U.N. Bomb Plot Suspect Talked of Kidnaping Nixon, Paper Says

An informer and a man charged with leading a failed plot to bomb the United Nations and other targets discussed kidnaping former President Richard Nixon, a published report says.

Lawyers who have seen transcripts of tape-recorded conversations in the case said the two also discussed abducting former Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger in a hostage-taking plan aimed at winning the release of Muslims held in the World Trade Center bombing, the New York Times reported in today’s editions.

Emad Ali Salem, the informer, and Siddig Ibrahim Siddig Ali talked about kidnaping influential Americans who had been suggested to them by El Sayyid A. Nosair, the unidentified lawyers told the paper.

Nosair is in prison on a weapons conviction stemming from the 1990 murder of radical Rabbi Meir Kahane.

An indictment last month charged that Nosair, Siddig Ali and other members of a radical Muslim ring conspired to assassinate, bomb and kidnap to further its aims across the globe.

The indictment did not identify the kidnaping targets.

Salem and Siddig Ali had just returned from visiting Nosair at Attica State Prison on May 23 when the conversation about kidnapings was secretly recorded, the newspaper said.

Kissinger, contacted by the paper on Sunday, said he was unaware that he was an alleged target.

The story said Nixon could not be reached for comment.