July 2008

U.S. conviction upheld in FBI sting of NY Muslims

An Iraqi Kurdish imam and a Bangladeshi-American pizzeria owner on Wednesday lost an appeal of their convictions for plotting to kill a Pakistani diplomat in what turned out to be an FBI sting operation.  The U.S Second Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the convictions of Yassin Aref, 37, and Mohammed Hossain, 53, who were sentenced last year to 15 years each in prison for their roles in a fake plot to attack the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations in New York with a missile.  Both appealed their convictions of money-laundering and conspiring to provide material support to the Pakistan-based Islamic militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. government……(Reuters, 2 Jul 08)

Anti-Castro militant pardon overturned

Panama's Supreme Court overturned a presidential pardon of four Cuban emigres accused of plotting to kill Fidel Castro, including former CIA operative Luis Posada Carriles, officials said Tuesday. The court ruled late Monday that 180 pardons granted in 2004 by outgoing President Mireya Moscoso _ including of the four Cubans _ were unconstitutional, leaving open the possibility that many of those formerly cleared could return to jail. The attorney in Panama for Posada, Rogelio Cruz, said he believes Panama may request his client's extradition from the U.S., where he is being held in jail……(AP, 1 Jul 08)

Posada may face extradition to Panama

Luis Posada Carriles, a former CIA operative hailed as a hero in Miami and reviled as a terrorist in Cuba and Venezuela, could face extradition to Panama. Panama's Supreme Court said Tuesday it had overturned presidential pardons for 180 people, including Posada Carriles and four associates. ……(Sun-Sentinel, 2 Jul 08)
 

Judge orders individual 9/11 trial hearings

A military judge Tuesday said he would explore whether reputed 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed bullied his alleged co-conspirators into firing their lawyers, and next week will question each of the men accused of plotting the 2001 terrorist attacks.  At issue was whether Mohammed, who has boasted he plotted the 9/11 attacks ''from A to Z,'' was a puppet master, a Svengali of sorts, at their June 5 arraignment at the U.S. Navy Base at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.  Marine Col. Ralph Kohlmann, the judge, notified lawyers in a six-page order that he would hold the special hearings starting July 9……(Miami Herald, 2 Jul 08)

From terrorist to al-Qaeda snitch: The story of Babar

In Mohammed "Big Dawg" Babar's jihadist world, morality is a changeable monster. Mr. Babar, 33, the only al-Qaeda informant to testify in a Canadian courtroom, was the star witness during the first week of Momin Khawaja's landmark trial. His detailed testimony knit Mr. Khawaja to an al-Qaeda-led conspiracy to detonate a fertilizer bomb in central London. But his testimony, delivered without hesitation in a soft, clear voice, also revealed much about the dichotomous Mr. Babar. Mr. Babar became a devoted jihadist despite the fact his mother could have died in the World Trade Center attack. He believed Islam was at war with the West, which meant that all forms of thievery and murder were religiously allowed. What's more, his testimony this week devastated the claims of innocence from his former "brother," Mr. Khawaja, who once sent Mr. Babar $880 in answer to his plea for money to return to the U.S. from Pakistan……(Ottawa Citizen, 2 Jul 08)

Alleged plot leader insists he is not an extremist

The alleged leader of a terrorist plot to blow up transatlantic airliners would not describe himself as an extremist, a court heard. However Abdullah Ahmed Ali, of Prospect Hill, Walthamstow, admitted he became politically aware at a young age. Giving evidence at Woolwich Crown Court for the first time, Mr Ali, 27, said he became politically active at university and regularly joined demonstrations. He added that the mass demonstration against the Iraq war in 2003 had shown him that "people are all the same", with similar beliefs and morals……(Guardian. 2 Jul 08)

Trying the Suspect or the Government? The Media’s Approach to the Trial of al-Qaeda’s Canadian Operative

In the aftermath of al-Qaeda’s 9/11 raids on New York City and Washington D.C., the Western media thundered damnation at the governments of the United States and its allies for having failed to take seriously the growth in post-Cold War national security threats from transnational Islamist groups. The media mercilessly attacked the “group-think” of Western governments for their continued focus on threats from nation-states—Russia, China, Iraq, Iran, etc.—and their on-again, off-again concern with the threat from al-Qaeda and its Islamist allies. The media’s bottom-line was accurate: The fall of the Berlin Wall had not been recognized by Western governments as the end of reliable peace under the umbrella of Mutually Assured Destruction and that the 9/11 attacks made it plain that the relatively peaceful, largely predictable Cold War-era was over for good…A terrorism trial that opened in Canada on June 23 is providing an excellent example of the media’s unfortunate reversion—one which is also occurring in the American, British, Australian, and other Western media—from heralding the grossly underestimated transnational Islamist threat to its traditional attack-dog role vis-à-vis government actions and policies. The trial in Ottawa involves the prosecution of Momin Khawaja, a 29-year-old Canadian citizen of Pakistani descent, for his alleged role with al-Qaeda-related terrorists who plotted to detonate bombs……(Jamestown, 1 Jul 08)

'Radical convert, Nicholas Roddis, planted hoax bomb on a bus'

A young white man who adopted a radical Islamic creed planted a hoax bomb on a bus after becoming excited by graphic images of terrorist violence, a court was told yesterday. Nicholas Roddis, 22, is alleged to have worn a false black beard to board a packed bus before leaving behind a carrier bag packed with nails, wire and a working clock. Inside the bag was a message, purporting to be from the al-Qaeda leadership in Iraq, that proclaimed that there was “no god but Allahu”, adding: “Britain must be punished.”  When police raided Mr Roddis’s flat in Bramley, near Rotherham, South Yorkshire, they found bombmaking ingredients, including chemicals, nails and detonators…..(Times Online, 1 Jul 08)

Govt assumed Haneef had terror link: lawyers

Confidential government documents show the Howard government never considered the possibility that Dr Mohamed Haneef was not involved in terrorism, his lawyers say. Earlier this month, government lawyers agreed to provide a majority of up to 280 documents sought by the Queensland-based doctor's legal team, who wanted to assist the inquiry into the handling of his case…Dr Haneef's lawyers have publicly released the documents, which mostly comprise briefing notes and emails by senior members of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship…..(Age, 1 Jul 08)

Al-Arian Arraigned On Contempt Charges

Former University of South Florida professor Sami Al-Arian was arraigned Monday on two charges of criminal contempt for refusing to testify before a federal grand jury in Virginia. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Alexandria, Va., ordered Al-Arian transferred out of the custody of immigration authorities and into the custody of U.S. Marshals…At the arraignment, Al-Arian did not enter a plea, but the judge entered a not guilty plea for him, Turley wrote in his blog. Al-Arian's trial is scheduled for Aug. 13. Al-Arian was prosecuted in Tampa on terrorism-related charges alleging he was a lead U.S. fundraiser for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a U.S.-designated terrorist organization in Israel. A federal jury in 2005 failed to convict him of any charge, but deadlocked on nine counts. He later struck a deal with prosecutors, pleading guilty to one count of providing assistance to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad…He has completed his sentence for that charge, but has been held on successive civil contempt charges for refusing to testify before a Virginia grand jury investigating alleged terrorist financing by charities there…..(Tampa Tribune, 1 Jul 08)

June 2008

Al-Arian Trial Set for August

A trial date has been set for August 13th in the case of Sami Al-Arian, who is charged with criminal contempt in a two count indictment for refusing to testify before grand juries investigating Islamic charities with suspected ties to terrorism. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema said she expected a "straightforward" trial that would last one day, but Al-Arian's attorney, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, indicated that he would continue to challenge the indictment and suggested the trial may be more complicated.   The indictment charges Al-Arian with refusing to testify when called before federal grand juries Oct. 16, 2007 and March 20, 2008 despite a grant of immunity from the prosecution… Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with conspiring to provide material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) a designated terrorist group. It took two years to bring the case before a jury, and Al-Arian was held without bond during that time.  Jurors in Tampa acquitted Al-Arian on eight of the 17 counts against him and could not reach unanimous verdicts on the others, including racketeering conspiracy. In April 2006, Al-Arian agreed to plead guilty to one of those hung counts – conspiracy to provide goods and services to a terrorist group……(IPT, 30 Jun 08)

Indictment: US vs. Sami Amin Al-Arian

Former Fla. professor refuses to plead to contempt

…The former University of South Florida professor has been in jail since 2003 after prosecutors accused him of being a leader of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist group. A jury in Florida acquitted him, but Al-Arian admitted guilt to lesser charges. Prosecutors wanted Al-Arian to testify to a grand jury investigating Islamic organizations in northern Virginia. But Al-Arian claims his plea bargain exempts him testifying….(AP, 30 Jun 08)

Al-Arian Trial Set for August

A trial date has been set for August 13th in the case of Sami Al-Arian, who is charged with criminal contempt in a two count indictment for refusing to testify before grand juries investigating Islamic charities with suspected ties to terrorism. U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema said she expected a "straightforward" trial that would last one day, but Al-Arian's attorney, George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley, indicated that he would continue to challenge the indictment and suggested the trial may be more complicated.

The indictment charges Al-Arian with refusing to testify when called before federal grand juries Oct. 16, 2007 and March 20, 2008 despite a grant of immunity from the prosecution… Al-Arian was charged in 2003 with conspiring to provide material support to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) a designated terrorist group. It took two years to bring the case before a jury, and Al-Arian was held without bond during that time.

Jurors in Tampa acquitted Al-Arian on eight of the 17 counts against him and could not reach unanimous verdicts on the others, including racketeering conspiracy. In April 2006, Al-Arian agreed to plead guilty to one of those hung counts – conspiracy to provide goods and services to a terrorist group……(IPT, 30 Jun 08)

Indictment: US vs. Sami Amin Al-Arian

Khawaja and U.K. terrorists allegedly linked

A contentious, court-ordered publication ban has been lifted, allowing media to report that Mohammed Sidique Khan, leader of the suicide bombers who murdered 52 London commuters, hung out and trained with the same British terror cell to which Momin Khawaja allegedly belonged.  Ontario Superior Court Justice Douglas Rutherford put the unusual, last-minute publication ban in place June 19 at the request of the British prosecution service and just days before the Khawaja trial opened in Ottawa.  Three men on trial near London are accused of assisting with reconnaissance in the July 7, 2005 "7/7" London transit attacks by Khan and three accomplices……(CanWest,  30 Jun 08)

Prior Rulings Could Crimp Al-Arian Defense

Unlike his first indictment in 2003, Sami Al-Arian won't be waiting years for his day in court. Charged with criminal contempt in a two-count indictment issued Thursday, Al-Arian will stand trial in the Eastern District of Virginia, famous for a "rocket docket" that could have him standing trial as early as late summer.  He refused to testify when called before a federal grand jury Oct. 16, 2007 and March 20, 2008 despite a grant of immunity from prosecution, the indictment charges. The grand jury is believed to be investigating terror financing by the International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), a Herndon, Va.-based think tank… The question now is what his defense will be. It would appear unwise to continue his past argument that a grand jury subpoena is a form of "cooperation" and not compulsory testimony, and that the 2006 plea agreement Al-Arian signed ruled out any cooperation with the government. The 4th District Court of Appeals already rejected that argument when Al-Arian was found in civil contempt. The 11th Circuit issued a similar opinion in January……(IPT, 27 Jun 08)

Al-Arian Indicted for Contempt

Convicted terrorist Sami Al-Arian has been indicted in Virginia on two counts of criminal contempt after refusing to testify before a federal grand jury despite a grant of immunity.  Al-Arian, who pled guilty in 2006 to conspiring to provide goods and services to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, has argued that his plea agreement ruled out any cooperation with the government. Two appellate courts, the 4th Circuit and 11th Circuit have rejected that argument, saying no such agreement is in the written plea and was not uttered during Al-Arian's plea hearing.  The indictment offers few details, except to give Oct. 16, 2007 and March 20, 2008 as the dates of his alleged criminal contempt. The grand jury's focus is believed to be on terror financing by the Herndon, Va.-based International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)……(IPT, 26 Jun 08)

Former Professor Indicted In Muslim Charities Case

A former Florida professor who had pleaded guilty to aiding a terror organization was indicted yesterday on criminal charges that he refused to testify before a grand jury investigating whether Islamic charities in Northern Virginia were financing terrorists… Arian was accused in Tampa in 2003 of conspiracy to commit racketeering and murder and to aid the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, but his trial ended two years later in an acquittal on some charges and a mistrial on others. He later pleaded guilty to a single count of conspiracy in one of the nation's highest-profile terrorism cases. He was sentenced to 57 months in prison, which he finished serving in April. He was expected to be deported, but prosecutors in Alexandria are seeking his testimony. He was charged again yesterday in U.S. District Court in Alexandria with two counts of criminal contempt. He could face additional jail time if convicted, but there is no maximum or minimum penalty…..(Washington Post, 27 Jun 08)

Lawyer: Khadr video to be released

A lawyer for a detainee at Guantanamo Bay said Thursday that he expects to release a video of his client being interrogated by Canadian officials visiting the U.S. prison. Nathan Whitling's announcement comes a day after Canada's Federal Court ordered the government to hand over the 2003 interrogation video of terrorism suspect Omar Khadr to his defense team. The prosecution has 10 days to appeal the order, said Whitling. If the appeal is denied, he said he would make the video public……(AP, 26 Jun 08)

Terror camp planned, trial told

Momin Khawaja wanted to help set up a terrorist training camp in Canada, telling a one-time al-Qaida operative that there was "lots of land in Canada and it was very cheap," according to testimony in his terrorism trial yesterday.  During an October 2003 trip Khawaja took to Pakistan, the software developer discussed the possibility of setting up an Islamist paramilitary training camp modelled on the one he attended earlier that summer in Pakistan, Mohammed Junaid Babar told the court. ….(Edmonton Sun, 26 Jun 08)

Canadian judge criticizes Guantanamo tactics

A Canadian judge said in a ruling Wednesday that the U.S. military's treatment of a teenage detainee at Guantanamo Bay violated international laws against torture. The Federal Court judge, Richard Mosley, said efforts to prime Toronto-born detainee Omar Khadr for interrogation sessions with visiting Canadian agents, described in a 2004 document, broke human rights laws including the Geneva Conventions. Mosley did not disclose the technique but said the document should be made public because it is relevant to Khadr's allegations that he was mistreated in U.S. custody…..(AP, 26 Jun 08)

U.K. Reporter Told to Hand Over His Notes to Police

British police won a court order giving them access to a freelance journalist's notes for a book he is writing involving the al-Qaeda terrorist network. The High Court in London approved a "Production Order" sought by Greater Manchester Police Force giving them access to tapes and notebooks made by reporter Shiv Malik while interviewing former al-Qaeda member Hassan Butt……(Bloomberg, 26 Jun 08)

Jordan prosecutor charges 3 Muslim militants with plotting to attack Amman church

Jordan's military prosecutor has charged three suspected militants of plotting to attack a Roman Catholic church in the Jordanian capital. The indictment Thursday said the plot was foiled when the group's mastermind was arrested for speeding outside Amman in May, on the day he planned to carry out the attack. No trial date was set. If found guilty, the three Jordanians, who are of Palestinian origin, face up to 15 years in jail. One of them remains at large…..(AP, 26 Jun 08)

No bail for 3 suspects in JFK fuel line plot

Three Muslim men pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to charges accusing them of plotting to kill thousands of people and cause an economic catastrophe by blowing up John F. Kennedy International Airport. Kareem Ibrahim, Abdel Nur and Abdul Kadir had been brought to New York earlier Wednesday from Trinidad, where they spent more than a year fighting extradition. A judge there rejected arguments they couldn't get a fair trial in the United States. The men were ordered held without bail at an arraignment in federal court in Brooklyn. Another hearing was set for Aug. 7……(AP, 26 Jun 08)

Testimony in Canada About Proposal to Enable Civil Suits Against Terrorists

On June 18, I testified before the Canadian Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in Ottawa about a proposed bill to deter terrorism by providing a civil right of action against perpetrators and sponsors of terrorism. Segments of that testimony follow, and you can download the entire written testimony and my oral statement before the committee: This important legislation will significantly enhance current counter-terrorism measures now being implemented and enforced by the Government of Canada. It is a major step forward in holding the perpetuators of terrorism and those that knowingly provide them material support, including state actors, accountable in Canada and to the victims of terrorism. This legislation will also serve further to deter those considering providing support to terrorist groups…..(Counterterrorism Blog, 25 Jun 08)

Blond, white schoolboy is al-Qa'eda extremist, say police

A schoolboy aged 12 has been identified as an al-Qaeda inspired extremist after sending beheading videos to his classmates, police have disclosed…The blonde, white schoolboy from West Yorkshire is among 120 people being dealt with by police in a new anti-terrorism scheme targeting al-Qa’eda inspired youths. He has been identified only by the initials BC and was reported by his school after he was found circulating video clips of terrorists beheading Westerners......(Telegraph, 25 Jun 08)

Accused admits larger bomb plan

A man accused of being part of a plot to blow up passenger planes in 2006 has admitted he considered targeting oil refineries as a "publicity stunt". Assad Sarwar, 28, said he and co-accused Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, had wanted to set off a small device as a political stunt against Western policy. But under cross-examination, he said they had considered a "larger device" at gas terminals and oil refineries.…..(BBC, 25 Jun 08)

Suspects in Kennedy Plot Extradited From Trinidad

Three men who face terrorism-related charges in connection with a plot to blow up fuel tanks at Kennedy International Airport were extradited from Trinidad on Tuesday night…The men, Kareem Ibrahim, Abdul Kadir and Abdel Nur, were charged in the summer of 2007 by the United States attorney in Brooklyn of conspiring with a former airport cargo worker, Russell M. Defreitas, to attack fuel storage tanks and fuel lines at Kennedy. Mr. Defreitas has been detained without bail awaiting trial since his arrest in Brooklyn on June 1, 2007…….(New York Times, 25 Jun 08)

Nazi sympathiser Martyn Gilleard jailed for 16 years

A neo-Nazi who hid home-made nail bombs under his five year old son's bed has been sentenced to 16 years in jail. A judge at Leeds Crown Court told Martyn Gilleard, 31, intended to cause "havoc" with the devices. It is believed he intented to target Muslims, black and Jewish people with the bombs. Gilleard was found guilty yesterday of terrorist offences and also of possessing child pornography…..(Telegraph, 25 Jun 08)

Suspect Admits Bomb Plot

One of eight men on trial for plotting to blow up transatlantic planes has admitted buying potential bomb-making chemicals in St Clears, for an operation designed to have the "hallmark of an al-Qaeda attack". Assad Sarwar, aged 28, of Totteridge, north London, insisted the plan, devised with co-defendant Abdulla Ahmed Ali, aged 27, of Prospect Hill, Walthamstow, East London, was intended as a publicity stunt against current foreign policy and did not seek to cause carnage. Giving evidence in his defense last Tuesday at Woolwich Crown Court, Sarwar maintained the use of the volatile chemical hydrogen peroxide within the bottle device was to give their protest authenticity…..(This is South Wales, 25 Jun 08)

Mich. man: Judge can't be fair because he's Jewish

A judge rejected a Lebanese-born defendant's request that he remove himself from a case involving terrorism because the judge is Jewish. Fawzi Mustapha Assi, 48, has pleaded guilty to providing support for a terrorist group. He addressed the court Monday against the advice of his attorney, saying he heard rumors that U.S. District Judge Gerald E. Rosen is a Zionist and might have pro-Israel sympathies. Assi said he was concerned the judge could not be impartial when sentencing him for supporting ''one of the most hated enemies of the state of Israel.'…..(AP, 24 Jun 08)

Spanish court asked to charge 4 alleged Nazis

A human rights group has asked a Spanish court to indict four alleged former Nazi concentration camp guards and seek their extradition from the United States over the deaths of Spanish citizens, a lawyer said Tuesday. The Brussels-based rights organization, Equipo Nizkor, names the suspects as John Demjanjuk, a retired, 88-yr-old auto worker in Ohio who is also being sought by Germany; Anton Tittjung, Josias Kumpf and Johann Leprich. All four face deportation from the United States but no country will take them in……(AP, 24 Jun 08)

Canadian aided foiled UK bomb plot, court hears

A Canadian software developer designed a remote bomb detonator he called the "hi-fi digimonster" to be used in planned attacks in the United Kingdom, an Ottawa court heard on Monday. In a highly detailed opening statement, prosecutor David McKercher said Momin Khawaja, 29, was "directly involved" in the British bomb plot, and met with members of a terrorist cell during visits to the U.K. in 2003 and 2004. Khawaja also attended a paramilitary training camp in Pakistan, where he learned how to use an assault rifle and rocket-propelled grenade launcher…..(Reuters, 23 Jun 08)

Man sentenced to 22 years in L.A.-area terror plot

Levar Haney Washington told a federal judge in Santa Ana that cell members "flirted with the possibility" of attacking targets but no longer believe "a military solution is possible" because "it belies reality." Washington, a convert to Islam, and three other defendants were members of Jam'iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh, a radical Islamic organization formed in prison by cell leader Kevin Lamar James. The group is better known as JIS and had no connection to al-Qaeda. Federal authorities said JIS had been formed in 1997 and the cell in 2004. Law enforcement officials did not stumble upon the group until 2005, while investigating a Torrance gas station robbery.  Washington and Gregory Patterson, another cell member, were suspected of robbing about a dozen gas stations in Los Angeles and Orange counties over a month's time…..(LA Times, 23 Jun 08)

Khawaja trial witness recounts his radicalization

A star witness in a terrorism trial has told a Canadian court he was inspired to try to join al-Qaeda fighters in Afghanistan even though his mother was nearly killed in the 9/11 terror attack in New York City. Mohammed Junaid Babar, a 33-year-old, Brooklyn-raised convicted terrorist, made a surprise appearance as the first-day witness in the trial against Canadian terrorism suspect Mohammed Momin Khawaja. It's expected Mr. Babar will testify that he met Mr. Khawaja in Pakistan and facilitated his entry to a training camp. Mr. Khawaja, 29, is the first man charged under Canada's Anti-Terrorism Act. His trial began Monday in Ottawa under heightened security…..(Globe & Mail, 23 Jun 08)

Seventh Circuit Vacates Holy Land Foundation Opinion, Grants Rehearing

On June 16, the U.S. Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals vacated the opinion of a three-judge panel, rendered December 28, 2007, which overturned the landmark $156 million judgment against the Holy Land Foundation (HLF), other Islamic charities in the U.S., and an alleged Hamas fundraiser. The case arose out of the 1996 murder of David Boim, a 17-year-old American citizen, who was killed in a Hamas terrorist attack in the West Bank. David’s parents sued men who were directly involved in the murder; the Holy Land Foundation (HLF); the American Muslim Society, also known as the Islamic Association for Palestine (IAP); the Quranic Literacy Institute (QLI); the United Association for Studies and Research (UASR); Saleh, the alleged Hamas fundraiser; and others (see this summary judgement order from the first trial for the complete list). The June 16 decision will result in a rehearing of the case by the entire court in the near future, thus giving the Boim family a second chance at the appellate level. Download the December 28 decision here and the June 16 decision here……..(Counterterrorism Blog, 23 Jun 08)

Ottawa terrorism trial begins under tight security

…Mohammed Momin Mr. Khawaja's name appeared in the newspaper was on March 30, 2004, the day after he was arrested for alleged involvement in an international terrorist conspiracy. When Mr. Khawaja's non-jury trial begins under tight security in Ottawa today, prosecutors will allege that he was a key player in a thwarted plan by terrorists to detonate a large bomb in London -- at a location where it would inflict the greatest damage to people and property.  Five of his alleged accomplices are serving lengthy sentences in British prisons. Much of the same evidence that put them in jail is expected to be used against Mr. Khawaja when he becomes the first Canadian to be charged under the Anti-terrorism Act (of 2001) enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorism attacks in the U.S…..(CanWest, 23 Jun 08)

Mohammad Momin Khawaja's "Hi-Fi Digimonster"

Mohammad Momin Khawaja was arrested in Ottawa in March 2004 and charged for his role in a British terror cell that plotted attacks in the U.K.; five of those U.K.-based cell members were convicted of terrorism charges in April 2007. As Khawaja's Canadian trial begins, attention will focus on a remote-controlled initiator seized at Khawaja's home that, according to British police, was "developed to activate the detonator of an improvised explosive device...It was referred to, by some of the defendants, as the 'hi-fi digimonster'." In addition to providing a picture of that device, the NEFA Foundation has also previously posted a numbers of exhibits from the trial of Khawaja's alleged co-conspirators in the U.K……(NEFA Documents, 23 June 08)

Area terror cell numbered 8, agent says

Although they were known as the “Lackawanna Six,” the group of Buffalo- area men who trained at Osama bin Laden’s terrorist camp in Afghanistan actually numbered eight — and could have grown to 12, according to the former FBI agent who headed the investigation. The seventh man was Kamal Derwish, killed by a CIA missile attack in Yemen in 2002. The eighth is Jaber A. Elbaneh, now facing charges in Yemen. He’s the one that retired FBI agent Peter J. Ahearn is especially interested in, because he considers Elbaneh to be a “dangerous, hardened” terrorist who should have been sent back to America by Yemen’s government years ago…..(Buffalo News, 22 Jun 08)

Al-Qaeda hate preacher Abu Qatada wins £150 a week benefits

Hate preacher Abu Qatada has won £150 a week in benefits because a bad back makes him unfit for work.

The al-Qaeda lieutenant will rake in nearly £8,000 a year of taxpayers' money because of a back condition which entitles him to incapacity benefit. Qatada, 47, is BANNED from leaving his home for 22 hours a day...meaning he can't go out to work anyway. The Sunday Mirror can also reveal that while he has been behind bars on terror convictions his wife has been claiming £45,000 a year in child benefit, income support, housing benefit and council tax credit……(Sunday Mirror, 22 Jun 08)

Millions spent on Toledo terror case; tab still rising

There were years for an investigation, months for a trial, and millions of dollars spent.  And while the trials of Mohammad Amawi, Marwan El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum on terrorism-related charges concluded with guilty verdicts, those involved in the case insist that the proceedings — and the dollars spent on it — are far from a done deal.  Amawi, 28; El-Hindi, 45; and Mazloum, 27, were convicted by a jury June 13 on two counts each of conspiring to kill or injure people in the Middle East — including U.S. troops serving in Iraq — and of providing support and resources to terrorists overseas. Amawi and El-Hindi also were found guilty on two counts of distributing information regarding explosives. They each face up to life in prison……(Toledo Blade, 22 Jun 08)

Muslim terror cell 'out to kill many innocent people'

A Muslim terror cell hoped to carry out an attack on Australian soil to pressure the federal government to pull troops out of Iraq, a court has heard. The Melbourne group was not intending to limit its attack to causing property damage, but wanted to kill and injure large numbers of innocent people… The leader of the group was self-proclaimed cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 48, who had "waxed lyrical" about an instruction manual he obtained on how to wage violent jihad, Mr Maidment said……(Australian, 21 Jun 08)

Lawyer for Ft. Dix defendant calls “al-Qaeda” tag inflammatory

The attorney for one of the men accused of plotting an armed attack on Fort Dix argued in motions filed in federal court today that references to al-Qaeda in the indictment are unnecessary and inflammatory to a jury. The five men accused in the plot are set to stand trial in September. They could face life in prison if convicted of planning to kill U.S. soldiers. Prosecutors said in the indictment that the men "were inspired by, among others, al-Qaeda."….(Philly Inquirer, 19 Jun 08)

Abu Hamza loses US extradition appeal, faces 100-year jail sentence

Embedded Video

Radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza lost his High Court battle today against extradition to the United States where he faces a potential jail sentence of 100 years. The decision means the hook-handed fanatic can be sent across the Atlantic to face terror charges and is likely to spend the rest of his natural life locked up for 23 hours a day in a "super-maximum" security jail in Colorado……(Telegraph, 20 Jun 08)

Abu Hamza: Bouncer turned cleric

Abu Hamza, the radical Muslim preacher, is head of the militant Supporters of Shari'ah, based at Finsbury Park… In 2006, Hamza's lawyers claimed he was unable to get a fair trial because he had become the most notorious person in Britain after the attacks of September 11, 2001 and July 7, 2005. He was found guilty of six counts of incitement to murder, three counts of stirring up racial hatred and one count of possessing a document for terrorism. He is serving his sentence in the maximum security Belmarsh jail in south London.……(Telegraph, 20 Jun 08)

Abu Hamza: he's not gone yet

Abu Hamza, the hook-handed cleric jailed for stirring up religious hatred, has lost his appeal against extradition to America on alleged terrorism charges. But this does not necessarily mean he will go. For a start he is serving a seven-year jail term in Britain which has to be completed – or at least 50 per cent of it. However, extradition is not a straightforward affair. There are two alleged terrorists still held in Britain pending their removal to America for their suspected role in the bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania 10 years ago…..(Telegraph, 20 Jun 08)

Terrorize the non-believers, orders 'Bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe' after he is freed on bail

Suspected Al Qaeda leader Abu Qatada is celebrating his release from prison with the release of a book in which he urges Muslims to commit terrorist attacks in the West.  In the 71-page tract, published in English translation on the internet, he repeatedly claims that fighting jihad, holy war, is obligatory for all Muslims and urges them to 'terrorise' non-believers. Security sources say his clear incitement to violence makes a mockery of the decision to set him free……(Mail on Sunday, 19 Jun 08)

Jihad was 'religious duty' for terror accused, court hears

…Crown prosecutor Richard Maidment, SC, told a Supreme Court jury Abdul Nacer Benbrika taught his alleged followers bloody jihad was their religious duty. Benbrika, 48, of Dallas, is accused of being the leader of an organisation plotting a terrorist act against "kuffars," translated as unbelievers, to avenge the killing of Muslims overseas. "That teaching and philosophy underpins this organization," Mr Maidment said. Benbrika, and his 11 fellow accused have all pleaded not guilty to terrorism offences……(Age, 20 Jun 08)

Groups Want Names Cleared in Holy Land Case

Two major Muslim organizations, the North American Islamic Trust and the Islamic Society of North America, are asking a federal judge to rebuke prosecutors for publicly naming the groups as unindicted co-conspirators in a federal criminal case against officers of an alleged Hamas front, the Holy Land Foundation of Richardson, Texas.

In a motion filed yesterday in federal court in Dallas, lawyers from the American Civil Liberties Union contend that prosecutors violated the constitutional rights of NAIT and ISNA by branding them as conspirators even though they were not indicted in the case and have not been charged with wrongdoing……(New York Sun, 19 Jun 08)

Iranian widow faces terror charges in NYC

In March 2003, Zeinab Taleb-Jedi was a middle-aged widow who found herself trapped in a cold, dusty bunker in Iraq as invading U.S. forces began blowing up buildings and inflicting casualties all around her… Taleb-Jedi, 52, escaped serious harm. But more than five years later, she remains stuck in legal limbo in New York, facing federal terrorism charges labeling her a leader of a militant group advocating the violent overthrow of the Iranian government. Her largely overlooked arrest and protracted prosecution have outraged civil rights advocates, who accuse federal authorities of trampling free speech by overzealously enforcing laws against providing material support to terrorist groups.. Taleb-Jedi has been linked to the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran, a group designated a terrorist organization by the State Department in 1997. Prosecutors say she became an English teacher in 1999 at the organization's Iraq headquarters, Camp Ashraf,…..(AP, 19 Jun 08)

Fresh hearing in terror book row

A new hearing will be held to re-examine the extent of a production order made against a journalist under anti-terror laws. Shiv Malik was ordered to give police his notes from an interview with former terrorist supporter Hassan Butt. Mr Butt, 28, has spoken of his past involvement in terrorist activity, which he says he has renounced. High Court judges ruled a production order against Mr Malik was justified but its terms were "too wide"……(BBC, 19 Jun 08)

British court orders new hearing on police bid to force journalist to hand over notes

…A panel of High Court justices told Manchester police the terms of the order against freelance reporter Shiv Malik were too broad. Malik had gone to court to try to block the order that he hand over all his source material on Hassan Butt, the subject of Malik's upcoming book "Leaving al-Qaeda: Inside The Mind of a British Jihadist." Butt became well known after the Sept. 11 attacks as a mouthpiece for the now-banned al-Muhajiroun movement, and boasted of recruiting 200 Muslims to fight in Afghanistan for the Taliban. He now says he has renounced radical Islam, and claims many of his earlier boasts were exaggerated. The judges said the original order was too broad because it required Malik to surrender material from "any source" — not just Butt. Malik argued that some of his sources were confidential…..(AP, 19 Jun 08)

Bomb plot suspect 'wanted global jihad'

A man accused of being a key figure in an airline bomb plot wanted to wage a global jihad, jurors heard today.

Prosecutors said a series of mid-air explosions on passenger jets were only part of Mohammed Gulzar's terrorist plans. Peter Wright QC said the 26-year-old's account of his actions while under police surveillance in 2006 were "entirely a fraud". He accused Gulzar of being an "international terrorist" who was radicalized while on the run from British police in Pakistan…..(Metro, 19 Jun 08)

T.O. terror trial informant challenged

The prosecution in a high profile terrorism case accused its own star witness Wednesday of deliberately changing some of his testimony to protect the young accused on trial. The witness, RCMP informant Mubin Shaikh, rejected the suggestion but conceded he didn't believe that a group of Toronto-area teens caught up in the alleged plot to cause horrendous bloodshed in Canada should be prosecuted as terrorists. "I did see myself as a protector of the vulnerable," Shaikh said under cross-examination by Crown lawyer John Neander……(Canadian Press, 19 Jun 08)

German court jails man for promoting Qaeda online

A German court on Thursday sentenced an Iraqi man to three years in jail for distributing messages by al Qaeda leaders on the Internet. The court in the northern town of Celle said there was enough evidence that 37-year old chatroom administrator Ibrahim R. had placed several texts by Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri online since 2005. Judge Wolfgang Siolek said the accused, a father of four, had considered himself a distributor of al Qaeda's messages…..(Reuters, 19 Jun 08)

Abu Qatada launches legal bid to ban pictures of him enjoying his freedom - because it 'violates his privacy'

Abu Qatada is to launch a legal-aid funded court bid to prevent the public seeing pictures of him enjoying his freedom. The man known as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe has instructed lawyers to seek a court order keeping new pictures of him secret. The move came within hours of him being freed from prison after he won his fight against deportation from Britain…Qatada's legal move  -  which would establish an unprecedented right of 'privacy' if successful - came as it emerged that two other men with alleged terror links - named U and Y in court papers - are also set to be bailed. Both arrived in Britain to claim asylum and cannot be deported to their native Algeria.……(Daily Mail, 19 Jun 08)

Abu Qatada: Terror chief next to be released on bail

A man who was once called one of the world's most wanted terrorists is to be freed under similar bail conditions which led to the release of al-Qa'eda preacher Abu Qatada. The man, referred to only as "U" in court papers, cannot be named under the terms of a court order but will be released as soon as his bail conditions have been agreed, the Daily Telegraph has learned. He was implicated in separate plots to blow up Los Angeles airport and the Christmas market in Strasbourg and is said to have "direct links to Osama bin Laden and other senior al-Qa'eda figures."  The Home Office claims he was a "leading organizer and facilitator of terrorist activity."…..(Telegraph, 18 Jun 08)

Case Summary - Terror Suspects "U" and "Y"

Egyptian student pleads guilty to terrorist aid

An Egyptian college student pleaded guilty Wednesday to making a video demonstrating how to build a remote bomb detonator to help terrorists kill enemies including American soldiers. Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed, 26, one of two University of South Florida students arrested after a South Carolina traffic stop in August, pleaded guilty to providing material support to terrorists. He faces up to 15 years in prison when he is sentenced in September. The arrests perpetuated the Tampa university's reputation as "Jihad U," a nickname coined after an Egyptian professor, Sami Al-Arian, was charged with raising money for terrorist attacks by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. He pleaded guilty to one count of providing support to terrorists and is in jail awaiting deportation. Mohamed and fellow Egyptian student Youssef Samir Megahed were arrested after deputies stopped them for speeding near Charleston, S.C., and found what they described as pipe bombs in the trunk……(AP, 18 Jun 08)

Plea Agreement: US vs Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed

Egyptian student pleads guilty to terrorist aid

An Egyptian college student who videotaped himself showing how to turn a remote-controlled car into a bomb detonator has pleaded guilty in Florida to supporting terrorists. Ahmed Abdellatif Sherif Mohamed is one of two former University of South Florida students arrested in South Carolina last August. He pleaded guilty at a hearing Wednesday in Tampa……(AP, 18 Jun 08)

British Free a Cleric Linked to bin Laden and Wanted in Jordan

A London-based Muslim cleric who was known as Osama bin Laden’s spiritual leader in Europe was released under severe restrictions on Tuesday, after a court decision that blocked his deportation to Jordan.  The cleric, Abu Qatada, a 48-year-old Palestinian with Jordanian citizenship and refugee status in Britain, faces a 15-year prison term in Jordan, where he was convicted in absentia for his connection to bomb attacks in 1998. This spring, however, the Court of Appeal in Britain halted his deportation…..(New York Times, 18 Jun 08)

Abu Qatada release will be appealed

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith is vowing to continue the Government's fight to deport Abu Qatada, the radical cleric described as Osama bin Laden's "right-hand man in Europe", after his release from jail. She said she was "extremely disappointed" at a court's decision to bail him and insisted the Home Office would press on with a last-ditch attempt in the House of Lords to send him back to Jordan to face terror charges……(Telegraph, 18 Jun 08)

17-year prison term for driver of suicide bomber in 2005 Hadera attack

The Haifa District Court sentenced Tuesday Pikri Mantsur of the Gath community to a 17-year prison term with an additional three years suspended sentence for having driven the suicide-bomber who executed the terror attack on the Hadera market in October 2005. Mantsur  was convicted of aiding and abetting an enemy at war, as well as on six counts of accessory to murder in October 2007.  The suicide-bomber from the West Bank village of Qabatiya blew himself up, killing six people and injuring about 30. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack, and the IDF successfully took out the instigator as well as another Jihad operative, during a military operation.  The investigation by the Shin Bet led to the arrest of Mantsur, a former Palestinian who moved to Israel  following a family reunification; and is the owner of the minibus that drove the suicide-bomber from Gath to Hadera……(YNet, 17 Jun 08)

'Lyrical Terrorist' Samina Malik cleared on appeal

A Heathrow shop assistant who dubbed herself the "Lyrical Terrorist" has won her appeal against conviction.

Samina Malik, who worked air-side for WH Smith and was the first Muslim woman in Britain found guilty of terrorism offences, posted a series of poems on websites across the internet about killing non-believers, pursuing martyrdom and raising children to be holy fighters… Miss Malik, 24, was given a nine-month jail sentence suspended for 18 months at the Old Bailey last December, for possessing information useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism under Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000.  But today judges at the Court of Appeal said they believed the jury had become "confused"….(Telegraph, 17 Jun 08)

Bedier Reaches New Low on USF Plea

On June 13th, Egyptian national and former University of South Florida graduate student Ahmed Mohamed agreed to plead guilty to terrorism charges and is facing a maximum of 15 years in prison. Mohamed, along with fellow student Youssef Megahed, was stopped by police in South Carolina last August. Police found in their possession explosives and a laptop which hosted an instructional video for terrorists. An analysis of the laptop shows that the 12-minute video, which showed how to use remote control toys to detonate explosives, had been uploaded to YouTube in July 2007 and viewed hundreds of times…..(IPT, 17 Jun 08)

Ex-USF student gets break from co-defendant's plea deal

The plea deal reached last week for Ahmed Mohamed on a terrorism charge surprised many who expected his case to go to trial. But the bigger surprise may be that the agreement does not require the former University of South Florida student to testify against co-defendant Youssef Megahed, attorneys familiar with the case said Monday. "The most important point is what's missing, and the main thing missing is any suggestion that Megahed is guilty," said attorney Rochelle Reback, who is unconnected to the case but read Mohamed's plea agreement……(Tampa Bay, 17 Jun 08)

Abu Qatada: Radical cleric to be released 'in next 24 hours'

Radical cleric Abu Qatada (aka Omar Mohammed Othman), described as "Osama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe," is to be released in the next 24 hours.  Qatada, who is accused of giving advice and support to terrorists including the leader of the September 11 hijackers, has been described in official documents as a "truly dangerous individual" who was "heavily involved, indeed at the centre of terrorist activities associated with al-Qa'eda." He has been convicted twice in Jordan in his absence for conspiracy to carry out bomb attacks on two hotels in Amman in 1998, and providing finance and advice for a series of bomb attacks in Jordan planned to coincide with the Millennium. It was those convictions which allowed him to argue in the Appeal Court he would not get a fair treatment in his home country. With the prospect of extradition removed, the Ministry of Justice has been forced to release him by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission...MI5 believe that Qatada avoided being drawn into the al-Qa'eda structure in order to maintain his independence and continue his activities in Britain but he did have links to the Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, whom he met in Afghanistan and who is now Bin Laden's number two. The Special Immigration and Appeals Commission (SIAC) has described him as a "truly dangerous individual" who was "heavily involved, indeed at the centre of terrorist activities associated with al-Qa'eda."……(Telegraph, 17 Jun 08)

Telegraph Profile: Abu Qatada, 'An al-Qa'eda lynchpin'

BritishJihad.com case summary on Abu Qatada

NYC trial date set for extradited arms dealer

A Manhattan judge says a wealthy international arms dealer will go to trial in November on terrorism-related charges. Federal Judge Jed Rakoff (RAY'-koff) set the Nov. 3 date during a pretrial hearing Monday for 62-year-old Monzer al-Kassar (MON'-zur al-kuh-SAR') and two others. Al-Kassar was brought to the United States Friday from Madrid to face conspiracy and money laundering charges. He has pleaded not guilty…..(AP, 16 Jun 08)

Darfur rebels face terrorism trial for attack

Sudan's justice minister on Monday said Darfur rebels accused of an attack near Khartoum last month will stand trial on charges of terrorism. No one has been charged yet, but the minister, Abdel Basset Sabdarat, told The Associated Press the trials were due to begin this week. The prosecutor-general will determine who will be charged, he said. Hundreds of fighters from the Justice and Equality Movement, which has emerged as one of the most powerful Darfur rebel groups, staged the bold attack on Khartoum's twin city, Omdurman in mid-May…..(AP, 16 Jun 08)

NEFA Documents:  Andrew Ibrahim et al. (England)

Exclusive Documents from Amawi, Hindi Case in Toledo

In the wake of today’s conviction of three men in federal court in Toledo, Ohio for conspiring to help kill U.S. soldiers in Iraq, the NEFA Foundation is providing an expert report submitted in the case by NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann. During the investigation of the three men—Mohammed Amawi, Marwan al-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum—FBI agents uncovered a wealth of terrorist propaganda and other incriminating evidence indicating that the men were habitual users of such notorious terrorist websites as Muntada al-Ansar and Al-Ekhlaas……(NEFA, 16 Jun 08)

NEFA Documents:  Expert Report II: U.S. v. Amawi et al.

Australian man ordered to new terror trial

An Australian taxi driver convicted of terrorism charges in 2006 but later set free after an appeal was ordered on Monday to face a fresh terrorism trial. A Court of Appeal in Victoria state ruled that Jack Thomas, 35, could be tried for the same offences and that prosecutors could use comments Thomas made in a television interview as evidence in the case. Thomas, a Muslim convert, was convicted under Australia's terrorism laws in 2006 after he was found to have a false passport, and to have received money and a plane ticket from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network in Afghanistan in 2001……(Reuters, 16 Jun 08)

USF terror suspect agrees to plead guilty

Former University of South Florida engineering student Ahmed Mohamed agreed Friday to plead guilty to a federal charge of providing material support to terrorists. For their part, prosecutors plan to drop six other charges against Mohamed, 26, when he is sentenced. Among the counts to be dropped are charges of illegally transporting explosive material, possessing an unregistered destructive device, and a student visa violation for possessing a firearm. "This plea agreement was at the request of our client after a very long and agonizing decision by both him and his family, and it was his decision to resolve this matter though this plea. …..(Tampa Bay, 14 Jun 08)

Events in the explosives case:

Aug. 4, 2007: Ahmed Mohamed and Youssef Megahed arrested in Goose Creek, S.C.

Aug. 29, 2007: Both charged with illegally transporting explosive material. Mohamed charged with demonstrating how to make explosives. USF suspends them.

April 16: New indictment adds charges, including firearms violations, against both men.

May 5: Megahed freed on bail.

June 13: Mohamed pleads guilty to one count of providing material support to terrorists.

Terrorism supporter David Hicks could be in the clear

Confessed Australian terrorism supporter David Hicks may one day have his conviction found to be invalid following a US Supreme Court ruling, his Australian lawyer says. The court ruled foreign terrorism suspects at Guantanamo had the legal right habeas corpus and could challenge their detention in court. The decision overturned a central provision of a law US President George W. Bush pushed through Congress in 2006, which established a system of military commissions to try terrorism suspects. Hicks' lawyer David McLeod said yesterday the Supreme Court ruling was a "step in the right direction" for his client. …..(Herald Sun, 14 Jun 08)

Three Are Convicted In Terrorism Trial

…Mohammad Amawi, 28, Marwan El-Hindi, 45, and Wassim Mazloum, 27, face maximum sentences of life in prison after a federal jury in Toledo returned its verdict. Prosecutors said the men were learning to shoot guns and make explosives while raising money to fund their plans to wage a holy war against U.S. troops. U.S. District Judge James G. Carr did not set a sentencing date, said Bill Edwards, acting U.S. attorney……(Washington Post, 14 Jun 08)

Alleged terror group hit by rift, court hears

…An apparent rift between the alleged leader of a so-called homegrown terrorist group and his second-in-command caused its members to become divided along geographic lines, a court heard. The No. 2 man and his Mississauga group, according to prosecutors, disassociated themselves from members in Scarborough and forged ahead with an alleged plot to detonate truck bombs. Mubin Shaikh, a 32-yearold Toronto-born man tasked by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service to infiltrate the group, said the No. 2 man pressed him to join his side because his former "emir" was "exaggerating, blatantly lying about things."…..(National Post, 14 Jun 08)

Mohamed To Admit Terrorism Support

A former University of South Florida student has agreed to plead guilty to a charge he provided support to terrorists when he posted an Internet video showing how to detonate a bomb with a remote-controlled toy, according to a plea agreement entered in the case Friday. Ahmed Mohamed, an Egyptian citizen, was arrested, along with another student, Youssef Megahed, in South Carolina in August after deputies said they became suspicious of their car and then found explosive materials in the trunk. Both men were charged with transporting explosives. Mohamed, 26, acknowledges in his plea agreement entered onto the U.S. District Court docket that he tried to help terrorists with the video he made and posted to the YouTube Web site…..(Tampa Tribune, 14 Jun 08)

Informant in Canada terrorism trial testifies he was paid thousands to infiltrate alleged cell

The Canadian government's key witness against an alleged terrorism cell testified Friday that he was paid nearly $300,000 for infiltrating the group as a police informant. At the trial of a purported cell member, Mubin Shaikh said he initially agreed to do the job for about $75,000. Shaikh said he eventually earned $292,000 over the several months that he acted as an informant in a case that led to the arrests of 18 people in 2006……(Star Tribune, 13 Jun 08)

Deliberations continue today in Toledo terrorism trial

The federal jury deliberating the case of three local men of Middle Eastern descent accused of plotting attacks against U.S. troops overseas and other terror-related acts has ended its second day of deliberations.  The panel left U.S. District Court in Toledo at 4 p.m. yesterday without reaching verdicts in the 2½-month trial of Mohammad Amawi, Marwan El-Hindi, and Wassim Mazloum……(Toledo Blade, 13 Jun 08)

Padilla co-defendant faces jail restrictions

…U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke said she found no constitutional violations in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons decision to send 46-year-old Kifah Wael Jayyousi to the "communications management unit" at Terre Haute, Ind. Among other things, inmates in the unit have their calls and mail scrutinized more closely than other prisoners and cannot have physical contact visits with family or friends. They must communicate in English unless an intrepreter is available to monitor calls in another language, which would be Arabic in the case of Jordan-born Jayyousi……(AP, 12 Jun 08)

DOJ Outlines CARE International's Extensive Jihadist Ties
In a court filing, federal prosecutors explain "the significance of the pro-violent groups and individuals who were among the intended beneficiaries of Care International’s (Care) fraudulent solicitation and expenditure of tax-exempt funds." The document includes information on Maktab al Khidamat (MAK)/Services Office/Al-Kifah Refugee Center, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar/Hizb e Islami, Global Relief Foundation, Benevolence International Foundation, Holy Land Foundation……(NEFA, 12 Jun 08)

NEFA Documents: United States v. Muhamed Mubayyid et al. (CARE International):

Terror suspect was "chemist"

…Assad Sarwar, of High Wycombe, is on trial along with eight others, included five from Waltham Forest. He admitted today (Thursday) his part of the plan was to manufacture the explosive substance HMTD. Woolwich Crown Court heard the 28-year-old former postman traveled to Pakistan in 2006 to get instructions on how to make HMTD……(Guardian, 12 Jun 08)

Trial of gang accused of cooperating with Al-Qaeda and Al-Jihad terrorist organizations continues in Azerbaijan

Court of Grave Crimes held hearing on the case of the organized gang accused of cooperating with international terrorist organizations Al-Qaeda and Al-Jihad. Judge Aflatun Gasimov presided over the process. APA reports that public prosecutor Huseynkhan Mammadov read the indictment in the closed hearing. Following this, Naib Ardabil a.k.a. Abu Jafar partially admitted his guilt. The court hearing will continue on June 14. The members of the gang Naib Ardabil a.k.a. Abu Jafar, Sumgayit resident Elchin Alimirzayev, a.k.a. Abdul Malik and Haji, Vidadi Karimov, Adil Garaykhanov, Vitali Agamammadov, Asef Hazarov, Daniyal Abuyev, Mirza Babayev, Gadir Hajiyev, Vugar Aliyev, Amin Jami, Logman Muradov, Habil Mesmeliyev and Parviz Karimov were arrested by the officers of the National Security Ministry……(APA, 12 Jun 08)

Failed London bomber's wife jailed for 15 years

…Yeshi Girma, 32, knew her husband Hussain Osman was planning to unleash carnage in the failed July 21, 2005 attacks and could have stopped the attempted bombings, England's Old Bailey central criminal court heard Wednesday. The plot was a bungled attempt to repeat the attacks of exactly two weeks earlier on July 7 when four Islamist extremist suicide bombers killed 52 innocent people on London's transport network….(AFP, 12 Jun 08)