|
Affidavit claims mosque leader helped finance Portland Seven
A man charged with trying to fight U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan was secretly recorded saying that the leader of Portlandâs largest mosque funded the overseas trip with money that came from mosque members, according to a newly released FBI affidavit. Jeffrey Battle, a member of the so-called Portland Seven, also was secretly recorded telling how Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, religious leader of the Islamic Center of Portland, participated in a prayer session at the mosque with the group just before the men left. No charges have been filed against Kariye, who is on probation for federal fraud charges he admitted to earlier this year.
Heâll have plenty of time to contemplate his relationship with God in the slammer. Six men were indicted on charges they traveled to China in October 2001 in a failed effort to reach Afghanistan to fight U.S. troops. One remains a fugitive; another, Maher "Mike" Hawash, recently pleaded guilty and is cooperating with authorities. One woman was indicted on charges she helped fund the trip. Prosecutors and investigators have long suspected that a larger group was behind the efforts of the Portland Seven. The affidavit by Portland FBI agent Mark McBryde made public Friday relies heavily on excerpts from recorded conversations between a government informant and two defendants. Most excerpts come from Battle, who defense attorneys have said in court filings was boasting and exaggerating when talking to the informant. "He was, er, lying. Yeah, thatâs it, lies, all lies!" The affidavit said Battle described the Portland mosque as "the only mosque to teach about jihad" and that Kariye told his followers they should fight with other Muslims in Afghanistan against Americans. Battle said he had "talked to Kariye about jihad," the affidavit said. Another defendant, Patrice Lumumba Ford, told the informant that Kariye "has spoken out very strongly for jihad," the affidavit said. Battle also described how the trip was financed. He told the informant that Habis Al Saoub, a Jordanian who remains a fugitive, "approached Kariye regarding financing for the trip by the jihadists." Battle said Kariye gave Al Saoub $2,000 for each of the men and the money was acquired from members of the mosque. Later, after his arrest, Battle told investigators that he got $2,000 from Al Saoub, and he believed the money came from "brothers" at the Portland mosque. Got them on tape, and Hawash has flipped. Posted by: Steve 2003-08-25 |
|
| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=17965 |