http://www.investigativeproject.org/3529/convicted-al-qaida-plotter-sentenced-to-17-years
For The Record - The IPT Blog
“Convicted Al-Qaida Plotter Sentenced to 17 Years”
by IPT News • Apr 12, 2012 at 3:24 pm
SNIPPET: “A federal judge in Boston sentenced a Massachusetts man to 17 ½ years in prison Thursday for conspiring to aid al-Qaida terrorists.
Tarek Mehanna was convicted in December on charges related to a plot to kill U.S. soldiers overseas. Mehanna and two co-conspirators traveled to Yemen in 2004 to seek training in a terrorist camp with the goal of plotting jihad against American troops stationed in Iraq. After failing to find a camp, Mehanna and others returned to the United States to plot attacks within the United States including randomly shooting people in a shopping mall. Mehanna also launched his own online al-Qaida “media wing” to translate and distribute publications by the terrorist group.
Prosecutors sought a 25-year sentence in a memorandum filed Tuesday. A lengthy sentence would act as a deterrent to jihadi wannabes seeking to imitate Mehanna’s actions, they argued, including traveling overseas to obtain terrorist training as well as using the Internet to publicize al-Qaida’s violent message.
Mehanna “continues to have no respect for American law and would reoffend if given a chance” they argued “A lengthy prison sentence and period of supervised release is needed to ensure that he does not get that opportunity.”
Mehanna’s attorneys say he visited Yemen for religious purposes and his online jihadi activities were protected by the First Amendment.”
Previous thread:
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2391905/posts
NO BAIL FOR ALLEGED SUDBURY TERROR PLOTTER
BOSTON.com - BOSTON GLOBE ^ | November 18, 2009, 05:46 pm | y Shelley Murphy and Martin Finucane
Posted on November 22, 2009 1:10:44 AM PST by Cindy
SNIPPET: “Prosecutors allege that Mehanna, 27, and a second man, Ahmad Abousamra, 28, formerly of Mansfield, tried to join a terrorist training camp overseas, but were rejected, then plotted to shoot shoppers at a suburban mall, but scrapped the plan because they could not get automatic weapons. They are also accused of plotting to kill two unidentified government officials. Mehanna also allegedly incited violence by translating pro-jihad materials from Arabic to English and posting them on the Web.”
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
...and now a look at the media spin:
www.lawfareblog.com/2012/04/david-cole-on-tarek-mehanna
“David Cole on Tarek Mehanna”
By Benjamin Wittes
Thursday, April 19, 2012 at 8:23 PM
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www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2012/apr/19/39-ways-limit-free-speech/
“39 Ways to Limit Free Speech”
by David Cole
April 19, 2012