Osama bin Laden not behind Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, NYC bomb plot suspect told Mo. classmate

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - The former student at a Missouri college accused of trying to blow up the New York Federal Reserve reportedly told a classmate he didn’t believe Osama bin Laden was behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks because a true Muslim wouldn’t attempt such a thing.

Quazi Nafis was enrolled as a cyber security major at Southeast Missouri State University until May of this year.

Jim Dow said he was in a physics class with Nafis, and was shocked to see him in the news.

Nafis gave Dow a Quran and told him to study it.

Dow says his actions don't seem to fit the man he would give rides to.

“I hate what he's done. I don't understand it. I don't understand how anybody could justify that,” Dow said Thursday. “He's not an evil person, but this is such an evil thing. I'm just stumped.”

FBI agents arrested Nafis this week in a sting operation. The 21-year-old Bangladeshi citizen was charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide support to al Qaeda.