In a surprising turn of events, a 46-year-old Pakistani man, identified as Asif Raza Merchant, has been charged by the US Department of Justice for plotting to kill politicians along with government officials in the United States of America. Accused Asif Merchant is a Pakistani national and allegedly has connections with Iran. The accused reportedly had planned to kill former US President Donald Trump.
Retaliation For The US Drone Attack That Killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani
According to reports from the US Justice Department, Asif Raza Merchant sought to hire a hitman in order to assassinate a US government official allegedly. This came as a retaliation for the US drone attack in 2020 that killed the Iranian military officer Qasem Soleimani. Although no name was mentioned, US Attorney General Merrick Garland reported that charges were pressed against Asif Merchant, which indicated that his target was Donald Trump.
Donald Trump Ordered General Qasem’s Killing In 2002
US Attorney General Merrick Garland reported that the Justice Department of the US has worked aggressively for years to counter Iran’s ‘brazen and unrelenting efforts to retaliate’ against American Public Officials for the killing of the Iranian military General Qasem Soleimani. The person who ordered the killing of Qasem Soleimani in Baghdad in January of the year 2020, was former President Donald Trump.
Asif Merchant Traveled To New York To Hire Hitman
Asif Raza Merchant was accused of traveling to New York with the purpose of hiring a hitman to kill a US government official. His entire plan was disrupted before it could be further carried out. Asif Merchant has two wives, one in Pakistan and another in Iran. He also has children in both countries. Furthermore, apart from a plan to kill a US government official, Asif Merchant has also been accused of stealing documents, and USB drives from a target’s home, along with planning protests.
Used Code Names Like ‘Yarn Dye’ And ‘Flannel Shirt’
Asif Merchant cleverly used code names for each element in his entire plot, such as ‘flannel shirt’ for stealing documents, ‘fleece jacket’ for assassination, and ‘yarn dye’ for all of the meetings. The revelation came less than a month after Donald Trump’s assassination attempt on July 13 in Pennsylvania. So far, there has been no connection found with the July 13 attack to Asif Merchant’s plot. The plot was supposed to be carried out in late August or earlier in the month of September.