July 2008

Croation terrorist whose bomb killed an NYPD officer paroled, deported

A 62-year-old Croatian hijacker whose planted bomb killed a New York city police officer has been deported home after spending 31 years behind bars, federal authorities announced Thursday. Croatian terrorist Zvonko Busic had left a bomb inside a Grand Central Terminal locker in 1976 that killed NYPD officer Brian Murray, 27, and wounded three other officers, including one blinded in an eye. That year, Busic led the hijacking of a TWA flight from LaGuardia bound for Chicago, falsely claiming five bombs were on board. Nobody was hurt when the plane landed in Paris where no explosives were found and Busic and four cohorts surrendered. Immigration officials said they deported Busic, a permanent U.S. resident, to Zagreb on Wednesday, the day after he was paroled from federal prison in Indiana. (WNBC, 25 July 08)

Crown rests its case in Khawaja terror trial

The Crown arguing the case at the Momin Khawaja terror trial wrapped up their submission on Thursday after 14 days of testimony during which they painted the former Orléans resident and Sir Wilfrid Laurier grad as a willing accomplice in a plot to blow up several targets in London, England in 2004 including the city’s largest nightclub, Heathrow Airport and a department store. Greenspon is expected to begin his defence on Monday which could last several weeks. (Orleans Online, 25 July 08)
 

Detainee didn't help FBI trace bin Laden, agents testify

A Guantanamo Bay detainee who has admitted being Osama bin Laden's driver at the time of the Sept. 11 attacks did not fully co-operate with U.S. efforts to find the al-Qaeda leader. FBI agents testified Thursday at the first U.S. war crimes trial since the Second World War. Salim Ahmed Hamdan initially did not volunteer details about Bin Laden's inner circle or the operations of al-Qaida when he was interrogated after his capture by U.S. forces in November, 2001, the agents testified on the fourth day of his trial on terrorism charges at the U.S. naval base in Cuba. "I thought he might have been holding back," said FBI special agent Craig Donnachie, who questioned Hamdan in Afghanistan in January 2002. "For somebody who was so close to bin Laden, there was more there I didn't get with my three days with him. "The defendant is charged with aiding terrorism and conspiracy and faces life in prison if convicted. Prosecutors have sought to portray him as an active member of al-Qaeda, while the defence says that Hamdan was a low-level employee who nonetheless provided valuable information during interrogation. (CBC, 24 July 08)

Former FBI agent testifies Bin Laden driver had close ties to terrorist mastermind

A former FBI agent has testified that Osama bin Laden's driver had close ties to the terrorist mastermind. Former agent Ali Soufan testified Wednesday at the trial of Salim Hamdan, the first person to go to trial before the controversial military commission at the U.S. Naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Soufan testified that Hamdan heard bin Laden saying he did not expect the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States to kill so many people, saying he thought 1,000 to 1,500 people would perish, so he was "happy" about the results. Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijackers slammed jetliners into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon, and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. Soufan testified that Hamdan heard bin Laden saying that the fourth plane, in which passengers overtook the hijackers, was intended for the "dome," an apparent reference to the U.S. Capitol building. Hamdan's attorneys say their client was merely a low-ranked driver and was not involved in any al-Qaida attacks. Hamdan pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism. He faces life in prison.

British court rejects Muslim cleric's US extradition appeal

A British court has rejected an appeal by a radical Muslim cleric who has been trying to block his extradition to the United States. From London, Tendai Maphosa reports for VOA that U.S. prosecutors accuse the cleric of attempting to set up a terrorist training camp in the western U.S. state of Oregon. Egyptian-born Abu Hamza al-Masri is already serving a seven-year jail term in Britain for inciting racial hatred and urging his followers to murder non-Muslims. The United States wants to try him on 11 charges, including funding terrorism, organizing a terrorist training camp in Oregon between 1998 and 2000 and conspiracy to take 12 Westerners hostage in Yemen in 1998. Hamza has been fighting his extradition since the request was first filed in May 2004. (VOA, 23 July 08)

War-crimes trials open with Bin Laden's ex-driver

Prosecutors sought to paint Osama bin Laden's former driver as more of fighter than a chauffeur, as the first U.S. war-crimes trial in a half-century began. Separately, five men here accused of organizing the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks are awaiting trial for the deaths of some 3,000 people in the suicide hijack plot. But the special courts, known as military commissions, began with a far more modest case, that of Salim Hamdan, a barely literate Yemeni who acknowledges driving Mr. bin Laden but asserts he had no role in the al Qaeda leader's terror conspiracies. Mr. Hamdan is charged with conspiracy and providing material support for terrorism. He faces a potential life term if convicted by the jury of six military officers. (Wall Street Journal, 23 July 08)

Feds imprison man in terrorism case; targets US military, Jewish facilities

A man recruited to join a domestic terrorist cell that was plotting to attack United States military facilities, "infidels," and Israeli and Jewish targets in the Los Angeles area as part of a "jihad" was sentenced today to more than 12 years in federal prison, according to a report obtained by the National Association of Chiefs of Police. Gregory Patterson, 24, of Gardena, California was sentenced to 151 months in prison by United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney. Last month, another man recruited into the terror plot, Levar Washington, 30, was sentenced to 22 years in prison. Patterson and Washington pleaded guilty in December to conspiring to wage war against the United States and a weapons charge. Patterson also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence.The man who organized the terror cell -- Kevin James, who formed the group he called Jam'iyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheeh, or JIS, while in a California state prison -- also pleaded guilty last year to the terrorism conspiracy charge and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2009. (HNN, 23 July 08)

Scottish terrorist wins battle for appeal

Scotland's first Islamist terrorist has won the right to argue he did not get a fair trial.

Mohammed Atif Siddique, 22, was jailed for eight years last October for a string of terror offences. He has always maintained his innocence. Exactly nine months on, he appeared in court for the first time since he was sentenced for a hearing in the initial stages of his bid to overturn the conviction. (Press Association, 23 July 08)

US seeks to link bin Laden driver to 9/11 attacks

A former driver for Osama bin Laden knew the target of the fourth hijacked plane on Sept. 11, a prosecutor said Tuesday as he sought to undercut defense arguments that the Guantanamo prisoner was a low-level employee of the terrorist leader. Salim Hamdan, the first prisoner to face a U.S. war-crimes trial since World War II, heard bin Laden say the plane was heading for "the dome," an apparent reference to the U.S. Capitol, said Navy Lt. Cmdr. Timothy Stone.The plane crashed in a Pennsylvania field as passengers overcame the hijackers. "Virtually no one knew the intended target, but the accused knew," Stone told the jury of six U.S. military officers in his opening statement. Hamdan is charged with conspiracy and aiding terrorism. The defense says the prisoner, a Yemeni with a fourth-grade education, was merely a driver for bin Laden and had no significant role in al-Qaida's terrorist attacks. Hamdan faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. The trial is expected to take three to four weeks. The U.S. says it plans to prosecute about 80 prisoners at Guantanamo. (AP, 22 July 08)

Homegrown U.S. terrorist sent to prison

California terrorist who plotted to wage war against the United States was sentenced Monday to more than 12 1/2 years in prison, prosecutors said. Gregory Patterson, 24, of Gardena was part of a domestic terrorist cell that intended to wage jihad, or holy war, against U.S. military facilities, as well as Israeli and Jewish targets and "infidels," the U.S. Justice Department said. Another member of the cell, Levar Washington, 30, was sentenced to 22 years in prison last month. The men had pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court last December to conspiring to wage war against the United States. The man who organized the terror cell -- Kevin James -- also has pleaded guilty and is to be sentenced Feb. 9. A fourth alleged member -- Hammad Samana -- has been found unfit to stand trial and is receiving psychiatric care at a federal prison facility. (United Press International, 21 July 08)

Guilty pleas in bomb plot trial

Two men in the liquid bomb plot trial yesterday admitted planning to release Al-Qaeda-style videos threatening suicide attacks in Britain. Arafat Waheed Khan, 27, and Waheed Zaman, 24, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit public nuisance. Five of their six co-defendants admitted the same charge last week as the threemonth trial draws to a close. The guilty pleas came as defence lawyers summed up. The jury must decide if the men plotted to blow up transatlantic planes using home-made liquid bombs. (Mirror, 22 July 08)

Former fiancée of alleged terror plotter says his arrest surprised her

The one-time fiancee of alleged bomb plotter Momin Khawaja says she saw him as an angry young Muslim, not an extremist out to blow up civilians. Zeba Khan told Khawaja's terrorism trial she was incredulous upon learning from her sister that a man with the same name as her once-intended husband had been arrested in Canada. Appearing by video link from Dubai, Khan said it seemed crazy and did not line up with her perception of the person she had hoped to marry. The Pakistani-born Khan was engaged to Khawaja in 2003, but the proposed marriage was called off later that year. Evidence filed in the case shows Khan once exchanged emails with Khawaja about the ethics and merits of waging jihad against western interests. Khawaja, arrested in Ottawa four years ago, faces seven charges of financing and facilitating terrorism, including the key allegation he built a remote-control device for use in bomb attacks planned by Islamic extremists in Britain. Five of his alleged co-conspirators were convicted in London and sentenced last year to life in prison. (Canadian Press, 22 July 08)

Airliner terror plot accused admit minor charges

Two men accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic airliners have pleaded guilty to public nuisance charges.

The two men, Arafat Khan and Waheed Zaman, have admitted causing a public nuisance by making what they claim was a mock al-Qaeda-style documentary.  Four other men - Abdulla Ali, Assad Sarwar, Tanvir Hussain, Ibrahim Savant, and Umar Islam - have already admitted making the "fake" suicide videos to put on the video sharing website Youtube as part of a protest against British and American foreign policy……(Telegraph, 21 Jul 08)

First war crimes trial since WWII to begin at Guantanamo

A special military trial was to get underway Monday at the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay, with a former driver for terror mastermind Osama bin Laden facing the first US war-crimes tribunal since the end of World War II.  Salim Hamdan, from Yemen, is the first "enemy combatant" from the US "war on terror" to face a full-scale trial since the prison camp at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba was opened in late 2001……(AFP, 21 Jul 08)

US: Don't drop jihad references from charges

Federal prosecutors say they should not be forced to drop references to al-Qaida and jihad from the indictment of five men accused of plotting to attack soldiers on Fort Dix.  Lawyers for the men last month asked a judge in U.S. District Court in Camden to delete such language, saying it was "inflammatory" and was included in earlier court filings to incite prejudice against the defendants… Serdar Tatar, Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer and the brothers Dritan, Eljvir and Shain Duka have pleaded not guilty to the May 2007 charges that they were planning to sneak onto the base and kill soldiers…..(AP, 19 Jul 08)

Ft. Dix Case Filings - Pres. Bush Assassination Plot Contemplated
Federal prosecutors have filed a series of new documents in the case against five individuals charged with plotting an attack on Fort Dix. One document reveals that Mohamed Shnewer told an informant he "owned a .357 magnum revolver, and had considered camping near the 'Black House' [i.e., White House] in an attempt to assassinate President Bush." Moreover, prosecutors rejected claims that references to jihad and Al-Qaida should be removed from the indictment because "jihadist principles...caused the defendants to undertake the criminal conduct charged in this case." And another filing notes that "two hard drives located at the residence of Eljvir Duka and Shain Duka may contain suspected child pornography."…..(NEFA, 19 Jul 08)

CARE Int'l Official Sentenced - Kohlmann Expert Witness Report
Muhamed Mubayyid, the former Treasurer of CARE International, was sentenced to twelve months in prison by a Massachusetts federal judge. Excerpts from NEFA Senior Investigator Evan Kohlmann's expert witness report in the CARE International case are available for download from the NEFA website...(NEFA, 19 Jul 08)

Tunisia convicts, sentences 5 in terrorism case

Two government officials have been convicted and sentenced to prison in connection with an alleged plot to carry out terror attacks and overthrow the Tunisian government, according to their lawyer and court documents.

The documents were the first public information about the case against national security official Souhail Guezdah, deputy prison chief Sami Belhaj Aissa and three other defendants.  Guezdah, a local chief of Tunisia's national security force, and Hicham Barrak, a sports teacher, were sentenced Wednesday to nine years in prison on charges of belonging to a terrorist organization and of having provided information to help plot terrorist attacks……(AP, 18 Jul 08)

Spain: Acquitted bomb suspect to be deported to Syria

One of the men acquitted of the 2004 Madrid train bombings will be deported to its native Syria, reported Spanish media on Friday.  Basel Ghalyoun, a 28-year-old Syrian citizen, did not have a legal permit to live in Spain. After being released on Thursday from a prison in the town of Pontevedra in northwestern Spain, he was taken to a temporary holding centre, where he awaits deportation.  Ghalyoun, a Syrian from the western city of Homs, reportedly owned an apartment in the Spanish capital, Madrid, where members of the Islamist cell that carried out the attacks were alleged to have met……(AKI, 18 Jul 08)

Indonesia: Bali bombers face execution after losing appeal

Indonesia's Supreme Court has dismissed the final appeal by three militants convicted of the 2002 Bali bombings, thereby clearing the way for their execution.  The three men, Amrozi, his brother Mukhlas and Imam Samudra can now be executed by firing squad at any time. They must ask Indonesia' president Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono for clemency if they want to avoid the death sentence……(AKI, 17 Jul 08)

Suspect's Work With Bin Laden Alleged

In the days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Salim Ahmed Hamdan drove Osama bin Laden around Afghanistan, staying with him at secret guesthouses and the "Star of Jihad" training camp in anticipation of a retaliatory U.S. attack, an FBI agent testified Wednesday. Special Agent George M. Crouch Jr. told a military judge that Hamdan described the frantic getaway to him during interrogations at the U.S. military prison here in 2002. He quoted Hamdan as saying he knew of bin Laden's involvement in the strikes on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, and that he helped the al-Qaeda leader escape after the bombings of two U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998…….(Washington Post, 17 Jul 08)

FBI: Ex - driver helped try to track bin Laden

A one-time driver for Osama bin Laden helped the FBI try to track down his boss after being captured in Afghanistan, his former interrogators testified Wednesday. Salim Hamdan led agents to the al-Qaida chief's compounds in Kandahar and mapped out his movements among safehouses, training camps and other remote corners of Afghanistan in the month following the Sept. 11 attacks, FBI special agent Robert Fuller said at a pretrial hearing……(AP, 17 Jul 08)

Terror accused did not have 'mindset'

A man accused of being a member of a Muslim terror cell displayed none of the "extreme fanaticism" demanded of a real terrorist, his lawyer told a jury today. “You would have to be a fanatic,” said James Montgomery SC, the lawyer for Hany Taha, 33. “You would be devoting 24 hours a day to this cause. It is not something someone would do lightly.” But Mr Montgomery said other members of the group were always complaining Mr Taha was slow to make payments to a joint fund or “sandooq” and police found no documents about bomb making or videos of hostages in Iraq being beheaded when they raided him in 2005……(Australian, 17 Jul 08)

Four Madrid bomb convicts cleared

Spain's Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of four people found guilty of involvement in the Madrid train bombings in 2004. The four were among 21 people convicted last year over the attacks, which killed 191 people. The court also upheld the acquittal of an Egyptian suspected of masterminding the attacks, because he had already been convicted of the offence in Italy….(BBC, 16 Jul 08)

Khawaja's ex-fiancée may testify about jihad e-mails

The former fiancée of Mohammad Momin Khawaja may testify Wednesday at his Ottawa trial on terrorism charges, but if she does so, it will be by video link from Dubai.  Crown prosecutors have indicated they'll have no questions for Zeba Khan and will leave it to Khawaja's defense lawyer to cross-examine her.  Khan is a Pakistani-born woman who once exchanged e-mails with Khawaja about the ethics and merits of waging jihad against Western interests…..(CBC, 16 Jul 08)

Italy indicts Iraqi suspected of plotting attacks

A judge in Venice indicted an Iraqi on Tuesday who is suspected of plotting a terrorist attack on U.S. bases in Iraq using ultra-light aircraft. Saber Fadhil Hussien was ordered to face a fast-track trial starting Nov. 18 on international terrorism charges, said his lawyer, Giorgio Pietramala. Investigators believe Hussien, a former member of ex-Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's Baath Party, had been in touch with aides of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of al-Qaida in Iraq who was killed by a U.S. airstrike in 2006. Thanks to wiretapped conversations, police discovered Hussien and his contacts were allegedly planning an attack against U.S. bases in Iraq…..(AP, 15 Jul 08)

Emails criticize 'West's dominance'

Momin Khawaja said in a 2003 email that he couldn't stand by and watch "blood-thirsty" imperialists attack Afghanistan and other Muslim countries while he held down a cushy 9-to-5 job.  "There is no excuse deep down, just reaping the benefits of life in the West," wrote Khawaja, who was arrested four years ago and is now on trial in Ontario Superior Court on seven terrorism-related charges, including allegedly funding known terrorists and building a device to be used to explode a 600-kilogram fertilizer bomb in a failed attack on London.  "I was not content with the idea of a 9-to-5 life where you just put on a smiley face and pretend you can't do anything, change anything, while the muslim (sic) world is in flames," the now 29-year-old computer programmer said in an Aug. 8, 2003, email to his former Pakistani fiancée….(Star, 15 Jul 08)

Disputed email about economic jihad allowed at terrorism trial: judge

An email message in which Momin Khawaja wrote of the need to wage violent jihad against western interests - or "constant economic J" - will be part of the evidence at his terrorism trial.  Justice Douglas Rutherford rejected arguments from counsel for the former Ottawa software designer that the note Khawaja sent to his one-time fiancee in 2003 was irrelevant and prejudicial to the case.  Khawaja, arrested more than four years ago, faces seven charges of financing and facilitating terrorism, including the key allegation he built a remote-control device for use in bomb attacks planned - but never executed - by Islamic extremists in Britain…..(Canadian Press, 15 Jul 08)

3 Iraqis convicted of plotting to kill ex-Iraq PM Allawi in Germany

A court on Tuesday convicted three Iraqi men of plotting to kill then-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a visit to Germany in 2004 and jailed them for up to 10 years. The Stuttgart state court convicted the three men of attempted participation in murder and membership of terrorist organization Ansar al-Islam, a radical Islamic group linked to al-Qaida. Ringleader Ata Abdoulaziz Rashid was given a 10-year sentence while Rafik Mohamad Yousef and Mazen Ali Hussein were sentenced to 8 and 7 1/2 years respectively……(AP/Jerusalem Post, 15 Jul 08)

In ’06 Bomb Plot Trial, a Question of Imminence

…The strongest evidence is against Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, a husband and father who studied computer-systems engineering and has been described by the prosecution as the ringleader. A computer memory stick found in his pocket when he was arrested highlighted timetables of seven daily one-way flights to cities in the United States and Canada. It also contained baggage information, security guidance about what could be carried as hand luggage and information about Heathrow Airport. In a conversation recorded by the police, Mr. Ali discussed “locations in the U.S.A.” and the desire to find the most popular destinations for British travelers……(New York Times, 15 Jul 08)  Video: Validating Liquids as Explosives

3 Britons Admit Plot But Not Intent to Kill

Three men accused of plotting to blow up transatlantic airliners in 2006 have pleaded guilty to conspiring to set off bombs, but they deny targeting planes or attempting to cause injuries, prosecutors told a London court Monday as one of Britain's most important terrorism trials neared its end. The three men -- Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, Tanvir Hussain, 27 -- and five other British Muslim defendants have pleaded not guilty to the most serious charge against them: conspiracy to murder……(Washington Post, 15 Jul 08)

Judge allows testimony by Guantanamo detainees

Osama bin Laden's former driver can use testimony by alleged Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and some other detained Al Qaeda operatives in his upcoming military trial at Guantanamo Bay because it might help exonerate him, a military judge said Monday.  Defense lawyers said at a hearing that they wanted to call Mohammed and seven other prospective witnesses in the case of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the first detainee at the U.S. naval base in Cuba to be scheduled for trial. If the proceedings begin next week as planned, it will be the first time the U.S. has held a military tribunal since World War II……(LA Times, 15 Jul 08)

European officials ask to delay Guantanamo trial

Hundreds of current and former European officials, including a former British attorney general and numerous parliamentarians, have asked a U.S. judge to block a military trial against Osama bin Laden's former driver.

The 375 officials from England, Northern Ireland and the European Parliament represent all major political parties, according the court documents filed in Washington on Friday.  Many of the officials disagree on key foreign policy issues but believe many aspects of Salim Hamdan's upcoming military commission "are clearly at odds with the most basic norms of fair trial and due process,"…..(AP, 14 Jul 08)

DOJ Reiterates NAIT and ISNA's Muslim Brotherhood Roots
In June 2008, attorneys for the North American Islamic Trust (NAIT) and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) challenged the inclusion of those two groups as Unindicted Co-Conspirators in the Holy Land Foundation case. In response, DOJ has filed a motion stating that "the evidence introduced at trial...established that ISNA and NAIT were among those organizations created by the U.S.-Muslim Brotherhood" and that the two organizations "were intimately connected with the HLF."…..(NEFA, 14 Jul 08)

5 men plead guilty in airline plot

Five men accused of plotting to detonate liquid explosives on board trans-Atlantic passenger jets have pleaded guilty to lesser offenses, a jury was told Monday, although they maintain they never intended to cause midair carnage. Three of the men — Abdulla Ahmed Ali, 27, Assad Sarwar, 28, and Tanvir Hussain, 27 — admitted they planned to set off bombs, just not aboard planes bound from London's Heathrow to North America. They and two other defendants — Ibrahim Savant, 27, and Umar Islam, 30 — have also admitted to "conspiring to cause a public nuisance" by publishing videos threatening suicide bomb attacks. Jurors still need to rule on whether the five men and three other defendants are guilty of conspiring to murder thousands of people by using liquid explosives to blow their aircraft out of the sky…..(AP, 14 Jul 08)

Canada court sets bail for Air India terrorist bomber

A convicted Air India bomber was released after 20 years in jail on 500,000 dollar (Canadian) bail and on condition that he remain mostly confined to his home, according to a court decision made public Friday. The top court in Canada's westernmost province released the details of the controversial bail that was granted Wednesday to Inderjit Sing Reyat. Revealing bail details is very unusual in Canada's justice system, due to automatic publication bans……(AFP, 12 Jul 08)

21/7 bomber's fiancee jailed for helping 'burka escape'

The fiancee of one of the failed July 21 suicide bombers was today jailed for three years for helping him to escape by dressing as a Muslim woman in a burka. Teenager Fardosa Abdullahi gave bomb plot ringleader Yassin Omar her mother’s long black robe to help him flee London the day after the attacks in 2005. Abdullahi, now 20, got engaged to Omar in an Islamic ceremony four days before he tried to blow up himself with fellow passengers at Warren Street Tube station…..(Times Online, 11 Jul 08) Video

'Evil' bond described at Ont. terror trial

A young man was the "favorite son" of a terrorist plotting to kill Canadian civilians with guns and explosives, a Crown attorney alleged in court Thursday. The Toronto-area men - the accused leader of a supposed homegrown sleeper cell and the 20-year-old on trial - shared a "bond to do evil," he said. "(The alleged leader)'s mouth was a river of ugly, criminal rhetoric, a Mississippi overflowing at flood time, a torrent of bile and hatred and indeed, incitement of explicitly criminal acts," John Neander, the prosecutor, said in his closing arguments……(CanWest 10 Jul 08)

Accused 9/11 Plotter Tells Guantanamo Judge He Would Be Proud to Attack U.S.

A man facing trial at Guantanamo for allegedly running a training camp for Sept. 11 hijackers said Thursday he would be "proud" to have participated in an attack on the U.S. "Any attack I undertook against America, or even participated or helped in, I am proud about it, and I am happy," Waleed bin Attash told a military judge. The judge, Marine Col. Ralph Kohlmann, cut Attash off before he could say anything further that could incriminate him at his upcoming trial on charges that include murder…….(AP, 10 Jun 08)

Conviction stands in N.Y. subway bomb plot

A federal appeals court has upheld the conviction and 30-year sentence of a Pakistani man found guilty in an unsuccessful plot to bomb a busy subway station in New York. The Manhattan court decided that Shahwar Matin Siraj, 25, was treated fairly at his federal court trial. A jury found him guilty in a 2004 plot to blow up the Herald Square subway station in a congested shopping district where Macy's has long had its flagship store. (USA Today, 9 July 08)

Al-Arian seeks release while awaiting contempt trial

Attorneys for Sami Al-Arian are asking a federal judge in Virginia to release the former University of South Florida professor on bail while he awaits trial on charges of criminal contempt. Al-Arian has completed his federal sentence for helping a terrorist group, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but is still behind bars because he refused to testify before a federal grand jury investigating Islamic charities in Virginia. (Tampa Tribune, 9 July 08)

Remote detonator a 'custom' job, Mountie tells terror trial

A remote-control device seized in a police raid on Momin Khawaja's family home was a "customized project" rather than a simple, off-the-shelf piece of technology, an RCMP expert on electronics and explosives said Tuesday. Sgt. Sylvain Fiset led Khawaja's terrorism trial through a detailed description of what has come to be known as the Hi-Fi Digimonster, which federal prosecutors say was designed for use in a bomb plot targeting locations in Britain. The device was essentially a collection of electronic circuit boards that could be strung together to form an encoder, transmitter, decoder and receiver. Some commercially available components went into the mix, but they were modified along the way, said Fiset. (Canadian Press, 9 July 08)

Judge rejects bid to throw out indictment in Holy Land Foundation case

U.S. District Judge Jorge Solis has denied a request by defense attorneys in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case to throw out the indictment over allegations of prosecutorial misconduct.  The judge rejected defense arguments that prosecutors purposely allowed 19 exhibits, including charts, documents, photographs and videos not admitted into evidence, into the jury room during last year's trial. The defense argued in court papers that these materials unfairly swayed jurors, causing an Oct. 22 mistrial after 19 days of deliberations…..(Dallas Morning News, 7 Jul 08)

Deadly weapons displayed at Ottawa terror trial

The first police photograph of the alleged crime scene is unremarkable and void of any obvious signs of an international terrorism conspiracy.  Displayed on a dozen monitors around courtroom No. 37 on Monday, it shows the tidy, unfinished basement at 672 Princess Louise Dr. on March 29, 2004 - the day RCMP officers armed to the teeth swooped in and raided the Ottawa family home of accused terrorist Momin Khawaja.  Khawaja has pleaded not guilty to seven terrorism charges relating to the foiled 2004 plan to bomb targets in and around London, England…..(CanWest, 7 Jul 08)

Terror attack would have been easy, says Benbrika lawyer

Launching a terrorist attack would have been as easy as one man obtaining a rifle and a $20 box of bullets, a court was told today. Yet an alleged Melbourne terror cell made no attempt to obtain explosives, even when they were offered cheaply by an undercover intelligence officer who infiltrated the organisation, Australia's largest terrorist trial was told. Mr Remy van de Wiel, QC, the barrister defending the alleged leader of the group, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, 48, said there was no attempt to learn how to make a bomb using ammonium nitrate and now attempt to hold secret firearms training……(Australian, 7 Jul 08)

Daughters of 2001 terror attack victims file NIS 559m suit against PLO

The daughters of Sharon and Yaniv Ben-Shalom, a couple killed in a terror attack on Route 443 in 2001, filed an NIS 559 million lawsuit against the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) on Monday.  The children of the victims submitted their lawsuit to the Tel Aviv District Court…..(Jerusalem Post, 7 Jul 08)

Holy Land defendants ask judge to dismiss terrorism financing case

Attorneys for the five Holy Land Foundation defendants scheduled for retrial in September have asked a judge to dismiss the terrorism financing case, accusing federal prosecutors of misconduct for allowing nonevidentiary materials into the jury room. They say that those materials – a mixture of government case overviews and unadmitted wiretaps and reports – created a rift among jurors that unfairly forced last fall's mistrial after 19 days of deliberations, according to court papers. Prosecutors admit that their staff inadvertently put demonstrative exhibits and some unadmitted materials in the jury room. But the government argues that those materials did not cause the mistrial, and that such a mistake is not reason enough to dismiss the case…..(Dallas Morning News, 5 Jul 08)

Former Driver for Bin Laden Seeks Delay in Military Trial

Lawyers representing Osama bin Laden's former driver asked a federal judge yesterday to halt his fast-approaching military trial so they may have time to continue challenging the legality of the military commission system.  Salim Ahmed Hamdan, a Yemeni held at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been fighting his detention in federal court since 2004. Declared an enemy combatant by a military tribunal, Hamdan is scheduled to go to trial before a military commission on July 21. He would be the first terrorism suspect tried by one of the commissions, a system established by Congress in 2006……(Washington Post, 4 Jul 08)

Sweden pays $500,000 to exonerated terror suspect

Sweden will pay 3 million kronor ($502,000) in compensation to an exonerated Egyptian terrorism suspect who was handed over to CIA agents and deported in 2001, the government said Thursday.  Chancellor of Justice Goran Lambertz said the Swedish state reached a settlement with Muhammed Alzery's lawyers on compensating him for circumstances of his deportation……(AP, 3 Jul 08)

Government seeks more time for Moussaoui briefs

Federal prosecutors want two more months to file their brief in Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui's (zak-uh-REE'-uhs moo-SOW'-eez) appeal.  They say they've received new information in a separate investigation of the CIA's destruction of videotapes of detainee interrogations. They can't say what the information is, but it may be relevant to Moussaoui's case.  Moussaoui is serving a life sentence after pleading guilty to conspiring with al-Qaida in the terrorist attacks. He says his plea should be thrown out because he was not allowed to see classified evidence, hindering his ability to prepare for trial……(AP, 3 Jul 08)

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 Islami