It appears that the NYPD Intelligence Division, acting without the knowledge of the FBI, went to the home of sometime informant Afzali on September 10 and told him it was urgent that he find out as much as he could about Zazi. They didn't tell him why and they gave him no instructions on how to do this. So the Iman called a relative of Zazi's, who put him in touch with Zazi's father, who put him in touch with Zazi. The Iman called Zazi and told him law enforcement was asking about him, and that whatever he was going to do, he shouldn't. The Iman told the same thing to Zazi's friend, Adis Medunjanin, also under Indictment as part of the alleged suicide bombing plot. (Another high school buddy of Zazi and Medunjanin, Zarein Ahmedzay, is also charged but the Iman didn't speak to him.)

At least three times on September 11, after speaking to Zazi or Medunjanin, the Iman called his NYPD handlers and told them what had been said. Each time they asked him to find out more.

The FBI found out about the Iman's call to Zazi because they had Zazi's phone wiretapped. Not aware the NYPD had asked the Iman to find out what he could, they confronted the Iman, who got scared, and denied to the FBI he had spoken with Zazi.

The Iman says non-public documents show Zazi was aware of law enforcement interest in him before he left Denver, and the traffic stop confirmed it, causing him to call of the plans. The Iman's phone call to Zazi the next day was immaterial, because Zazi had already decided to abort the plan.

The New York Times interviewed the Iman at his home this week and presents his side. The Governmen