Trial Begins for Former NYC Uber Driver Charged With Trying to Join Taliban to ‘Kill Americans’

The trial of a former New York City Uber driver charged with attempting to join the Taliban to “kill Americans” began on Wednesday.

Delowar Mohammed Hossain, 36, was arrested on terrorism charges at John F. Kennedy airport in 2019.

Hossain had spent a year plotting his trip to Afghanistan to join the terror group, according to prosecutors.

“He wasn’t just any other traveler — he was on a mission to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and kill Americans and he was on his way,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Schrier said in his opening statement.

Fox News reports “Hossain’s attorney, however, contends he was just a ‘wannabe playboy’ who decided to leave his wife and family to fly to Thailand to meet girls.”

Hossain was allegedly planning to travel to Afghanistan from Thailand after deciding that he would not be able to kill enough people by bombing a New York City military installation.

Prosecutors also have a recording of Hossain saying that he wanted to “kill Americans.”

“He also allegedly told undercover informants that he was trying to throw off investigators by frequenting bars and strip clubs, which wouldn’t be allowed for a strict Muslim and encouraged the informants to ‘get dirty’ with forbidden Muslim behavior themselves to fool law enforcement,” the Fox report states.

Hossain had $10,000 cash on him when he was arrested.

He is charged with attempting to provide material support for terrorism and attempting to make or receive a contribution to the Taliban.

 

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