Counterterrorism Law & Prosecuting Terrorists

Baltimore resident faces terror trial - MSNBC

On February 16, 2012, MSNBC reported that the Pentagon approved war crimes charges for Majid Khan, a Maryland-raised Pakistan citizen.  Khan, who has been held in Guantanamo Bay since 2006, is charged with murder, attempted murder, and providing material support to al-Qaida.  He faces a possible life sentence.

According to the article, "The military has accused Khan of plotting...to blow up underground fuel tanks in the U.S. and scheming to assassinate then President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan."

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Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Provide Material Support - FBI

On February 8, 2012, the FBI reported that Ramanan Mylvaganam pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to the press release, Mylvaganam attempted to "procure sophisticated technology, including submarine design software and night vision equipment, for the LTTE."  Mylvaganam faces up to 15 years imprisonment.

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Uzbek refugee arrested on terror charges in Chicago - Reuters

According to a January 24, 2012 article by Reuters.com, 35 year old Jasmshid Muhtorov was arrested at Chicago O'Hare International Airport on charges for providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization.

According to the article, a criminal complaint filed by federal authorities allege that Muhtorov "planned to travel overseas to fight on behalf of the Islamic Jihad Union, a Pakistan-based extremist group..."

If convicted, Muhtorov faces up to 15 years in prison.

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Three men sentenced in North Carolina terrorist ring - CNN

On January 13, 2012, CNN.com reported that three men were sentenced for "their role in a homegrown terrorism ring based in North Carolina." According to the article, the terrorist ring's leader, Daniel Patrick Boyd, had already pleaded guilty to conspiracy in February. He has not yet been sentenced.

The three men, Hysen Sherifi, Ziyad Yaghi, and Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan, were sentenced from 15 to 25 years for charges including conspiring to provide material support and plotting to kill overseas.

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Pakistani man sentenced for conspiring to smuggle member of Taliban into U.S. - Washington Post

On January 5, 2012 the Washington Post reported that three men who previously pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to "smuggle a member of the Pakistani Taliban into the United States" were sentenced.

According to the article, Irfan Ul Haq received four years and two months in federal prison while Qasim Ali and Zahid Yousaf each received at least three years confinement.  The Washington Post reports that the men will be sent back to Pakistan at the completion of their respective sentences.

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Twitter lawsuit threatened over alleged Hezbollah aid - CNN

According to a December 30, 2011 article on CNN.com, the Shurat HaDin Israel Law Center is asserting that Twitter is in violation of U.S. law for allowing foreign terrorist organizations such as Hezbollah to use their online network.

According to CNN, the director of the organization, Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, sent a letter to Twitter noting that two of their users, Hezbollah and al-Shabaab, "are officially designated as terrorist organizations under U.S. law."  Specifically, Darshan-Leitner referred to the "material support" statute that forbids providing aid to any designated terrorist organizations.

The letter comes in the wake of a year where Twitter and other online social media outlets such as Facebook and YouTube were extensively used during the Arab Spring.

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Woman charged with sending money to Pakistan group to fund terrorist attacks - Fox News

On December 21, 2011, Fox News reported that a Los Angeles, California woman was indicted for sending money to Pakistan to "help fund terrorist attacks against U.S. military personnel."

According to the website, Oytun Ayse Mihalik was apprehend at Los Angeles International Airport in August 2011 while attempting to board a flight to Turkey.  Federal authorities assert that Mihalik sent $2,000 to a man in Pakistan, knowing it would be used to carry out attacks against the United States.

Mihalik faces "three counts of providing material support to terrorists and one count of making a false statement."

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In swift decision, Mehanna convicted of terror charges - Boston Globe

On December 20, 2011, the Boston Globe reported that after deliberating for a total of ten hours, a federal jury found Tarek Mehanna guilty on all counts. According to the article, Mehanna was

"Convicted of charges of conspiracy to provide material support or resources to a foreign terror organization, conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing and attempting to provide material support to terrorists, conspiracy to kill in a foreign country, conspiracy to lie to federal investigators, and two counts of lying to federal investigators."

Sentencing is set for April 12, 2012. According to the Boston Globe, Mehanna could face life in prison.

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Iraqi man changes plea, admits trying to support al-Qaida - Washington Post

On December 16, 2011, the Washington Post reported that an Iraqi man changed his plead to guilty of "conspiring to attack American soldiers in Iraq, conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction and attempting to provide material support to terrorists."

According to the article, 30-year-old Waad Ramadan Alwan, appeared in a Kentucky federal courthouse to admit that he engaged in terrorist activities.  Alwan faces 25 years to life in prison. 

Continue reading "Iraqi man changes plea in Kentucky, admits trying to send weapons, cash to al-Qaida".

Jury ends 1st day deliberating in the Mehanna case - SF Chronicle

Upon hearing closing arguments in the trial of suspected terror supporter Tarek Mehanna, the jury was released and ended its first day deliberating, reported the San Francisco Chronicle on December 16, 2011.

According to the article, prosecutors argued in summations that Mehanna was someone

"who talked about waging violent jihad againd the United States for years, then took steps to realize his dream by traveling to Yemen to seek training in a terrorist camp so he could later go to Iraq to kill American soldiers."

In response, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Mehanna's attorneys argued that their client was an aspiring scholar who traveled to Yemen to seek out religious schools.  Moreover, Mehanna's attorneys stressed that his "on-line activities" were protected by the First Amendment. 

Prior to being released to deliberate, US District Judge George O'Toole Jr instructed the jury that "independently" advocating on behalf of Al-Qaida would not be enough to find Mehanna guilty of providing material support.  The article notes that Mehanna's attorney "told jurors that 'independent advocacy' is the most important phrase in the case against Mehanna."

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