Portland man accused of assisting Pakistan suicide bomber
PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland city employee made his first appearance Tuesday in federal court on allegations that he provided assistance to a suicide bomber in a May 2009 Pakistan attack.
The attack at the headquarters of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence headquarters in Lahore killed 30 people and injured 300 others, prosecutors said.
Reaz Qadir Khan, a wastewater operator with the city of Portland since 2007, was indicted on a charge of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists.
Arrested Tuesday morning at his home in Southwest Portland, Khan appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Paul Papak in the afternoon. Khan was detained and has a detention hearing on Wednesday.
The indictment outlines a nearly four-year correspondence between Khan and a Maldivian national, Ali Jaleel, who was behind the suicide attack. It alleges between Dec. 14, 2005, and June 2, 2009, Khan conspired with Jaleel to provide material support and resources.
Prosecutors said Khan emailed advice and sent money to Jaleel and his family and also provided financial assistance for Jaleel to attend terrorist training camps.
“Khan allegedly provided Jaleel with advice to help him in his efforts to travel undetected from the Maldives to commit violent jihad,” a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Court papers state Khan first contacted Jaleel in December 2005, saying “he felt he was ‘at a standstill in the matter of knowledge and practice.’” Jaleel sent a letter back the next month, alluding to past promises “he and Khan had made to seek martyrdom in the name of Allah,” according to court records.
After Jaleel attended a terrorist training camp in 2006, he contacted Khan again in 2008, inquiring about traveling to Pakistan for another camp. The indictment alleges Khan gave him advice on traveling undetected and arranged for Jaleel to receive $2,500 to pay for the camp.
Jaleel also sent an email to Khan in 2008, asking Khan to take care of his family and to educate his children and “bring them up well,” according to court documents.
“I understand your worries about your family … I will try to support them as much as possible,” Khan wrote to Jaleel, according to court documents.
On May 27, 2009, Jaleel and two others instigated the massive suicide attack.
Later, in a video released by an al-Qaida media outlet, footage was shown of Jaleel preparing for the attack at a training camp. He also made statements assuming responsibility for the attack, according to the news release.
The month following the attack, Khan allegedly wired $750 from a Fred Meyer store in Tigard, Ore., to one of Jaleel’s wives in the Maldives.
If convicted of the charge, Khan could spend life in a federal prison.
Chris Shortell, an assistant professor of political science at Portland State University, said the government prosecuted more than 100 cases involving providing material support to terrorists in 2010. About three-quarters of those cases resulted in convictions.
Portland Mayor Charlie Hales released the following statement Tuesday night.
The deplorable act of triggering a bomb at a federal building in Lahore resulted in approximately 30 deaths and 300 injuries.
However, we should all remember that the charges contained in Mr. Khan's indictment are allegations only, and that Mr. Khan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This week's arrest brings home the reality that worldwide headlines can resonate right here in Portland.
KATU Reporter Bob Heye contributed to this report.
Anyone else find it disturbing that this guy works for the city, and in the wastewater division?
Is he related to Khan, the guy on King of the Hill?
WAR CRIME. If he is found guilty what he will be adjudged for having intentionally perpetrated is TREASON. During war time.Â
Aiding and abetting and actually being a conduit to the enemy - he is being charge for being the ENEMY of us all. Let the justice system now have it's turn assessing whether or not he is guilty - I welcome this man's full prosecution. Blood on his hands - terrorist blood. AND THIS NATION IS ENGAGED IN AN ONGOING WAR AGAINST ALL OF THAT - as we speak. Right, Mr. Obama? Yep.Â
@englishdaisy What about the war crimes committed against the people of Iraq that were perpetrated by the Bush administration and headed by Cheney. They're the biggest war criminals in this country and no one seems to care.
@Ramsesthegreat @englishdaisy and continued by Obama and Clinton for just as long as Bush and Cheney were (and longer in Afganistan). Don't gloss over that fact, or are you just one of those special sorts who doesn't "seem to care" you were referrring to.
Why haven't we banned the "Religion of Peace ?" Seems like an awful lot of shenanigans going on in that department.
@TimBurr What do you have against the constitution and the fact that it is designed around FREEDOM OF RELIGION. Why do conservatives demand all their freedoms while simultaneously attempting to remove those of the people that don't agree with them?Â
@TimBurrBecause Christianity also claims to be a religion of peace, and would be banned right along side.
Oh, and a little thing called the US Constitution. Some pesky thing about "Congress shall make no law . . . respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof."
Well, if this clown wants to " seek martyrdom in the name of Allah"toss him from an airplane at about 20,000 feet or so without a parachute. We'll nickname him "Khansplatter the martyr "
Who's surprised? Didn't another muzzie try to blow eveyrone up over the christmas tree light a year ago? Oh wait the 19 year old "BOY" was entrapped to blow himself and everybody else up there. Yeah, uh-huh. I bet this one has a similar story, just likes to e-mail terrorists and doing his job as a good muslim infultrating the USA to bring trouble. Think that's bad? Look what the Christians have been doing. Nothing good has come out of the middle east since algebra (oh yeah, and those people don't exist anymore either).
However, we should all remember that the charges contained in Mr. Khan's indictment are allegations only, and that Mr. Khan is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Any bets Khan is on paid administrative leave...?
@Hellbilly As he should be, if found guilty in the investigation, he will be required to repay every cent payed to him during his leave.
 If you were accused of doing something wrong at your job, how would you feel if your employer told you they were going to do an investigation on it, but you weren't going to get payed for that time and you weren't allowed to work during that time?
How does a FOREIGN TERRORIST get a job with the city of Portland when a US Citizen with so much a jaywalking ticket on their record can't?
@August100 Good to see you've got all the evidence and have already made the guilty verdict. No trial needed. Guilty until proven innocent I guess.
 Oh wait, it's because he looks like a Middle Eastern Muslim, right? That's what automatically makes him guilty, right?
@Ramsesthegreat @August100 Profiling works.  Nuff said.
Can't we just blast him off into space, and beam him down to Ceti Alpha VI? That should be a great life term, right? (Hey Trekkies!)
@washcomom If you're gonna use a scifi series for punishment.. skip Trek, and go for Chronicles of Riddick.
@washcomom Nice! Although i'd prefer the Borg. At least he'd be put to good use in the collective. LOL
Maybe it was part of a larger conspiracy to build bike lanes over there since it was basically funded by pdx taxpayers
"a wastewater operator " ???  You mean a honey dipper.
If I were Reaz Qadir Khan, or anyone associated with him, I would be very leary of walking the streets from now on. Thanks to Ron Wyden, and his investigation, He has uncovered the truth about the presidents "power" to target Americans IN America, WITHOUT due process, through the DRONES. Yes, Obama has the power to order you killed on the streets of Portland, with a drone, if he deems you a threat. Any of you that don't believe this, should contact Ron Wyden. Be very careful who you associate yourself with, it just might get you killed without a trial.
@myopinion240 Awesome conspiracy theory. I know you conservatives love a good one just so long as it involves the scary black man in the white house. Now if you would kindly back it up with factual evidence (ie, NOT from Fox Noise) and documented proof, you might be considered a reasonable person.
I was Muslim for 6 years and knew a Khan family in Portland, and later one in Cleveland, Ohio. I wonder if the name Khan is like Smith in the US? I left Islam in late 2011 for personal reasons. It is surprising to me to see that one of that family got involved in terrorisim. Of course the Sunni and the Shia have this internal civil war going on that has carried on for 1400 years. So much for forgiveness.
So whats the total now of City of Portland employees who are terrorist combatants or enablers?
The Rose City just might have a new record to brag about.
@Jack_Bauer There are so many immigrant muslims in Portland it makes me miss the crazy orthodox Russians in Sacramento. Yeah they talk a lot of sh**, but they haven't blown anything up (yet).
He looks like a homeless wizard.
Icarus will now be able to get off of EUC and support la raza. Hey it will even be able to clean up his imaginary wings.
BTW: Icarus working in waste management should make you feel like you are at home with your family south of our borders
You know what is really frightening? He has worked for the City of Portland as a wastewater operator, that is just a little too close to our infrastructure in my opinion!Â
I am glad he passed the city's background check. Ding him for both the Arts tax and The crayon tax
What is "The crayon tax"? I have just received the Arts tax and finished the payment, do we have another one?
This is off topic, sorry, but I need to make sure I don't miss any tax. I already surfed internet but found nothing.Â
Thank you for your time and your help.
A portland city employee....LOLOLOLOL! let's hear it for diversity. I'm sure that he's just misunderstood.
Wow, you just never know who you might go to work with every day. Kind of scary.
Pssh. Nice distraction from benghazi .
Another fine member of The Religion of Peace.
@NGerblansky Sort of like all those people who bombed abortion clinics? Oh wait, those were Christians. But how can that be? They're supposed to be so nice and accepting.
@Ramsesthegreat You mean sort of like Obama's terrorist buddies Bill Ayers and Bernardine Dohrn of the Weather Underground?
@Ramsesthegreat @NGerblansky Please produce a list of 'all those'. I'd bet you a flying carpet the clinic bombers are out numbered thousands to one.
Every group has its fringe. Problem is radical islam is far more than a fringe.
You'll find this guy...(musical jingle) "at Fred Meyer".
Better warn the people in his neighborhood, I'm sure a drone strike is on its way
@redbyrd64Â You could be correct abou that..only thing is the "Drones" are very accurate..Unless of course the target is living on the first floor and you happen to be living on the 2nd....you may need to leave home..
He lived in SW Portland ? Â I hope he did not attend the same mask as the Portland 7 - Convicted 10 years ago and most still serving in Federal Prison.... That would be to coincidental...My business was near that one - Off Capital Hwy -- Was there the morning of the raid...both sides of I-5..helicopters galore....
The tin foil conspiracists will say that this is all a government conspiracy and perhaps a cover-up just as they did with Lil' Mo who tried to blow up Pioneer Square.
I say bury a few of these people alive with a pig carcass, video it, and send the copies to all Muslim countries. Terrorism will end quickly. Read your history books people. Our military did this to muslim insurgents in the Phillipines at the turn of the century. Insurrection over.Â
@Tellitlikeitizz Â
I doubt it. They'd just use a video like that to inflame their extremist rhetoric and recruit more jihadis. They're a lot better organized now and have world-wide connections to other terrorist whackjobs. Â
I wonder if Pakistan will start accusing the U.S. of harboring terrorists, now ?
@angry1Â Yeah right at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Religion of Peace? Â Religion POS's
I remember a terrorist training camp outside of Medford getting federal grant money
I don't have a doubt, as we knew, Ho Chi Minh received our aid before, and recently was Bin Laden, Sadam Hussein... before them turning towards The USA. But do you have any link? I personally like to research.
: "We have fight  over there so we dont have fight them here."  Me:  "If State Dept. Traitors and Idiotic secularists who do not believe in spiritual evil did not allow "coexisting" with this evil satanic cult  of the demon possesed so called "prophet" of "allah" within the borders of Western Civilized world,  we would not ve been attacked  within our borders in the first place and still dealing with these hateful sneaky Liars who smile and say Peace and cant wait to kill for Satan.