui and her husband regarding their purchase over the internet of $10,000 worth of night vision equipment, body armor, and military manuals including The Anarchist's Arsenal, Fugitive, Advanced Fugitive, and How to Make C-4.[10][22][28] Khan claimed that these were for hunting and camping expeditions. On June 26, 2002, the couple and their children returned to Pakistan.[1][5][20][28]

In August 2002, Khan said Siddiqui was abusive and manipulative throughout their seven years of marriage; her violent personality and extremist views lead him to suspect her of involvement in jihadi activities.[43] Khan went to Siddiqui's parents' home, and announced his intention to divorce her and argued with her father. The latter died of a heart attack on August 15, 2002.[1][22] In September 2002, Siddiqui gave birth to the last of their three children, Suleman.[1] The couple's divorce was finalized on October 21, 2002.[1][10]

The BBC reported that Siddiqui worked briefly in Baltimore after the birth, and returned to Pakistan in December.[15] She left again for the US on December 25, 2002, informing her ex-husband that she was looking for a job;[1] she returned on January 2, 2003.[1][5] Amjad later said he was suspicious of her explanation as universities were on winter break.[43] The FBI linked her to an alleged al-Qaeda operative, Majid Khan, who they suspected of having planned attacks on gas stations and underground fuel-storage tanks in the Baltimore/Washington area. They said that the real purpose of her trip was to open a post office box, to make it appear that Majid was still in the US.[20][21][22][44][45] Siddiqui listed Majid Khan as a co-owner of the P.O. box, falsely identified him as her husband.[4][10] The P.O. box key was later found in the possession of Uzair Paracha, who was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in federal prison in 2006 of providing material support to al-Qaeda.[1][46]

Approximately six months after her first marriage ended, she married accused al-Qaeda member Ammar al-Baluchi in Karachi.[17][19][28][44] Al Baluchi, also known as Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, is a nephew of al-Qaeda leader Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,[4][17][44] and a cousin of Ramzi Yousef, convicted of the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center.[4][44][47] Although Siddiqui's family denied her marriage to al-Baluchi, it was confirmed by Pakistani and US intelligence, a defense psychologist,[48] and by Mohammed's family.[15] Siddiqui herself confirmed it in court,[citation needed] but she disavowed his connections to al Qaeda.[48] Al-Baluchi was arrested on April 29, 2003, and taken to the Guantanamo Bay military prison;[44] he faces the death penalty in his upcoming trial in the U.S., for aiding the 9/11 hijackers.[17]

Disappearance

In early 2003, while Siddiqui was working at Aga Khan University in Karachi, she emailed a former professor at Brandeis and expressed interest in working in the U.S., citing lack of options in Karachi for women of her academic background.[20][28]

Bedraggled man with heavy chest hair and tousled hair wearing a white t-shirt
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Siddiqui's second husband's uncle, who reportedly revealed her name during his interrogation.

According to the media, Khalid Sheikh Muhammad, alleged al-Qaeda chief planner of the September 11 attacks, was interrogated by the CIA after his arrest on March 1, 2003.[49] Mohammed was tortured by waterboarding 183 times,[10][50] and his confessions triggered a series of related arrests shortly thereafter.[1] The press reported Mohammed naming Siddiqui as an al-Qaeda operative;[49] On March 25, 2003, the FBI issued a global "wanted for questioning" alert for Siddiqui and her ex-husband, Amjad Khan.[1] Khan was questioned by the FBI, and released.[28]

Afraid the FBI would find her in Karachi, she left her parents' house along with her three children[51] on March 30.[15] She took a taxi to the airport, ostensibly to catch a morning flight to Islamabad to visit her uncle, but disappeared.[20][28] Siddiqui's and her children's whereabouts and activities from March 2003 to July 2008 are a matter of dispute.

On April 1, 2003, local newspapers reported, and Pakistan interior ministry confirmed, that a woman had been taken into custody on terrorism charges.[15] The Boston Globe described "sketchy" Pakistani news reports saying Pakistani authorities had detained Siddiqui, and had questioned her with FBI agents.[33][49] However, a couple of days later, both the Pakistan government and the FBI publicly denied having anything to do with her disappearance.[15] On April 22, 2003, two U.S. federal law enforcement officials anonymously said Siddiqui had been taken into custody by Pakistani authorities. Pakistani officials never confirmed the arrest, however, and later that day the U.S. officials amended their earlier statements, saying new information made it "doubtful" she was in custody.[52] Her sister Fauzia claimed Interior Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat said that her sister had been released and would be returning home "shortly".[15]

In 2003–04, the FBI and the Pakistani government said they did not know where Siddiqui was.[31][28][53] U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft called her the most wanted woman in the world, an al-Qaeda "facilitator" who posed a "clear and present danger to the U.S." On May 26, 2004, the U.S. listed her among the seven "most wanted" al-Qaeda fugitives.[49][54] One day before the announcement, The New York Times cited the Department of Homeland Security saying there were no current risks; American Democrats accused the Bush administration of attempting to divert attention from plummeting poll numbers and to push the failings of the Invasion of Iraq off the front pages.[55]

"Lady Al-Qaeda"[56]

—Headline reference to Siddiqui in New York Daily News

"Prisoner 650"[57]

—Headline reference to Siddiqui in Tehran Times

According to her ex-husband, after the global alert for her was issued Siddiqui went into hiding, and worked for al-Qaeda.[28][43][58] During her disappearance Khan said he saw her at Islamabad airport in April 2003, as she disembarked from a flight with their son, and said he helped Inter-Services Intelligence identify her. He said he again saw her two years later, in a Karachi traffic jam.[10][28]

Media reports Siddiqui having told the FBI that she worked at the Karachi Institute of Technology in 2005, was in Afghanistan in the winter of 2007; she stayed for a time during her disappearance in Quetta, Pakistan, and was sheltered by various people.[4][17][59] According to an intelligence official in the Afghan Ministry of the Interior, her son Ahmad, who was with her when she was arrested, said he and Siddiqui had worked in an office in Pakistan, collecting money for poor people.[17] He told Afghan investigators that on August 14, 2008, they had traveled by road from Quetta, Pakistan, to Afghanistan.[24] Amjad Khan, who unsuccessfully sought custody of his eldest son, Ahmad, said most of the claims of the family in the Pakistani media relating to her and their children were to garner public support and sympathy for her; he said they were one-sided and in mostly false.[24][43] An Afghan intelligence official said he believes that Siddiqui was working with Jaish-e-Mohammed (the "Army of Muhammad), a Pakistani Islamic mujahedeen military group that fights in Kashmir and Afghanistan.[17]

Siddiqui's maternal uncle, Shams ul-Hassan Faruqi, said that on January 22, 2008, she visited him in Islamabad.[10][28] She said she had been held by Pakistani agencies, and asked for his help in order to cross into Afghanistan, where she thought she would be safe in the hands of the Taliban.[10][28] He had worked in Afghanistan, and made contact with the Taliban in 1999, but told her he was no longer in touch with them. He notified his sister, Siddiqui's mother, who came the next day to see her daughter. He said that Siddiqui stayed with them for two days.[60] Her uncle has signed an affidavit swearing to these facts.[24]

Ahmad and Siddiqui reappeared in 2008.[17] Afghan authorities handed the boy over to Pakistan in September 2008, and he now lives with his aunt in Karachi, who has prohibited him from talking to the press.[17][17][28] In April 2010, Pakistan Interior Minister Rehman Malik said that a 12-year-old girl who was found outside a house in Karachi was identified by a DNA test as Siddiqui's daughter Mariyam, and that she had been returned to her family.[61]

Alternative scenarios

Siddiqui's sister and mother denied that she had any connections to al-Qaeda, and that the U.S. detained her secretly in Afghanistan after she disappeared in Pakistan in March 2003 with her three children. They point to comments by former Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, detainees who say they believe a woman held at the prison while they were there was Siddiqui.[49] Her sister said that Siddiqui had been raped, and tortured for five years.[62][63] According to Islamic convert and former Taliban-captive, Yvonne Ridley, Siddiqui spent those years in solitary confinement at Bagram as Prisoner 650. Six human rights groups, including Amnesty International, listed her as possibly being a "ghost prisoner" held by the U.S.[4][33] Siddiqui herself gave conflicting explanations.[4] She alternately claimed that she had been kidnapped by U.S. intelligence and Pakistani intelligence, while also claiming that she was working for Pakistani intelligence during this time.[4]

Siddiqui has not explained clearly what happened to her two other missing children.[4] She has alternated between saying that the two youngest children are dead, and that they are with her sister Fowzia, according to a psychiatric exam.[19] She told one FBI agent that sometimes one has to take up a cause that is more important than one's children.[59] Khan said he believed that the missing children were in Karachi, either with or in contact with Siddiqui's family, and not in U.S. detention.[24][43][64] He said that they were seen in her sister's house in Karachi and in Islamabad on several occasions since their alleged disappearance in 2003.[24][43][65]

The U.S. government said it did not hold Siddiqui during that time period, and had no knowledge of her whereabouts from March 2003 until July 2008.[66] The US ambassador to Islamabad, Anne Patterson, categorically stated that Siddiqui had not been in US custody "at any time" prior to July 2008.[28] A U.S. Justice Department spokesman called the allegations "absolutely baseless and false", a Central Intelligence Agency spokesman also denied that she had been detained by the U.S., and Gregory Sullivan, a State Department spokesman, said: "For several years, we have had no information regarding her whereabouts whatsoever. It is our belief that she ... has all this time been concealed from the public view by her own choosing."[33] Assistant U.S. Attorney David Raskin said in 2008 that U.S. agencies had searched for evidence to support allegations that Siddiqui was detained in 2003, and held for years, but found "zero evidence" that Ms. Siddiqui was abducted, kidnapped, tortured. He added: "A more plausible inference is that she went into hiding because people around her started to get arrested, and at least two of those people ended up at Guantanamo Bay.[67] According to some U.S. officials, she went underground after the FBI alert for her was issued, and was at large working on behalf of al-Qaeda.[28][58] The Guardian cites an anonymous senior Pakistani official suggesting an 'invaluable asset' like Siddiqui may have been "flipped" – turned against militant sympathisers – by Pakistani or American intelligence.[28]

Arrest

An aerial view of a compound, tree-filled terrain, and blue sea
The Plum Island Animal Disease Center, one of the locations listed in Siddiqui's notes with regard to a "mass casualty" attack

According to court documents, Siddiqui was encountered on the evening of July 17, 2008, by officers of the police in Ghazni Province outside the Ghazni governor's compound.[7][17] A man who feared she might be concealing a bomb under the burqua that she was wearing called the police.[4][20] She said her name was Saliha, that she was from Multan in Pakistan, and that the boy's name was Ali Hassan.[20] Discovering that she did not speak either of Afghanistan's main dialects, Pashtu or Dari, the officers regarded her as suspicious.[7]

In a bag she was carrying, the police found that she had a number of documents written in Urdu and English describing the creation of explosives, chemical weapons, Ebola, dirty bombs, and radiological agents (which discussed mortality rates of certain of the weapons), and handwritten notes referring to a "mass casualty attack" that listed various U.S. locations and landmarks (including the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, Wall Street, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the New York City subway system), according to her indictment.[5][20][7][68][69] The Globe also mentioned one document about a 'theoretical' biological weapon that did not harm children.[17] She also reportedly had documents detailing U.S. "military assets", excerpts from The Anarchist's Arsenal, a one-gigabyte digital media storage device that contained over 500 electronic documents (including correspondence referring to attacks by "cells", describing the U.S. as an enemy, and discussing recruitment of jihadists and training), maps of Ghazni and the provincial governor's compounds and the mosques he prayed in, and photos of Pakistani military people.[5][4][20][7][28][70][71] Other notes described various ways to attack enemies, including by destroying reconnaissance drones, using underwater bombs, and using gliders.[5][4]

She also had "numerous chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars", according to the later complaint against her,[5][20][7][28][70][72] and about two pounds of sodium cyanide, a highly toxic poison.[4][73] Abdul Ghani, Ghazni's deputy police chief, said she later confessed that she intended to carry out a suicide attack against the provincial governor.[71]

The officers arrested her, as she cursed them, and took her to a police station. She said that the boy found with her was her stepson, Ali Hasan; Siddiqui subsequently admitted he was her biological son when DNA testing proved that the boy to be Ahmed.[20][19]

There are conflicting accounts of the events following her arrest which led to her being sent to the United States for trial – American authorities say that the following day, on July 18, two FBI agents, a U.S. Army warrant officer, a U.S. Army captain, and their U.S. military interpreters arrived in Ghazni to interview Siddiqui at the Afghan National Police facility where she was being held.[5][7][70][74]

The Americans witnesses reported they congregated in a meeting room that was partitioned by a curtain, but did not realize that Siddiqui was standing unsecured behind the curtain.[5][7][74] The warrant officer sat down adjacent to the curtain, and put his loaded M-4 assault rifle on the floor by his feet, next to the curtain.[7][74] Siddiqui, drew back the curtain, picked up the rifle, and pointed it at the captain.[70][74] Then, the situation became very chaotic,[75] An Afghan interpreter who was seated closest to her lunged, grabbed and pushed the rifle, and tried to wrest it from her as she fired 'at least two shots' and exclaimed "Allah Akbar!".[5][7][70][74][76] At that point the warrant officer shot at her with a 9-millimeter pistol, hitting her in the torso, and one of the interpreters managed to wrestle the rifle away from her.[4][7][74][63] The female medic who was assigned to maintain watch over her failed to monitor Siddiqui prior to the scuffle and proceeded to run and hide in an adjoining room once the struggle began.

According to Pakistani senators who later visited her in jail, Siddiqui related a different version of events. She denied touching a gun, shouting, or threatening anyone. She said that she stood up so she could see who was on the other side of the curtain, and that after one of the startled soldiers shouted, "She is loose", she was shot. On regaining consciousness, she said someone said "We could lose our jobs."[10]

Afghan police offered a third version of the events, telling Reuters that U.S. troops had demanded that she be handed over, disarmed the Afghans when they refused, and then shot Siddiqui mistakenly thinking she was a suicide bomber.[77]

She was taken to Bagram Air Base by helicopter in critical condition. When she arrived at the hospital she was 3 on Glasgow Coma Scale, but she underwent emergency surgery without complication while hospitalized at the Craig Theater Joint Hospital, and recovered over the next two weeks.[10][19] Once she was in a stable condition, the Pakistani government allowed the Americans to transport her to the United States for trial; at no time did she have legal counsel. The day after landing, Siddiqui was arraigned in a Manhattan courtroom on charges of attempted murder. Her three-person defense team was hired by the Pakistani embassy to supplement her two existing public defenders, but Siddiqui refused to cooperate with them.[10]

Trial

Charges

Siddiqui was charged on July 31, 2008, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, with assault with a deadly weapon, and with attempting to kill U.S. personnel.[7][28] She was flown to New York on August 6, and indicted on September 3, 2008, on two counts of attempted murder of U.S. nationals, officers, and employees, assault with a deadly weapon, carrying and using a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[5][78][79] Bruce Hoffman, professor of security studies at Georgetown University, said the decision considerably simplified the case, without needing to rely on intelligence data or exposing sources and methods: "It’s a good old-fashioned crime; it’s the equivalent of a 1920s gangster with a tommy gun."[80]

Medical treatment and psychological assessments

According to FBI reports prepared shortly after July 18, 2008, Siddiqui repeatedly denied shooting anyone.[81] On August 11, after her counsel informed the court that Siddiqui had not seen a doctor since arriving in the U.S. the previous week, U.S. magistrate judge Henry B. Pitman ordered that she be examined by a medical doctor within 24 hours.[82] Prosecutors maintained that Siddiqui had been provided with adequate medical care. The judge postponed her bail hearing until September 3.[83] An examination by a doctor the following day found no visible signs of infection; she also received a CAT scan.[84]

Siddiqui was provided care for her wound while incarcerated in the U.S.[19] In September 2008, a prosecutor reported to the court that Siddiqui had refused to be examined by a female doctor, despite the doctor's extensive efforts.[81] On September 9, 2008, she underwent a forced medical exam.[19] In a March 2009 report, Dr. Saathoff noted that Siddiqui frequently verbally and physically refused to allow the medical staff to check her vital signs and weight, attempted to refuse medical care once it was apparent that her wound had largely healed, and refused to take antibiotics.[19] At the same time, Siddiqui claimed to her brother that when she needed medical treatment she did not get it, which Saathoff said he found no support for in his review of documents and interviews with medical and security personnel, and his interviews with Siddiqui.[19]

Siddiqui's trial was subject to delays, the longest being six months in order to perform psychiatric evaluations.[28] She had been given routine mental health check-ups ten times in August and six times in September. Prison psychologist Dr. Diane McLean diagnosed Siddiqui with psychosis on September 2. One week later, Dr. McLean diagnosed that her condition was chronic.[85] Forensic psychologist Leslie Powers initially determined Siddiqui mentally unfit to stand trial. After reviewing portions of FBI reports, she told the pre-trial judge she believed Siddiqui was faking mental illness.[17]

However, in psychological assessments for the prosecution, three of four psychiatrists concluded that she was faking her symptoms . One suggested that this was to prevent criminal prosecution, and to improve her chances of being returned to Pakistan.[28][81] In April 2009, Manhattan federal judge Richard Berman held that she "may have some mental health issues" but was competent to stand trial.[28][81]

Jury selection controversy; threatened boycott

Siddiqui said she did not want Jews on the jury. She demanded that all prospective jurors be DNA-tested, and excluded from the jury at her trial:

if they have a Zionist or Israeli background ... they are all mad at me ... I have a feeling everyone here is them—subject to genetic testing. They should be excluded, if you want to be fair.[86]

Siddiqui's legal team said, in regard to her comments, that her incarceration had damaged her mind.[4][87]

Prior to her trial, Siddiqui said she was innocent of all charges. She maintained she could prove she was innocent, but refused to do so in court.[88] On January 11, 2010, Siddiqui told the Judge that she would not cooperate with her attorneys, and wanted to fire them.[89] She also said she did not trust the Judge, and added “I’m boycotting the trial, just to let all of you know. There’s too many injustices." She then put her head down on the defense table as the prosecution proceeded.[90]

Trial proceedings

Siddiqui's trial began in New York City on January 19, 2010.[91][92][93][94] Prior to the jury entering the courtroom, Siddiqui told onlookers that she would not work with her lawyers because the court was not fair[95] She also said: "I have information about attacks, more than 9/11! ... I want to help the President to end this group, to finish them ... They are a domestic, U.S. group; they are not Muslim."[73][96]

Nine government witnesses were called by the prosecution: Army Captain Robert Snyder, John Threadcraft, a former army officer, and John Jefferson, an FBI agent testified first.[12] As Snyder testified that Siddiqui had been arrested with a handwritten note outlining plans to attack various U.S. sites, she retorted: "If you were in a secret prison ... where children were tortured ... This is no list of targets against New York. I was never planning to bomb it. You're lying."[3][97][98][99] The court also heard from FBI agent John Jefferson and Ahmed Gul, an army interpreter, who recounted their struggle with her.[100]

The defense said there was no forensic evidence that the rifle was fired in the interrogation room.[96] They noted the nine government witnesses offered conflicting accounts of how many people were in the room, where they were positioned and how many shots were fired.[12] It said it her handbag contents were not credible as evidence because they were sloppily handled.[101] According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, Carlo Rosati, an FBI firearms expert witness in the federal court doubted whether the M-4 rifle was ever fired at the crime scene.; an FBI agent testified that Siddiqui's fingerprints were not found on the rifle.[102] The prosecution argued that it was not unusual to fail to get fingerprints off a gun. "This is a crime that was committed in a war zone, a chaotic and uncontrolled environment 6,000 miles away from here."[98] Gul's testimony appeared, according to the defense, to differ from that given by Snyder with regard to whether Siddiqui was standing or on her knees as she fired the rifle.[103] When Siddiqui testified, though she admitted trying to escape, she denied that she had grabbed the rifle and said she had been tortured in secret prisons before her arrest by a “group of people pretending to be Americans, doing bad things in America’s name.”[104]

During the trial, Siddiqui was removed from the court several times for repeatedly interrupting the proceedings with shouting; on being ejected, she was told by the judge that she could watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television in an adjacent holding cell. A request by the defense lawyers to declare a mistrial was turned down by the judge.[105]

Conviction

Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn, where Siddiqui was imprisoned

The trial lasted 14 days, and the jury deliberated for 3 days before reaching a verdict.[13][12] On February 3, 2010, she was found guilty of two counts of attempted murder, armed assault, using and carrying a firearm, and three counts of assault on U.S. officers and employees.[13][8][12] She faces a minimum sentence of 30 years and a maximum of life in prison on the firearm charge, and could also receive a sentence of up to 20 years for each attempted murder and armed assault charge, and up to 8 years on each of the remaining assault counts.[13][106][107] Sentencing was set to take place on May 6, 2010, [8] but the hearing for the sentencing has been postponed to August 16, 2010.[6] After jurors found Siddiqui guilty, Siddiqui exclaimed: "This is a verdict coming from Israel, not America. That’s where the anger belongs."[108]

As of 2010 Aafia Siddiqui, Federal Bureau of Prisons #90279-054, is being held at Metropolitan Detention Center, Brooklyn.[109]

Reaction in Pakistan

In August 2009, Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani met with Siddiqui's sister at his residence, and assured her that Pakistan would seek Siddiqui's release from the U.S.[110] The Pakistani government paid $2 million for the services of three lawyers to defend Siddiqui during her trial.[111] Many Siddiqui supporters were present during the proceedings, and outside the court dozens of people rallied to demand her release.[112]

A petition was filed seeking action against the Pakistani government for it having not approached the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to have Siddiqui released from the United States. Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffree said the CIA arrested Siddiqui in Karachi in 2003, and one of her sons was killed during her arrest. On January 21, 2010, he submitted documents allegedly proving the arrest to the Lahore High Court.[113]

In Pakistan, Siddiqui's February 2010 conviction was followed with expressions of support by many Pakistanis, who appeared increasingly anti-American, as well as by politicians and the news media, who characterized her as a symbol of victimization by the United States.[24] Her ex-husband, Amjad Khan, was one of the few who expressed a different view, saying that Siddiqui was "reaping the fruit of her own decision. Her family has been portraying Aafia as a victim. We would like the truth to come out."[114]

After Siddiqui's conviction, she sent a message through her lawyer, saying that "she doesn’t want there to be violent protests or violent reprisals in Pakistan over this verdict."[12] Thousands of students, political and social activists protested in Pakistan.[49] Some shouted anti-American slogans, while burning the American flag and effigies of President Obama in the streets.[115][116] Her sister has spoken frequently and passionately on her behalf at rallies.[24][116][117] Echoing her family's comments, and anti-U.S. sentiment, many believe she was picked up in Karachi in 2003, detained at the U.S. Bagram Airbase, and tortured, and that the charges against her were fabricated.[49][118]

The Pakistani Embassy in Washington, DC, expressed its diplomats' dismay over the verdict, which followed "intense diplomatic and legal efforts on her behalf. [We] will consult the family of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui and the team of defense lawyers to determine the future course of action."[119] Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani described Siddiqui as a “daughter of the nation,” and opposition leader Nawaz Sharif promised to push for her release.[24] On February 18, President Asif Ali Zardari requested of Richard Holbrooke, U.S. Special Envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, that the U.S. consider repatriating Siddiqui to Pakistan under the Pakistan-U.S. Prisoner Exchange Agreement.[120][121] On February 22, the Pakistani Senate passed a resolution expressing its grave concern over Siddiqui's sentence, and demanding that the government take effective steps including diplomatic measures to secure her immediate release.[122]

Shireen Mazari, editor of the right-wing Pakistani newspaper The Nation, wrote that the verdict "did not really surprise anyone familiar with the vindictive mindset of the U.S. public post-9/11".[123] Foreign Policy reported that rumors about her alleged sexual molestation and sexual abuse by captors, fuelled by constant stories in the Pakistani press, had made her a folk hero, and "become part of the legend that surrounds her, so much so that they are repeated as established facts by her supporters, who have helped build her iconic status".[116]

Steve Inskeep of National Public Radio noted on March 1 that while when Siddiqui's case has been covered in the U.S., it has mostly been described as a straightforward case of terrorism, in contrast when "the Pakistani media described this very same woman, this very same case, the assumptions are all very different".[124] The News International, Pakistan's largest circulation English tabloid, carried a March 3 letter from Talat Farooq, the executive editor of the magazine Criterion in Islamabad, in which she wrote:

The media has highlighted her ordeal without debating the downside of her story in objective detail. A whole generation of Pakistanis, grown up in an environment that discourages critical analysis and dispassionate objectivity ... has ... allowed their emotions to be exploited. The Aafia case is complex... The grey lady is grey precisely because of her murky past and the question mark hanging over her alleged links to militants.... Her family's silence during the years of her disappearance, and her ex-husband's side of the story, certainly provide fodder to the opposing point of view.... The right-wing parties ... have once again played the card of anti-Americanism to attain their own political ends.... Our hatred of America, based on some very real grievances, also serves as a readily available smokescreen to avoid any rational thinking.... The response of the religious political lobby to Aafia's plight is symbolic of our social mindset.[125]

A New York Times article reviewing the Pakistani reaction noted: "All of this has taken place with little national soul-searching about the contradictory and frequently damning circumstances surrounding Ms. Siddiqui, who is suspected of having had links to Al Qaeda and the banned jihadi group Jaish-e-Muhammad. Instead, the Pakistani news media have broadly portrayed her trial as a “farce”, and an example of the injustices meted out to Muslims by the United States since Sept. 11, 2001."[24]

Jessica Eve Stern, a terrorism specialist and lecturer at Harvard Law School, observed: "Whatever the truth is, this case is of great political importance because of how people [in Pakistan] view her."[17]

Taliban threat

According to the Pakistani newspaper The News International, the Taliban has threatened to execute captured U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl, whom they have held since June 2009, in retaliation for Siddiqui's conviction.[126][127] They claim members of Siddiqui's family requested their help. A Taliban spokesman said:

We tried our best to make the family understand that our role may create more troubles for the hapless woman, who was already in trouble. On their persistent requests, we have now decided to include Dr Aafia Siddiqui's name in the list of our prisoners in US custody that we delivered to Americans in Afghanistan for swap of their soldier in our custody[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa Scroggins, Deborah (March 1, 2005). "The Most Wanted Woman in the World" (Limited access, subscription required). Vogue, reprinted by 'Access My Library'.
  2. ^ UPI staff (January 19, 2010). "U.S. trial begins for Pakistani terrorist". UPI.com. Retrieved March 7, 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  3. ^ a b Tehran Times staff (January 21, 2010). "Pakistani scientist alleges torture". Tehran Times. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Bartosiewicz, Petra (January 18, 2010). "Al-Qaeda Woman? Putting Aafia Siddiqui on Trial". Time. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Indictment in U.S. v. Siddiqui" (PDF). September 3, 2008. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  6. ^ a b Staff reporter (May 6, 2010). "Hearing deferred to Aug 16". The Nation (Pakistan). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m FBI Special Agent (July 13, 2008). "Sealed Complaint in U.S. v. Aafia Siddiqui" (PDF). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d Pilkington, Ed (February 4, 2010). "Pakistani scientist found guilty of attempted murder of U.S. agents". The Guardian (UK). New York. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  9. ^ Weiser, Benjamin (July 29, 2009). "Pakistani Scientist Is Found Fit to Stand Trial". City Room Blog. The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Bartosiewicz, Petra (November 2009). "The intelligence factory: How America makes its enemies disappear". Harper's Magazine. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  11. ^ Amnesty Intl staff (January 19, 2010). "Amnesty International to observe the Trial of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui". Amnesty.org.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Hughes, C. J. (February 3, 2010). "Aafia Siddiqui Guilty of Shooting at Americans in Afghanistan". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  13. ^ a b c d "Aafia Siddiqui Found Guilty in Manhattan Federal Court of Attempting to Murder U.S. Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges" (PDF) (Press release). Public Information Office, United States Attorney Southern District of New York. February 3, 2010. Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  14. ^ Hearing deferred to Aug 16
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h Shoaib, Syed (August 6, 2008). "South Asia | Mystery of Siddiqui disappearance". BBC News. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  16. ^ "Aafia Siddiqui Indicted for Attempting to Kill United States Nationals in Afghanistan and Six Additional Charges" (Press release). U.S. Department of Justice. September 8, 2008.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Stockman, Farah (January 19, 2010). "Alleged Pakistani militant stands trial today in NYC; Scientist trained at MIT, Brandeis". The Boston Globe. Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  18. ^ a b ANI staff (February 5, 2010). "Taliban demands release of Pak terror suspect Aafia, threatens to kill US soldier". One India. Asian News International. Archived from the original on February 6, 2010.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Saathoff, Gregory B (March 15, 2009). "Forensic Psychiatric Evaluation; CST Aafia Siddiqui" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  20. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Von Mittelstaedt, Juliane (November 27, 2008). "America's Most Wanted: 'The Most Dangerous Woman in the World'". News - International. Der Spiegel. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  21. ^ a b Dickey, Christopher (2009). Securing the City: Inside America's Best Counterterror Force—The NYPD. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 1416552405. Retrieved February 16, 2010.
  22. ^ a b c d e f g h Template:Cite article
  23. ^ Kucharski, L. Thomas (July 2, 2009). "Forensic Psychological Evaluation; Aafia Siddiqui" (PDF). Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mashood, Salman (March 5, 2010). "U.S. Sees a Terror Threat; Pakistanis See a Heroine". The New York Times. Retrieved March 6, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  25. ^ Kephart, Janice L. (September 2009). "Immigration and Terrorism – Moving Beyond the 9/11 Staff report on Terrorist Travel". Center for Immigration Studies. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  26. ^ "The Carroll L. Wilson Award Recipients 1986–2005". MIT Entrepreneurship Center. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  27. ^ Chandna, Marium (January 19, 2009). "U.S. ignores 'innocent until proven guilty' for alleged terrorists". The Tartan (Carnegie Mellon's Student Newspaper). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Walsh, Declan (November 24, 2009). "The mystery of Dr Aafia Siddiqui". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  29. ^ Lendman, Stephen. Aafia Siddiqui: Victimized by American Injustice. Baltimore Chronicle & Sentinel. February 8, 2010.
  30. ^ Stockman, Farah (February 4, 2010). "Scientist decries guilty verdict". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  31. ^ a b Winstein, Keith J. "Reported Capture of MIT Alumna Denied by FBI". The Tech. Retrieved February 3, 2010.
  32. ^ Siddiqui, Aafia (February 1996). "Four Ways to get MITnet Applications for Macs and PCs" (PDF). IS (newsletter). MIT.
  33. ^ a b c d e Stockman, Farah (August 12, 2008). "Activist turned extremist, US says Ex-Hub woman tied to Al Qaeda". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  34. ^ Neumeister, Larry (August 23, 2008). "Clashing views of MIT grad suspected of terrorism". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  35. ^ Siddiqui, Aafia (2001). "Separating the components of imitation". Dissertation:Thesis (Ph. D.), Brandeis University. WorldCat.org. p. 183. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  36. ^ Sekuler, R; Siddiqui, A; Goyal, N; Rajan, R (2003). "Reproduction of seen actions: stimulus-selective learning". Perception. 32 (7): 839–54. doi:10.1068/p5064. PMID 12974569.
  37. ^ Hasan, Hasan (March 27, 2003). "Pakistani couple sought in Qaeda hunt". Daily Times. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  38. ^ Stockman, Farah (April 10, 2004). "Roxbury address eyed in FBI probe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  39. ^ Internal Revenue Service (October 3, 2005). "Foundations Status of Certain Organizations". Internal Revenue Bulletin 2005-40, Announcement 25-67. IRS.gov. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  40. ^ NBC5 staff (April 3, 2003). "Woman Sought by FBI Reportedly Arrested in Pakistan: Neurologist Questioned by FBI for Alleged Al-Qaida Links". NBC. Retrieved May 14, 2010.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  41. ^ AP staff (August 8, 2004). "Al-Qaeda bought diamonds before 9/11". USA Today. Associated Press, Dakar, Senegal. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  42. ^ "Special Court for Sierra Leone: Office of the Prosecutor: Profile, Aafia Siddiqui" (PDF). NEFA Foundation. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Text "accessed February 15, 2010" ignored (help)
  43. ^ a b c d e f g Masroor, Aroosa (February 18, 2009). "Dr Aafia Siddiqui's husband breaks his silence after six years". The News International (Pakistan). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  44. ^ a b c d e "Detainee Biography: Ammar al-Baluchi" (PDF). Announncements. U.S. Director of National Intelligence. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  45. ^ Sjoberg, Laura; Gentry, Caron E. (2007). Mothers, monsters, whores: women's violence in global politics. Zed Books. ISBN 1842778668. Retrieved March 7, 2010.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  46. ^ "Pakistani Man Convicted Of Providing Material Support To Al Qaeda Sentenced To Thirty Years In Federal Prison" (PDF) (Press release). Public Information Office, U. S. Attorney Southern District of New York. July 20, 2006. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  47. ^ Bone, James (August 7, 2008). "Accused terror scientist in court". The Australian. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  48. ^ a b Weiser, Benjamin (December 9, 2000). "Family Affair, Just Maybe, at Courthouse". The New York Times. Retrieved May 14, 2010. {{cite news}}: More than one of |work= and |newspaper= specified (help)
  49. ^ a b c d e f g Rodriguez, Alex (February 3, 2010). "Is she a victim of the U.S. or is she 'Terror Mom'?". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 14, 2010. {{cite news}}: More than one of |work= and |newspaper= specified (help)
  50. ^ Gunaratna, Rohan (March 3, 2003). "Womaniser, joker, scuba diver: the other face of al-Qaida's No 3". The Guardian(UK). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  51. ^ Stockman, Farah (August 12, 2008). "Activist turned extremist, US says; Ex-Hub woman tied to Al Qaeda". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  52. ^ AP staff (April 22, 2004). "Pakistani woman in custody unlikely the one sought". Washington: USA Today. Associated Press. {{cite news}}: Text "accessdateMay 13, 2010" ignored (help)
  53. ^ Dawn staff (April 16, 2003). "Pakistanis will not be extradited, US told". Dawn (Pakistan). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  54. ^ Esposito, Richard (September 2, 2008). "Alleged Mata Hari of Al Qaeda Indicted: Could Provide 'Treasure Trove' of Intelligence". The Blotter from Brian Ross. ABC News. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  55. ^ Pither, Kerry (2008). Dark Days: The Story of Four Canadians Tortured in the Name of Fighting Terror. Penguin Books, Canada. p. 460. ISBN 978-0670068531.
  56. ^ Grace, Melissa (August 14, 2008). "Lady Al Qaeda' threat real, pol says; lawyers want to see evidence". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 14, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  57. ^ Shahzad, Syed Saleem (August 2, 2008). "Is Aafia Siddiqui Bagram's Prisoner 650?". Tehran Times. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  58. ^ a b Iqbal, Anwar (August 4, 2008). "FBI concedes Aafia Siddiqui in US custody: lawyer". Dawn (Pakistan). Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  59. ^ a b Neumeister, Larry (July 4, 2009). "Details emerge on woman accused of al-Qaida ties". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved February 12, 2010.
  60. ^ Shoaib, Syed (February 4, 2010). "Questions about convicted Pakistani doctor Siddiqui". BBC News. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  61. ^ Ibn-e-Umeed (April 11, 2010). "DNA proves the girl daughter of Aafia Siddiqui: Rehman Malik". The Statesmen. Pakistan. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  62. ^ Yusuf, Huma (August 6, 2008). "Pakistani woman accused of aiding Al Qaeda operatives appears in court". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  63. ^ a b Goldenberg, Suzanne (August 6, 2008). "Mystery of 'ghost of Bagram'– victim of torture or captured in a shootout?". The Guardian (UK). {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  64. ^ Dawn staff (July 8, 2009). "Dr Aafia's ex-husband seeks children's custody". Dawn {Pakistan}. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  65. ^ Neumeister, Larry (July 4, 2009). "Details emerge on woman accused of al-Qaida". The Guardian (UK). {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help); Unknown parameter |= ignored (help)
  66. ^ Branigin, William (August 6, 2008), "Pakistani Woman Faces Assault Charges; U.S.-Educated Scientist Accused of Attacking American Troops, Agents in Afghanistan", The Washington Post. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
  67. ^ Neumeister, Larry (November 20, 2008). "Prosecutor: No sign Pakistani suspect was abducted, tortured". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  68. ^ Mayer, Alex (August 13, 2008). "She is the most significant capture in five years". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  69. ^ WJLA staff (August 13, 2008). "Officials: Female Terror Suspect's Capture Yields Documents, Computer Files". WJLA, ABC News 7 Arlington, VA. Retrieved March 14, 2010.
  70. ^ a b c d e Hytha, Michael (January 19, 2010). "Pakistani Woman Ejected From Trial Over Afghan Attack". BusinessWeek. Retrieved February 12, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  71. ^ a b Stockman, Farah (August 6, 2008). "Afghans suspected scientist of a suicide plot". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  72. ^ AP staff (August 5, 2008). "Pakistani woman charged with soldier attack to be arraigned in New York". New York Daily News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  73. ^ a b Hurtado, Patricia (February 4, 2010). "Pakistani Scientist Guilty of Attack on Soldiers, FBI Agents". Bloomberg. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  74. ^ a b c d e f Schmitt, Eric (August 5, 2008). "American-trained neuroscientist charged with trying to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan". The New York Times. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  75. ^ Gendar, Alison (January 19, 2010). "Aafia Siddiqui, aka 'Lady Al Qaeda,' thrown out of court after ranting at jurors again". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  76. ^ Gendar, Alison (January 20, 2010). "Witness describes 'Lady Al Qaeda' suspect Aafia Siddiqui as 'mad, angry' during alleged gunfight". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  77. ^ Kearney, Christine (August 6, 2008). "Pakistani woman faces US court for assault on troops". Reuters, UK. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  78. ^ Montlake, Simon (September 3, 2008). "New York court indicts Pakistani scientist seized in Afghanistan". Terrorism & Security. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  79. ^ The Washington Post, Agence France-Presse (August 6, 2008). "Suspect scientist in court". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  80. ^ Weiser (August 9, 2008). "With Fewer Terror Trials, Manhattan Court Quiets Down". The New York Times. {{cite news}}: Text "Benjamin" ignored (help)
  81. ^ a b c d Berman, Hon. Richard M. (April 28, 2009). "Order Finding Defendant Competent to Stand Trial; U.S. v. Siddiqqui" (PDF). Retrieved February 14, 2010.
  82. ^ Shulman, Robin (August 12, 2008). "Judge Orders Doctor For Detained Pakistani; Woman Accused of Assaulting Troops". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  83. ^ AFP staff (August 12, 2008). "Medical care for Pakistani scientist". The Sydney Morning Herald. AFP. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  84. ^ Kearney, Christine (August 12, 2008). "Doctor examines Pakastani accused of U.S. troop attack". Reuters Canada. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  85. ^ Hawkinson, John (September 12, 2008). "Siddiqui Diagnosed With Chronic Depression". The Tech (MIT newspaper). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  86. ^ Bone, James (January 15, 2010). "Aafia Siddiqui demands no Jewish jurors at attempted murder trial". Times. Retrieved May 2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  87. ^ Haqqani (January 16, 2010). "Pak working on legal, diplomatic fronts for Aafia's release". The Nation (Pakistan). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  88. ^ "Dr Aafia to boycott trial". The Nation (Pakistan). November 21, 2009. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  89. ^ Hays, Tom. "Woman Accused of Al-Qaida Ties Wants Lawyers Fired". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  90. ^ TimesOnline: Aafia Siddiqui demands no Jewish jurors at attempted murder trial
  91. ^ Weiner, David (January 14, 2010). "Aafia Siddiqui, Alleged Al Qaida Sympathizer: No Jews On Jury". Huffington Post. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  92. ^ Gendar, Alison (January 14, 2010). "'Lady Al Qaeda' trial: Suspected terrorist Aafia Siddiqui tossed from courtroom after outburst". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  93. ^ Gendar, Alison (January 14, 2010). "'Lady Al Qaeda' cries foul: Accused terrorist Aafia Siddiqui says toss Jews from jury pool". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  94. ^ Staff reporter (January 14, 2010). "Exclude Jew jurors, demands Dr Aafia". The News International (Pakistan). Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  95. ^ Hays, Tom (January 19, 2010). "Reputed al-Qaida supporter taken from NY courtroom". The Boston Globe. Retrieved April 9, 2010. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  96. ^ a b McQuillan, Alice (January 19, 2010). "Reputed al-Qaida Supporter Rants at Opening Day of Trial". NBC New York.
  97. ^ Press TV staff (January 20, 2010). "My children were tortured, this trial is a sham: Aafia". Press TV. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  98. ^ a b Stockman, Farah (January 20, 2010). "Outburst punctuates opening of MIT scientist's trial". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  99. ^ Golding, Bruce (January 20, 2010). "'Qaeda' mom tossed from Manhattan courtroom". New York Post. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  100. ^ Hays, Tom (January 20, 2010). "Witness recounts struggle with al-Qaida suspect". ABC News. Associated Press. Retrieved May 14, 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  101. ^ Hughes, C. J. (January 19, 2010). ""Outburst From Defendant in Afghan Shooting Trial"". The New York Times. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  102. ^ Press TV staff, JR/HGL (January 20, 2010). "Case against Aafia Siddiqui begins to unravel". Press TV. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  103. ^ Dawn staff (January 21, 2010). "Witnesses' accounts differ at Dr. Aafia's trial". Dawn (Pakistan). Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  104. ^ Hughes, C. J. (January 28, 2010). "Neuroscientist denies trying to kill Americans". The New York Times. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  105. ^ Hurtado, Patricia (February 4, 2010). "Pakistani Scientist Guilty of Attack on Soldiers, FBI Agents". Bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  106. ^ Gendar, Alison (February 3, 2010). "Lady Al Qaeda' Aafia Siddiqui convicted of attempted murder". New York Daily News. Retrieved May 14,2010. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  107. ^ AP staff (February 3, 2010). "Woman Guilty in Afghan Shooting Attempt". CBS News. Associated Press. {{cite news}}: Text "http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/03/national/main6170702.shtml" ignored (help)
  108. ^ ADL staff (February 9, 2010, updated April 26, 2010). "Terror-Related Trials Marked by Claims of Israeli Control". Anti-Defamation League. Retrieved May 13, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  109. ^ "Aafia Siddiqui." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on May 30, 2010.
  110. ^ Kearney, Christine (September 3, 2009). "Pakistan to pay for lawyers of Qaeda suspect in U.S." In.reuters.com. Retrieved March 7, 2010.
  111. ^ Dawn staff (January 20, 2010). "Over 800 Pakistanis in Indian jails, Senate informed". Dawn (Pakistan). Islamabad. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  112. ^ APP staff (July 17, 2008). "Aafia rejects witness's claim she planned to attack New York landmarks". Associated Press of Pakistan. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  113. ^ Staff reporter (January 22, 2010). "Proof of Dr Aafia's arrest submitted to court". Dawn (Pakistan). Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  114. ^ Walsh, Declan (February 4, 2010). "Pakistan denounces conviction of neuroscientist in US court". Islamabad: The Guardian (UK). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  115. ^ Hays, Hays (February 4, 2010). "NYC conviction doesn't silence Pakistani scientist". The Guardian (UK). Associated Press. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  116. ^ a b c Imtiaz, Saba (April 7, 2010). "The strange case of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui". The AfPak Channel (Afpak.foreignpolicy.com). Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  117. ^ Photo from AP (February 14, 2010). "Pakistani protester burn the effigy of Barack Obama". DayLife.com. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  118. ^ Yusuf, Huma (February 4, 2010). "'Lady Al Qaeda': Pakistan reacts to Aafia Siddiqui conviction in US court". Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  119. ^ AFP staff (February 3, 2010). "Pakistan dismayed at U.S. guilty verdict". Vancouver Sun. Agence France-Presse. Retrieved May 14, 2010. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  120. ^ Dawn staff (February 18, 2010). "Zardari urges Holbrooke to repatriate Dr Aafia Siddiqui". Dawn (Pakistan). Islamabad. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  121. ^ "Richard Holbrooke calls on President". Islamabad: AP.com.PK. Associated Press Of Pakistan. February 18, 2010. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  122. ^ Dawn staff (February 23, 2010). "Senate passes resolution on Dr Aafia's case". Dawn (Pakistan). Islamabad. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  123. ^ Walsh, Declan (February 4, 2010). "Pakistan denounces conviction of neuroscientist in US court". Islamabad: The Guardian (UK). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  124. ^ Inskeep, Steve (March 1, 2010). "In Pakistan, 'Lady Al-Qaida' Is A Cause Celebre". Morning Edition. NPR. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
  125. ^ Farooq, Talat (March 3, 2010). "Daughters of a lesser god?". The News International (Pakistan). Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  126. ^ Yusufzai, Mushtaq (February 5, 2010). "Taliban to execute US soldier if Aafia not released". The News International (Pakistan). Archived from the original on February 6, 2010. The Afghan Taliban on Thursday demanded the release of Dr Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani scientist who has been convicted by the US court on charges of her alleged attempt to murder US soldiers in Afghanistan, and threatened to execute an American soldier they were holding currently. They claimed Aafia Siddiqui's family had approached the Taliban network through a Jirga of notables, seeking their assistance to put pressure on the US to provide her justice.
  127. ^ Jontz, Sandra (February 6, 2010). "Militants threaten to execute U.S. soldier". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved May 13, 2010.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Aafia_Siddiqui&oldid=375798570"