Alleged terrorist Abdul Kadir says he was only involved in plot to blow up Kennedy Airport to raise money to build a mosque in Guyana. Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2010/07/21/2010-07-21_terror_suspect_sez_he_just_wanted_cash.h
Trial Focuses on Iran Ties of Kennedy Plot Suspect
He insists he was just in it for the mosque money. An accused wanna-be terrorist testified Tuesday he wasn't really interested in blowing up Kennedy Airport after all. He said he was just going along with the other thugs because he hoped they would help him raise money to build a mosque in Guyana. Abdul Kadir, a former member of Guyana's parliament, took the stand to convince the jury that he is not a terrorist. The plot to blow up fuel tanks and lines at Kennedy was presented to Kadir by co-defendant and accused mastermind Russell Defreitas in February 2007. Kadir, 58, said the amateurish video of the airport targets, shot by Defreitas, "made no sense to me" and suggested they use Google Earth to get better images.
Still, he said, he continued discussions with Defreitas and the government's informant, Steven Francis, because the men had discussed hitting up wealthy Muslims in New York for funds to build the mosque.
Federal prosecutors contend Kadir intended to present the plan to violent extremists in Iran and Trinidad.
Kadir tried to defuse the shock value of a photograph of him prosecutors showed to the jury in which the shirtless defendant is armed with five handguns. He explained that two of the firearms were toys and he was just fooling around because it was Christmastime.
