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| Feds Bust Virginia Jihad Network | |
| 2003-06-27 | |
The federal government on Friday accused 11 men, nine of them U.S. citizens, of training in the United States to launch terrorist attacks against targets abroad. In a 41-count indictment, the men were "charged with conspiracy to train for and participate in a violent jihad," said U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty in Alexandria, Va. "After the Sept. 11 attacks, Virginia jihad network members were told that it was time to engage in violent jihad, that it was appropriate for these members to take up arms in jihad," McNulty said. The men are alleged to be part of an extremist Muslim organization called Lashkar-e-Taiba whose main goal is driving India out of the disputed Kashmir territory in South Asia. The organization, whose name means "army of the righteous," is on the State Department's list of terrorist organizations and is characterized as strongly anti-U.S.
U.S. authorities obtained a number of warrants this year to conduct searches of the suspects' homes to look for evidence of militant or terrorist activities, officials said. The Washington Post reported earlier this week that some of the suspects played warlike paintball games in Northern Virginia and attended lectures given by a Muslim scholar whose home was also searched. "Muslim scholar", you knew there was one of them involved here somewhere, didn"t you? One suspect, identified as Ahmed Abu-Ali, also has been taken into custody in Saudi Arabia by officials there who are investigating the May 12 bombings in Riyadh in which nine attackers and 25 other people were killed, U.S. officials said. Wonder if Ahmed is a Saudi or just visting? | |
| Posted by:Steve |