Richard Colvin Reid

Richard Colvin Reid

Born	August 12, 1973 Bromley, South London, U.K.

Richard Colvin Reid, aka Abdul Raheem and often referred to in the media as the shoe bomber (born August 12, 1973), is an individual convicted on charges of terrorism and currently serving a life sentence in the United States for attempting to detonate a commercial aircraft in-flight using plastic explosives contained in his shoes. According to al-Qaeda operative Mohammed Mansour Jabarah (who was captured and interrogated in Oman in 2003), Reid was a member of al-Qaeda and had been sent on the bombing mission by Khaled Shaikh Mohammed, a senior member of the organization.^[1]

Background

A British citizen born in Bromley, South London and educated at Thomas Tallis School in Kidbrooke, London, he is the son of an English mother and a Jamaican father, who spent most of Richard's childhood years in prison. Reid became involved in street crime, writing graffiti with the name Enrol with FRF crew ^[2], and spent time in a number of prisons, including Feltham Young Offenders' Institution, where he converted to Islam.

Bombing Attempt on American Airlines 63

Reid, according to the FBI using the aliases Tariq Raja (طارق راجا) and Abdel Rahim (عبدالرحیم), was arrested on December 22, 2001 for attempting to destroy a Boeing 767 on American Airlines Flight 63, a flight from Paris, Charles De Gaulle International Airport to Miami International Airport, USA, by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes.

Passengers on flight 63 complained of a smoke smell in the cabin shortly after a meal service. One flight attendant, Hermis Moutardier, walked the aisles of the plane, trying to assess the source. She found Reid, who was sitting alone near a window and attempting to light a match. Moutardier warned him that smoking was not allowed on the airplane; Reid promised to stop. A few minutes later, Moutardier found Reid leaned over in his seat; her attempts to get his attention failed. After asking "What are you doing?" Reid grabbed at her, revealing one shoe in his lap, a fuse which led into the shoe, and a lit match. She tried grabbing Reid twice, but he pushed her to the floor each time, and she screamed for help. When another flight attendant, Cristina Jones, arrived to try to subdue him, he fought her and bit her thumb. The 6 foot 4 inch (193 cm) Reid was eventually subdued by other passengers on the airliner, using plastic handcuffs, seatbelt extensions, and headphone cords. One doctor administered Valium found in the flight kit of the aircraft[1]. The Flight was diverted to Boston's Logan International Airport. Authorities later found PETN plastic explosives with a triacetone triperoxide (TATP) detonator hidden in the lining of his shoes.

Trial and verdict

On January 30, 2003, he was found guilty on terrorism charges at a federal court in Boston, Massachusetts. During the sentencing hearing he openly stated that he was an Islamic fundamentalist and declared himself an enemy of the United States and in league with Al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment on each of the three charges, 20 years imprisonment on four other charges, and 30 years on four other counts, to be served consecutively, followed by five years of supervised release. Eight fines of $250,000, restitution of $298.17, and $5,784,800 special assessment were imposed. He is serving his sentences in the ADX Florence, a Supermax prison in Florence, Colorado.

Role in 9/11 attacks

Zacarias Moussaoui stated on March 27, 2006 at his sentencing hearing that on September 11, 2001 he and Reid had intended to hijack a fifth aircraft and crash it into the White House as part of the attacks that took place that day. However, through his lawyers, Reid has denied involvement with Moussaoui. Moussaoui's own defense lawyers dismissed this as fantasy on the part of their client, saying that he was not an operative in Al-Qaeda, but only a "hanger-on".[2]

Further Federal Authority Investigation

Federal authorities are seeking to further question Reid for important information about ongoing terror plots. Notably, they want to question him without the presence of his federal public defenders. The Federal government says he is not entitled to the defender since his federal case is over. The federal judge wants the case transferred to Colorado where Reid is serving his prison sentence.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ Ressa, Maria. "Sources:Reid is al Qaeda operative.". Retrieved on 2006-09-15. CNN.com, December 6, 2003.
^ Millbank, James. "Loner Vowed to Make His Evil Mark", News of the World, 2001-12-30.