NEW YORK – The US Department of Justice on Tuesday announced formally arresting and charging a Pakistani national for his role in a foiled plan related to a high-profile assassination.
The FBI had earlier arrested Asif Merchant, 46, last month on court orders for his alleged connections with Iran. He is facing charges related to a conspiracy to assassinate a US politician or government official.
MURDER-FOR-HIRE
A federal court in Brooklyn, New York, charged Merchant with murder-for-hire [contract killing] after prosecutors alleged he spent time in Iran before coming to the United States from Pakistan.
“For years, the Justice Department has been actively countering Iran’s audacious and persistent efforts to retaliate against American public officials for the killing of Iranian General Qasim Soleimani,” said Attorney General Merrick B Garland.
“The Justice Department will use every available resource to prevent and hold accountable those who attempt to execute Iran’s deadly plans against American citizens. We will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to target American public officials and jeopardize the nation’s security.”
In a press release issued, the Department of Justice announced that Merchant, also known as Asif Raza Merchant, 46, was accused of attempting to hire an assassin [hit man] in a plot to kill a politician or US government official on American soil.
It added, “US law enforcement agencies thwarted the plan before any attack could take place, and Asif Merchant is now in federal custody”.
AMERICAN JUSTICE SYSTEM
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G Olsen, “The complaint unsealed today underscores, yet again, that those who engage in lethal plotting on US soil will face the full force of the American justice system”.
“The targeting of former and current officials by foreign actors is an affront to our sovereignty and our democratic institutions, and the Department of Justice will use every possible tool to expose and disrupt this egregious activity”, he added.
US Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York stated, “This prosecution demonstrates that this office and the entire Department of Justice will take swift and decisive action to protect our nation’s security, our government officials, and our citizens from foreign threats.”
PAKISTAN IS IN CONTACT
In response, Islamabad stated that it was in contact with the American authorities.
Pakistani Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said late Tuesday, “We have seen the media reports. We are in contact with US authorities and are awaiting further details.”
She added, “We have noted US officials’ statements. The matter is currently under investigation. We need to confirm the individual’s background and history before issuing an official response.”
THE SOLEIMANI EPISODE
Soleimani – a pivotal figure in Iran’s military and political influence across the Middle East – was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad ordered by former President Donald Trump.
US officials have long warned that Iran is seeking revenge for the 2020 killing of Soleimani, the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Quds Force.
The attack led the US government to enhance security measures for several Trump administration officials.
In 2022, the Justice Department also indicted an Iranian operative involved in a failed plot to assassinate John Bolton.
Last month, Trump was injured in an attack during his election campaign rally, the assailant was a 20-year-old American who was killed at the scene.
Arshad Mehmood is a conflict zone journalist with extensive experience covering the US-led invasion of Afghanistan. Associated with a prestigious American news agency, The Media Line USA. He is a highly experienced journalist with a proven track record of covering inland and across-the-border terrorism and counter-terrorism narratives and incidents. (https://themedialine.org/) Most of his news stories published in The Media Line are also featured on JPost.com, a major media outlet in the Middle East. He can be reached via @RajaAajtv on social media.