The Associated Press
NEW YORK- A Pakistani immigrant accused of plotting to bomb a busy subway station took the stand in his defense, saying he was a peaceful man until a police informer inflamed his anger toward America.
Shahawar Matin Siraj, 23, said Monday that the informer showed him dozens of images, including pictures of prisoners being abused at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. The informer also talked about “blowing up the buildings and blowing up the Wall Street places,” Siraj said.
“I used to just listen to him, but I never said ‘yes, I was going to do it,’ or ‘no’ until the Abu Ghraib thing came up,” he said.
When asked by his lawyer who he felt was the leader of the conspiracy, Siraj named the informant, Osama Eldawoody, 50.
Defense attorneys have characterized Siraj as a naive young man who was entrapped by the older informant, who was paid to infiltrate a Brooklyn mosque.
Siraj is accused of planning to bomb the Herald Square subway station, near Macy’s flagship department store, during the 2004 Republican National Convention.
Testifying Monday, Siraj said he came up with the subway plot to impress Eldawoody. The defendant said he had become jealous when the informant praised another bombing plan put forward by accused coconspirator James Elshafay, who has pleaded guilty.
On the stand, Siraj claimed that he tried to back out of the plan when Eldawoody could not guarantee that civilians would not be hurt.