Terror Suspect Zazi Pleads Not Guilty

Sketch of Najibullah Zazi by Elizabeth Williams/AP

Najibullah Zazi pleaded not guilty to a single terrorism conspiracy charge in a Brooklyn federal courthouse yesterday. The 24-year-old former Queens/current Denver resident is accused of plotting to bomb NYC, after an investigation revealed he bought large quantities of beauty supplies that can be used in bombs and backpacks (meant to carry bombs) were seized in a Queens apartment.

Zazi, who admitted to authorities that he did talk to Al Qaeda while in Pakistan, was quiet during the 10-minute hearing. His lawyer, J. Michael Dowling, said, "I have not seen any evidence whatsoever of an agreement between Mr. Zazi and anyone else, which is the essence of conspiracy charge. I'm not saying the government does not have this evidence, but I haven't seen it yet." (The Post says the government's evidence is so high-level, it can only been viewed in a "secret room"!) Dowling also said that Zazi's purchases of bomb-making materials wasn't illegal.

The NY Times reports that federal agents revisited one of the Queens homes that were raided two weeks ago: They "took two calculators and photographed a spiral-bound notebook belonging to another tenant. One page of the notebook, in an entry dated Sept. 20, 2007, indicated that the writer had borrowed $2,000 from Mr. Zazi and was traveling to Pakistan for four months."