Two charged in alleged terror plot

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Two Chicago men face federal charges for allegedly planning to attack targets including facilities and employees connected to a Danish newspaper that published cartoons of the prophet Muhammad in 2005, the Justice Department announced today.

David Coleman Headley, 49, and Tahawwur Hussain Rana, 48, also known as Tahawar Rana, were charged in documents filed in Chicago District Court.

Headley is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit terrorist acts involving murder and maiming outside the United States and one count of conspiracy to provide material support to that overseas terrorism conspiracy. Rana is charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorism conspiracy. According to the Justice Department, Headley traveled to Denmark to identify potential targets and Rana helped arrange Headley’s travel.

Both men are in custody, officials said.

On Sept. 30, 2005, the newspaper Jyllands-Posten published 12 cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad that enraged the Islamic world.. One showed Muhammad with a bomb in his turban.

Federal officials also said the alleged plot posed no danger to Chicago and was unrelated to recent terror plot arrests in Boston, New York, Colorado, Texas and central Illinois.

–Michael Muskal

Twitter.com/LATimesmuskal