Aafia Siddiqui

36-year-old MIT graduate Aafia Siddiqui was arrested on July 17, 2008, after being stopped in front of a government building in Afghanistan. Upon searching her handbag, officers found plans for chemical weapons and detailed maps of U.S. landmarks. The CIA is referring to her as "the most significant capture in five years" and has compared her to Mata Hari.¹

In August 2008, Pakistan's parliament demanded the immediate repatriation of Dr. Aafia Siddiqui who is currently being held in the United States. Siddiqui was shot and wounded during questioning by U.S. officials and the Pakistan National Assembly is also requesting she receive medical attention. Siddiqui faces attempted murder and assault charges for allegedly trying to kill U.S. federal agents in Afghanistan.²

Fast Facts

1. Age: 36 years old in 2008
2. Born in Pakistan
3. Former U.S. resident
4. Educated at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
5. Trained as a neuroscientist³
6. On the FBI's list of most wanted terrorist suspects³
7. Arrested: July 17, 2008 in Afghanistan
8. FBI and U.S. military officers wanted to question her about suspected ties to Al Qaeda⁴
9. Accused of using a U.S. soldier's rifle to shoot at the FBI investigators and soldiers when they came to question her⁴
10. Siddiqui was shot twice with a 9 millimeter handgun⁴
11. Was extradited to New York where she is facing charges of attempted murder and assault

Shooting Incident

Allegedly, Siddiqui opened fired with an assault rifle that had been left on the floor by a soldier. It was reported that she fired two rounds of bullets, which missed the officers. She was then shot and subdued by an officer. Siddiqui was extradited to the U.S. where she faces charges.⁵

Missing Years

Siddiqui had not been seen publicly for five years prior to her arrest by Afghan Police in July of 2008, and her whereabouts during that time are unknown. The U.S. military has denied ever having the woman in custody prior to her 2008 arrest. Some human rights groups have alleged that Siddiqui was, in fact, the so-called "Prisoner 650," a solitary female inmate who had been held some years back in a U.S. military installation in Bagram.⁶

Related Pages on Mahalo

Al Qaeda | Terrorism | Afghanistan | Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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