The Philippines is ‘breeding ground for terrorists’ says New York plot suspect
US authorities claim Filipino suspect sent about US$423 to fund attacks on the city
A Filipino suspect in a thwarted extremist plot targeting New York had boasted that his country was “a breeding ground for terrorists”, the US Justice Department said on Saturday.
Russell Salic and two others have been charged with involvement in the plan to carry out the attacks in the name of Islamic State during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in 2016.
A statement released by the US embassy in Manila said Salic, 37, transferred money to the other suspects for the operation, saying he could safely do this from the Philippines without attracting attention.
Multiple locations including New York’s subway, Times Square and some concert venues were identified as targets in the plot that was foiled by an undercover FBI agent, US authorities claimed on Friday.
The agent posed as an IS supporter and communicated with Salic and his two alleged accomplices Abdulrahman El Bahnasawy, a 19-year-old Canadian who bought bomb making materials, and Talha Haroon, a 19-year-old American citizen living in Pakistan.