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His conversion was fast. he'd come to a mosque run by members like jehovah's witnesss, spreading the word, looking for converts. they avoid politics. and although it is not considered a radical movement, counterterrorism officials point out that its members' passion can make some of them vulnerable to radical recruiters. bryant had unwittingly taken another step on his path to al qaeda. >> you could see it in his face, his eyes that he was more focused, more happy, more outgoing. >> there was no more playing softball, doing this. there was more praying. >> reporter: but his vulnerability plus ...

His growing views also fueled by the internet. his own extremist site for hours at a time. >> when he was looking at this, what was he thinking? >> he was saying get out, get out of this country. >> reporter: he grew convinced that the u.s. was behind the 9/11 attack and is an enemy of islam. alex acevedo, a friend from high school, saw bryant transforming. >> yeah. there's a war against islam. >> this is what brian believed. >> this is what he believed. he was always mad. >> reporter: soon, brian would give alex the biggest clue yet to his intentions. >> he was, like, i'll see you in your dre...

>> penn station. it is the busiest train station in north america. it is one mile from times square, about two miles from ground zero, and 50 miles from where bryant neil venus grew up in a middle-class suburb. it is also a target the young american would help al qaeda plan to attack. he grew up on this street on long island. he loved swimming, baseball, and biking. he was a good student, an altar boy. everything was right until, at age 14, his parents separated. for bryant, it was traumatic. he got angry, disconnected from his family. it was the start of a dangerous journey. for five years, t...

He connected with people like ahmed, who would soon move back to pakistan, and another who was front and center of protests in new york city staged by the radical islamic thinkers society, a radical islamist group. federal investigators believe this is about when bryant's odyssey turned to ideas about jihad. about wanting to fight the u.s. >> see this flag here? >> reporter: they're almost bug lights for a spiral jihadist. they've got an anti-western, anti-democratic, anti-u.s., pro-al qaeda message. >> reporter: but the group is entirely legal. >> as much as the islamic thinkers society might...