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• 36-year-old MIT graduate Aafia Siddiqui, a former U.S. resident born in Pakistan, was arrested on July 17, 2008, after being stopped in front of a government building in Afghanistan. Upon searching her handbag, officers found plans for chemical weapons and detailed maps of U.S. landmarks.AFP: Jailed Pakistani a "treasure trove" of information" (August 13, 2008)

  Siddiqui was brought to the U.S. and been charged with attempting to kill American soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan after she allegedly attempted to shoot them during an interrogation. A psychological evaluation ordered by the court in 2008 found that she was unfit for trial due to a mental disease. In March 2009, prosecutors said that two government psychiatrists had found that she had faked symptoms of a mental disease.The New York Times: Scientist in Afghan Terror Case Faked Her Mental Illness, Prosecutor Says (March 26, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Age: 36 years old in 2008
  2. Born in Pakistan
  3. Former U.S. resident
  4. Educated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  5. Trained as a neuroscientistTimes Online: Female 'terror' Scientist Aafia Siddiqui Facing Us Court After Extradition (August 5, 2008)
  6. On the FBI's list of most wanted terrorist suspectsTimes Online: Female 'terror' Scientist Aafia Siddiqui Facing Us Court After Extradition (August 5, 2008)
  7. Arrested: July 17, 2008 in Afghanistan
  8. FBI and U.S. military officers wanted to question her about suspected ties to Al QaedaABC News: Al Qaeda Associate Arrested After Shootout (August 5, 2008)
  9. Accused of using a U.S. soldier's rifle to shoot at the FBI investigators and soldiers when they came to question herABC News: Al Qaeda Associate Arrested After Shootout (August 5, 2008)
  10. Siddiqui was shot twice with a 9 millimeter handgunABC News: Al Qaeda Associate Arrested After Shootout (August 5, 2008)
  11. Was extradited to New York where she has been charged for attempting to kill U.S. soldiers and FBI agents
  12. Siddiqui has pleaded not guiltyThe New York Times: Scientist in Afghan Terror Case Faked Her Mental Illness, Prosecutor Says (March 26, 2009)

• Shooting Incident

  Allegedly, Siddiqui opened fired with an assault rifle that had been left on the floor by a soldier during an interrogation in Afghanistan in 2008. It was reported that she fired two rounds of bullets, which missed the officers. She was then shot and subdued by an officer. Siddiqui was extradited to the U.S. where was facing charges.AFP: Family Say Pakistani Mum on Us Terror Charges Is Innocent (August 5, 2008)

• Missing Years

  Siddiqui had not been seen publicly for five years prior to her arrest by Afghan Police in July of 2008, and her whereabouts during that time are unknown. The U.S. military has denied ever having the woman in custody prior to her 2008 arrest. Some human rights groups have alleged that Siddiqui was, in fact, the so-called "Prisoner 650," a solitary female inmate who had been held some years back in a U.S. military installation in Bagram.AFP: Pakistani scientist "was not held by US military" (August 13, 2008)

• Repatriation Demands

  In August 2008, Pakistan's parliament demanded the immediate repatriation of Siddiqui, held in the United States. In March 2009, a Pakistani court ruled to ask the Pakistani government to speed up the efforts to repatriate Siddiqui. The court also ruled that the government should approach the International Criminal Court if Siddiqui is not repatriated.BBC News: Pakistan ruling on terror suspect (March 9, 2009)

• Related Pages on Mahalo

  Al Qaeda | Terrorism | Afghanistan | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | War on Terror | Pakistan | Neuroscience | Rozita Swinton | New York News | New York

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