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Law

Listen: Secret tapes of a terror plot

Joint Terrorism Task Force

After Abu Khalid Abdul-Latif was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for plotting to attack a military processing center in Seattle, some of the secretly recorded tapes of him planning the assault were released by U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan.

The surprising thing about the tapes is how matter of fact the conspirators sound in describing plans for a mass killing.  Here are the tapes as released by the U.S. Attorney of Abdul-Latif with the FBI informant:

“The objective is to go in there and take in anybody wearing green or a badge.”

TapesChoosing MEPS.mp3
Abdul-Latif recommends the Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) in Seattle as a target.

“It’d be nice if we had 10 or 12 people we could’ve stuffed Fort Lewis, but, you know, we gotta take what we can get.”

tapesbuyingmachinegun.mp3
Abdul-Latif arranging to buy a machine gun.

“We need to stand guard in the hallway, anybody stick their head out, we’ll blow it off.”

Tapeslogistics.mp3
Abdul-Latif discussing logistics of attack while examining MEPS floor plan.

“Monday’s a good day…their minds aren’t on the job.”

tapesMondaygoodday.mp3
Abdul-Latif talking about planning the attack for a Monday.

“We should make sure that we have the element of surprise.”

tapeselementofsurprise.mp3
Abdul-Latif talks about the desired impact of an attack.

U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan described the tapes as “chilling.”

“This was a classic case of terrorism to prove a point,” Durkan said.

Abdul-Latif, also known as Joseph Anthony Davis, said he was planning the attack in retaliation for US soldier atrocities in Afghanistan. He plead guilty to the charges of plotting to attack a military installation. In addition to 18 years in prison, he was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.  He is 35 years old.

Law
Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.