2 Convicted in Plot to Blow Up JFK Airport

Two men have been found guilty of plotting to blow JFK Airport sky-high by igniting underground fuel tanks. Former airport employee Russell Defreitas, a naturalized US citizen, and former Guyanese member of parliament Abdul Kadir were convicted of conspiracy charges by a federal court in Brooklyn, and may face life in prison when they are sentenced later this year, the BBC reports.

The pair had sought help from Islamic extremists worldwide and had taken concrete steps in launching the plan, the prosecution said. "Anytime you hit Kennedy, it is the most hurtful thing to the United States," Defreitas said in a conversation taped by a police informant. "If you hit that, this whole country will be in mourning. It's like you kill the man twice." The duo's lawyers argued that they had been led astray by the informant and could not have carried out the plot on their own. An appeal is planned.
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