TWO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH CONSPIRING TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT TO ISIL

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Friday, May 22, 2015
Two California Men Arrested on Charges of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIL

Two California men, one of whom attempted to travel to the Middle East to allegedly join ISIL, have been arrested on charges of conspiring to provide material support to the designated foreign terrorist group the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie Yonekura of the Central District of California.

Muhanad Badawi, 24, and Nader Elhuzayel, 24, both of Anaheim, California, were arrested late Thursday afternoon by the FBI.  Badawi and Elhuzayel were charged in a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court of the Central District of California, and both men are expected to make their initial court appearance this afternoon.

The affidavit in support of the criminal complaint outlines a scheme in which Badawi and Elhuzayel used social media to discuss ISIL and terrorist attacks, expressed a desire to die as martyrs and made arrangements for Elhuzayel to leave the United States to join ISIL.

According to the affidavit, on May 3, 2015, Elhuzayel saw a tweet from Elton Simpson, one of the two gunmen who were killed trying to attack a conference in Garland, Texas.  In this tweet, Simpson stated that he and his “bro” had pledged allegiance to the leader of ISIL.  In response, Elhuzayel tweeted his support for the attempted attack and praised Simpson as a “martyr.”

In recorded conversations last month, Badawi and Elhuzayel “discussed how it would be a blessing to fight for the cause of Allah, and to die in the battlefield,” and they referred to ISIL as “we.” When Badawi expressed concerns about ISIL struggling due to airstrikes by Coalition forces, Elhuzayel responded that they had to be patient and “can you imagine when al-Qaeda joins with Islamic State”?  According to the affidavit, Badawi responded: “We will be huge.”  The two men also discussed local Muslim leaders and Elhuzayel complained that these leaders were not “legitimate” because they believed in democracy and were not fighting for an Islamic State.

The men discussed where in the Middle East they would rather be, and Elhuzayel said he wanted to fight and did not want to be in the United States, according to the conversations recounted in the affidavit.

On May 7, Badawi allowed Elhuzayel to use his credit card to purchase a one-way airline ticket for travel from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv, Israel, via Istanbul, Turkey, on a Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to depart on May 21.  Badawi indicated that he would be traveling to the Middle East in the future, according to the affidavit.

Elhuzayel was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport.  According to the allegations in the complaint, Elhuzayel admitted after being read Miranda rights that he planned to disembark in Istanbul to join ISIL and did not intend to travel on to Israel.

If convicted of the charge in the criminal complaint, Badawi and Elhuzayel each would face a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison for conspiring to provide material support to ISIL.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime.  Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.

The investigation in this case was conducted by members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in Orange County, California.

U.S. CONDEMNS TALIBAN ATTACKS ON SCHOOL IN PAKISTAN

FROM:  U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 
U.S. Stands With Pakistanis, Afghans Against Taliban
By Jim Garamone
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16, 2014 – The United States condemns the deadly Taliban attack on a Pakistani school and remains committed to bringing stability to the Afghanistan-Pakistan region, Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said today, emphasizing that the end of the NATO combat mission does not mean an end to U.S. involvement in the region.

The attack on the school in Peshawar is the latest manifestation of the savagery of the Taliban, Kirby said, noting that Pakistan remains a front-line state in the battle against terrorism and extremists and has suffered major casualties in the struggle against the Taliban. While U.S.-Pakistani relations have been rocky at times over the past decade, both countries share the fight, the admiral said, and added that today’s terrorist attack will not change that.

“I think we have certainly made it clear to Pakistan that we’re willing to help in the wake of this attack should they want or need any,” the admiral said. “There’s been no request for U.S. assistance. But we’ve certainly made it obvious that we’re willing to assist in any way we can.”

The attack on the school killed more than 140 children and teachers.
Across the border in Afghanistan the mission will change, Kirby said, but American and partner nations will continue their commitment to Afghan stability.

With Afghan forces now in charge of security, reporters asked Kirby whether they would be able to defend against an attack like the one in Pakistan. “The Afghan national security forces are very capable,” Kirby said. “They are already leading security operations in their country, and for all intents and purposes, are … conducting all the combat missions inside Afghanistan.”

Afghan forces secured both national elections this year and while there has been an upsurge in violence in Kabul, Afghan forces have handled the situations well, he noted. Officials expected the recent spate of Taliban attacks inside the capital as the NATO mission transitions. Kirby said the attacks are a Taliban tactic to “divert attention from the fact that real progress has been made and that Afghanistan is a more safe and secure environment than it was even just six months ago.”

Afghanistan is still a dangerous place, the admiral said, but no one is walking away from it.

AHMED KHATALLAH INDICTED ON MORE CHARGES FOR ROLE IN BENGHAZI ATTACKS

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ahmed Abu Khatallah Indicted on Additional Charges for September 2012 Attack in Benghazi, Libya

A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia returned a superseding indictment today charging Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah, with numerous additional offenses arising from his alleged participation in the Sept. 11 through 12, 2012, terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, which resulted in the deaths of Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.

Khatallah, 43, a Libyan national, was initially indicted on June 26, 2014, on the charge of conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists resulting in death.  That charge, which is included in the superseding indictment, carries a potential life sentence.  The superseding indictment includes a total of 17 new charges, including some that could be punishable by death.

“These additional charges reflect Ahmed Abu Khattalah’s integral role in the attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, which led to the deaths of four brave Americans,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “We will never relent in pursuing justice against those who commit heinous acts of terrorism against the United States. Those who would do harm to our citizens—no matter how far away—should understand that our nation’s memory is long and our reach is far.”

“This superseding indictment charges Ahmed Abu Khatallah for his role in the attacks on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of four U.S. government personnel,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John Carlin.  “This case reminds us of the continued threat the United States faces abroad from terrorism, but it also highlights our resolve to find and hold terrorists accountable wherever they may hide.”

“We have no higher priority than bringing to justice terrorists who kill U.S. citizens serving our country on foreign soil,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. for the District of Columbia.  “With this 18-count indictment, a grand jury in our nation’s capital has charged Ahmed Abu Khatallah with the murders of four brave Americans in Benghazi.  We will press forward with our efforts to hold accountable all those who are responsible for this cowardly act.”

“With additional charges being announced today, Ahmed Abu Khatallah’s role in the Benghazi attack is even clearer,” said Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos of the FBI’s New York Field Office.  “As the charges allege, he was the leader of an extremist militia group who carried out this brutal act of violence that took the lives of four honorable Americans.  The Benghazi investigation remains one of the FBI’s top priorities and we will work tirelessly until all of those responsible are brought to justice.”

The superseding indictment describes Khatallah’s alleged role in the attacks at a U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi and a second U.S. facility there, known as the annex.  According to the superseding indictment, Khatallah was a leader of an extremist militia group and he conspired with others to attack the facilities, kill U.S. citizens, destroy buildings and other property, and plunder materials, including documents, maps and computers containing sensitive information.

The offenses that could carry death sentences include one count of murder of an internationally protected person; three counts of murder of an officer and employee of the United States; four counts of killing a person in the course of an attack on a federal facility involving the use of a firearm and a dangerous weapon; and two counts of maliciously damaging and destroying U.S. property by means of fire and an explosive causing death.

The seven other new charges in the superseding indictment include one count of providing material support and resources to terrorists resulting in death; three counts of attempted murder of an officer and employee of the United States; two counts of maliciously destroying and injuring dwellings and property, and placing lives in jeopardy within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States, and attempting to do the same; and one count of using, carrying, brandishing and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison.

Khatallah will be arraigned on the new charges at a hearing Oct. 20, 2014, before the Honorable Christopher R. Cooper in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.  At an earlier hearing, he pleaded not guilty to the terrorism conspiracy charge.

The investigation is continuing.

According to the superseding indictment, Khatallah was the commander of Ubaydah Bin Jarrah (UBJ), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.  In approximately 2011, UBJ merged with Ansar al-Sharia (AAS), another Islamist extremist group in Libya with the same goal of establishing Sharia law in the country.  Khatallah was a Benghazi-based leader of AAS.

The attack at the diplomatic mission, which took place on the night of Sept. 11, 2012, led to the deaths of Ambassador Stevens and Smith, who was an Information Management Officer for the U.S. Department of State; a second State Department employee was injured in this violence.  The attack at the annex took place early Sept. 12, 2012.  Woods and Doherty, who were security officers working on the U.S. government’s behalf, were killed in the attack at the annex, and another security officer and a State Department employee were wounded in the violence there.

In June 2014, Khatallah was taken into custody, and he initially was charged in a criminal complaint that was filed under seal on July 15, 2013, which became public on June 17, 2014.  The earlier indictment became public on June 28, 2014, the date of his first court appearance.

An indictment is merely a formal allegation that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.

The case is being investigated by the FBI New York Field Office's Joint Terrorism Task Force with substantial assistance from various other government agencies.  The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Counterterrorism Section of the National Security Division.

JUDGE IN 9-11 CASE LOOKS AT DEFENSE CLAIM

FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT 

Military Commission Judge Mulls Probe of Defense Claim

By Terri Moon Cronk

American Forces Press Service

FORT MEADE, Md., April 15, 2014 – The judge in the military commission proceedings for five suspects in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States called for a recess today to prepare an order allowing defense attorneys time to determine whether current or past defense team members were contacted by a government agency.

The proceedings began yesterday at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a satellite feed here allows reporters unable to travel to Cuba to cover the case.

Court recessed today at about 11 a.m. when the judge, Army Col. James Pohl, said he will issue the order later today.

The order follows the defense team’s request this morning for an investigation after one of the defense attorneys disclosed yesterday that the FBI questioned a member of his team about the suspects.

Pohl told defense attorneys they have until 5 p.m. tomorrow to submit a request if they want the court to subpoena witnesses from agencies that have contacted past or existing defense members. Any information the defense teams find will be disclosed only to the lead defense counsel for each team, Pohl ordered.
“The lead counsel will use his or her professional judgment in bringing the issue to the judge,” explained Army Lt. Col. J. Todd Breasseale, a Defense Department spokesman.

The court order is to avoid a conflict with any nondisclosure agreement an agency might have required a member of the defense team to file, Breasseale said.
Pohl is considering a court investigation on agencies that contacted defense team members, based on requests from defense team members in today’s proceedings. Because of those requests, the judge told the defense teams to determine which witnesses they believe they need. As yet, there is no indication the judge will proceed with an investigation.

James Harrington, attorney for defendant Ramzi Binalshibh, told the court at the start of yesterday’s hearing that the FBI contacted one of his team members for information. He did not say why FBI agents recently questioned his defense team member, but said the individual handled classified evidence.

The four-day hearing was set to examine whether Binalshibh is mentally capable to stand trial. Court proceedings will resume April 17, Pohl said.

U.S. CONDEMNS TERRORIST ATTACKS IN IRAQ

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE 
U.S. Condemns Terrorist Attacks in Iraq and Pledges to Help Combat al Qaeda
Press Statement
Jen Psaki
Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 10, 2013

The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly attacks in Baghdad. These attacks were aimed at families celebrating the Eid al-Fitr holiday that marks the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The terrorists who committed these acts are enemies of Islam and a shared enemy of the United States, Iraq, and the international community.

The attacks today bear the hallmarks of similar suicide and vehicle bomb attacks in Iraq over the past ninety days. Most of these attacks have been perpetrated by al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). AQI is led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224. He is also listed at the United Nations Security Council 1267/1989 al-Qa'ida Sanctions Committee.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, also known as Abu D'ua, is now based in Syria and has changed the name of AQI to the Islamic State of Iraq and Sham (ISIS). He has taken personal credit for a series of terrorist attacks in Iraq since 2011, and most recently claimed credit for the operations against the Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, the suicide bombing assault on the Ministry of Justice, among other attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi citizens going about their daily lives.

The United States has offered a $10 million reward for information that helps authorities kill or capture Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This reward is second only to information leading to Ayman al-Zawahiri, the chief of Al Qaeda’s network, and symbolizes our ongoing commitment to helping our partners in the region eliminate this threat from their territory.

In this regard, the United States is prepared to work closely with the Iraqi Government to confront the threat posed by Al Qaeda in Iraq and other terrorist groups. We look forward to discussing bilateral cooperation in this and other areas, pursuant to the Strategic Framework Agreement between our two countries, during the upcoming visit of Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari next week in Washington.

Our deepest condolences go out to the victims of today's attacks and we hope for the quick recovery of those injured. The United States will stand with the Iraqi people as they work to overcome these horrific attacks perpetrated by a common enemy.

U.S. DOD LEADERS SAY TERRORISTS WILL NOT HAVE BASES IN MIDDLE EAST

FROM:  U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
DOD Leaders Vow to Deny Terrorists Middle East, Africa Bases
By Amaani Lyle
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2013 - The need for U.S. vigilance in thwarting terrorism throughout the Middle East and North Africa led the conversation during dual interviews Pentagon senior leaders took part in today.

In television segments that aired today on CNN's "State of the Union" and NBC's "Meet the Press," Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey addressed lessons learned following the Benghazi, Libya, embassy attacks on Sept. 11, 2012, and the embassy attack in Ankara, Turkey, Feb. 1, 2013. They also discussed their continued focus on eradicating al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, or AQIM.

Panetta said that before his retirement, expected later this month, he expects to testify on Capitol Hill about the Benghazi attacks on Sept. 11, 2013. He noted defense officials are working with the State Department to review embassy security around the – "especially around that part of the world." He added, "We are taking steps."

But better security is one of three essential considerations in protecting U.S. embassies, he noted. "You still need to build up the host-country capacity," Panetta said. "[And] you've got to harden these embassies as much as possible."

Panetta and Dempsey described the complexities of orchestrating personnel and aircraft distance, intelligence and other factors to respond to an attack such as Benghazi.

"This is not 911," Panetta said. "You cannot just simply call and expect within two minutes to have a team in place; that's the nature of it."

Dempsey said the nearest armed aircraft were in Djibouti, Africa, at the time of the Benghazi attacks.

"The distance from Djibouti to Benghazi is the difference from Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles," Dempsey said. "There are some significant physics involved."

The chairman also maintained that with the alert time and intelligence information available at the time, the U.S. was "appropriately responsive."


"We've learned a lot from the Benghazi incident," Dempsey said. "We work with the State Department in surveying those parts of the world where there's a new norm ... of instability."

Dempsey and Panetta agree that many stymied attacks by the U.S. often go virtually unnoticed. Panetta noted the Feb. 1 suicide attack on the U.S. Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, which left the bomber two gatehouse security guards dead, occurred at the perimeter "nowhere close to the embassy."

"I think that was good security and ... [was] an example of good intelligence ... [guiding] us so that we could prevent something more serious from happening," he said.

Both leaders acknowledged that while AQIM remains a menace to Middle Eastern and North African regions, the U.S. will work with partner nations to contain terrorist organizations and prevent their acquiring chemical or other weapons in the region.

"We're better when we operate with partners," particularly in the Middle East, Dempsey said. "We've got options for any number of military contingencies, and we're maintaining both a deterrent and preparedness posture."

Dempsey said current U.S. planing involves working with partners in Turkey, Jordan and Israel, all of whom "share common interests in making sure these spill-over effects don't affect them."

Panetta said as al-Qaida affiliate leaders become more brazen in their movements, as recently happened in Mali, he is pleased with the French initiative to push back extremist encroachment and prevent burgeoning safe havens.

The secretary added that the U.S. and its partners have successfully targeted senior al-Qaida leaders in the federally administered tribal areas in Pakistan along the Afghanistan border, as well as in Yemen and Somalia. Planners have long foreseen the eventual need to contain extremists in North Africa has long been foreseen, he added.

"We were always aware that there was AQIM [there]," Panetta said. "Now we're focused on AQIM as a result ... of the French action, but we were also anticipating that we would have to move into North Africa."

Panetta said he hopes the massive changes happening in the Middle East and North Africa in the wakrt of the "Arab spring" will move toward greater democracy and stability in those regions, but operations against terrorist cells must not ebb.

"Wherever they are, we have to make sure they have no place to hide," Panetta said. "Bottom line is, al-Qaida is our enemy and we have to make sure we go after them."

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANETTA'S VISIT TO ISRAEL

U.S. Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta, right, has a private dinner with Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak in Jerusalem, July 31, 2012. Panetta is on a five-day trip to the region to meet with leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, Israel and Jordan. DOD photo by Erin A. Kirk-Cuomo
　

FROM: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
Iron Dome System Demonstrates U.S-Israeli PartnershipBy Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

ASHKELON, Israel, Aug. 1, 2012 - After passing through an orchard of fruit-laden apple trees and passing fields of corn and vegetables, it's jarring to come across a rocket launcher.

But that's the scene near this southern Israeli city.

Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta and Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak visited with Israeli air force personnel protecting Ashkelon from terrorist attacks. The city is less than 10 miles away from Gaza, and terrorists there have launched hundreds of missiles and mortar rounds into Israel.

The rocket launcher, radar and battle management and control module in this pasture are part of the Iron Dome network designed to track and shoot down missiles fired at Israeli cities.

This is a country constantly on its guard, even as regular workaday life continues. About 200 meters from the battery are apartment buildings with wash hanging off the balconies and a beautifully appointed playground. Farmers work in the fields, and cars whiz by on the Israeli version of an interstate. These are targets for the terrorists who use Gaza as a launching point.

The system has shot down scores of missiles that would have killed Israeli citizens since it was fielded in April 2011. During a joint news conference with Barak at the battery, Panetta said Iron Dome "has been a game changer for Israel's security. It has saved Israeli lives." Barak said it has a more than 80 percent success rate.

The battery also is a concrete example of how the U.S.-Israeli defense partnership works. The Israelis developed Iron Dome, and the United States has committed more than $205 million to fielding the system. Last week, President Barack Obama signed a law providing another $70 million to field more batteries this fiscal year. Panetta said his goal is to ensure Israel has the funding it needs in coming fiscal years to complete fielding the system.

But the defense relationship is more than just one system. Panetta said the defense relationship -- based on shared values and goals -- "is stronger than it has ever been before."

The partnership between the two nations is more important today because of the security challenges arising from the region, the secretary said. Syria, Iran and the threats of terrorism and nuclear and missile proliferation are just some of the challenges facing the region and the world.

"Our ties with the United States have expanded in a range of areas including intelligence, high-tech and securing the qualitative military edge of Israel," the Israeli defense minister said. "The defense relationship underpins greater and wider cooperation between the two countries."

Another example of the U.S. commitment to Israel is Israel's involvement in the joint strike fighter program, the secretary said.

"Israel is the only country in the Middle East participating in this program," Panetta said. "This will ensure Israel's air superiority for years to come."

SEC. OF DEFENSE PANNETA WARNS AMERICA TO REMAIN VIGILANT REGARDING TERRORIST ATTACKS

FROM:  AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE
Panetta: U.S. Must Stay Vigilant Against Terrorist Attacks
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 8, 2012 - A recent attempt by Yemeni-based terrorists to plant an explosive device on an airliner bound for the United States shows the nation needs to remain vigilant against new acts of terrorism, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta said.

In a plot whose details may never be fully known, U.S. and Yemeni operatives last month disrupted the plans of a bomber affiliated with al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, to detonate a plastic explosive device aboard a commercial aircraft.

"What this incident makes clear is that this country has to continue to remain vigilant against those who would seek to attack this country," Panetta said during a news conference yesterday. "And we will do everything necessary to keep America safe."

On Air Force One today, White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama, who was briefed on the operation in early April, is pleased with the success of intelligence and counterterrorism officials in foiling the attempt by al-Qaida to use the explosive device.

"It is indicative of the kind of work that our intelligence and counterterrorism services are performing regularly to counter the threat posed by al-Qaida in general, and AQAP in particular," Carney said. "At no time were Americans in danger as a result of this."
During an interview this morning on NBC's "Today," John Brennan, chief White House counterterrorism advisor, said international cooperation was key to the operation's success.

"It took very close cooperation with our international partners," Brennan said. "This is something that we have really emphasized over the past many years -- working very closely with our Yemeni partners -- because al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula poses a serious threat to us."

Having the intelligence and being able to take action before any IEDs can reach an airplane or an airport, he added, is instrumental in disrupting such attacks.

According to news reports, the IED was plastic, similar to the one Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to use on Christmas Day 2009 on Northwest Airlines flight 253, en route from Amsterdam to Detroit. AQAP claimed credit for that attempted attack.

"AQAP's bomb maker, Ibrahim al-Asiri, has demonstrated real proficiency as far as concealment methods as well as the materials that are used in these IEDs," Brennan said.
The FBI is examining the IED to see what kind of modifications or refinements may have been made, he added.

The United States also adapts its countermeasures, Brennan said.
"Whatever we learn from this IED, we're going to ensure that it's going to be incorporated into the measures that we take at airports, as well as any other avenues of approach that the would-be terrorists would take," the president's counterterrorism advisor said.
Brennan said no one has to worry about the IED or the would-be bomber.
"This is still in a sensitive stage," he added. "We're working very closely with those partners. We want to protect sources and methods, as well as operational equities. But neither the device nor the would-be bomber poses a threat."

Now, Brennan added, "we're taking additional measures in the event that there are other efforts out there on the part of al-Qaida to try to evade security."

In New Delhi, today, on the last segment of her trip to Asia, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the thwarted terrorist attack is on the minds of U.S. and Indian officials.

Both governments "know the tragedies and losses that come with terrorism on our soil," she told reporters.

"We have increased our cooperation between India and the United States," she added, and we're going to continue to do everything we can not only to prevent terrorists from carrying out their evil acts of violence, but also to try to convince people not to be recruited into terrorism, which is very much of a dead end, literally and figuratively, when it comes to pursuing any kind of political or ideological aims."
The plot itself indicates that the terrorists will keep trying, she said.

"They keep trying to devise more and more perverse and terrible ways to kill innocent people," the secretary of state added. "And it's a reminder as to why we have to remain vigilant at home and abroad in protecting our nation and in protecting friendly nations and peoples like India and others."