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| Two New York men arrested, charged with trying to help al Qaeda |
| 2010-04-30 |
| Two U.S. citizens were charged Friday with conspiring to give computer advice, buy watches and do other tasks to help al-Qaida “modernize.' A vaguely worded indictment unsealed Friday in federal court in Manhattan accused Wesam El-Hanafi of traveling to Yemen to meet with unnamed al-Qaida members in February 2008. The terrorists “instructed him on operational security measures and directed him to perform tasks for al-Qaida,' the indictment says. While there, he also “took an oath of allegiance to al-Qaida,' it adds. In February 2008, El-Hanafi bought computer software that allowed him to secretly communicate over the Internet, federal prosecutors allege. That summer, he met with an unnamed co-conspirator and the second defendant, Sabirhan Hasanoff, in Brooklyn to discuss joining al-Qaida, according to the indictment. The confidential co-conspirator paid $50,000 to Hasanoff, who later traveled to New York City and performed unspecified “tasks for al-Qaida,' the court papers say. The papers say that the conspiracy included El-Hanafi purchasing seven Casio digital watches, but doesn't say why. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement that the men had schemed “to modernize al-Qaida by providing computer systems expertise and other goods and services.' His office declined further comment. At an initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Alexandria, Va., El-Hanafi, 33, and Hasanoff, 34, waived their rights to a hearing there. They were detained and ordered transferred to New York for a bail hearing. Prosecutor John Cronan declined to answer questions about the case after the hearing. There was no immediate response to phone messages left with the men's defense attorneys. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #3 Get a rope, make this quick. |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-04-30 19:57 |
| #2 I'm surprised the one named El didn't have the surname Sharpton. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-04-30 19:55 |
| #1 their names weren't Rocco and Gino? Imagine my surprise |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-04-30 18:12 |