New York Bomber 'Obsessed with Bin Laden'

The federal prosecutor's office in the United States has officially charged the suspect in the bombings in New York and New Jersey with accusations including the use of weapons of mass destruction. U.S. judicial officials have described Ahmad Khan Rahimi, the Afghan-American suspect, as 'obsessed with Osama bin Laden.' The arrested individual purchased the explosives used in the bombings from the online store eBay; a video was also found of him testing his homemade bomb. According to Reuters, notes found with Rahimi express his disgust towards America, which he describes as 'the executioner of Afghan, Iraqi, Syrian, and Palestinian mujahideen.' The arrested suspect wrote in his daily notes, 'God willing, the sound of bombs will be heard in the streets. Guns will shoot at your police, and your oppression will be eliminated.' In another part of these notes, he expressed admiration for Osama bin Laden, the deceased leader of al-Qaeda, referring to him as 'brother.' This admiration was also expressed towards Anwar al-Awlaki, the al-Qaeda leader in Yemen, and Nidal Malik Hasan, the American soldier who killed his peers at a base in Texas. Rahimi immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of seven. During the bombings in New York and New Jersey, 31 people were injured, although none of their lives are in danger. Reports indicate that the homemade bomb was made using a pressure cooker, of the same type used in the Boston Marathon bombing. Rahimi was injured during a police chase and is currently in unstable physical condition, but doctors say his status is stable. In any case, the police have not yet been able to fully interrogate him. Federal prosecutors in both New York and New Jersey have charged him with creating explosions in New Jersey and the Chelsea neighborhood of New York. He is also accused of attempting to kill police officers and carrying a firearm with military-grade ammunition without a permit. Following the federal indictment, the U.S. government has stated that the incidents in these two states appear to be 'terrorist attacks.'