Posted on 01/16/2004 3:01:13 PM PST by witnesstothefall
WASHINGTON -- Two members of a Virginia-based Islamic terrorism network pleaded guilty to weapons and explosives charges Friday and promised to help the government, Attorney General John Ashcroft said.
Randall Royer and Ibrahim al-Hamdi, who entered their pleas in suburban Alexandria, Virginia., had ties to the Lashkar-e-Taiba group seeking to drive India out of Kashmir. A federal indictment said the Northern Virginia group also had broader goals of helping the al-Qaida network; Afghanistan's former ruling militia, the Taliban; and rebels in Chechnya.
Both Royer, 30, and al-Hamdi, 26, pleaded guilty to using and discharging a firearm during, and in relation to, a crime of violence; and with carrying an explosive during commission of a felony. Royer faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, al-Hamdi 15 years.
The plea agreement, accepted by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema, requires Royer and al-Hamdi to cooperate fully with the government in the prosecution of other individuals associated with the Virginia network.
In the agreement, Royer admitted helping four people gain entry to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan operated by Lashkar-e-Taiba. He also admitted helping al-Hamdi get into the camp.
Additionally, Royer said he was committed to helping terrorists gain entry to the camp after a meeting on Sept. 16, 2001. Documents said an unindicted co-conspirator said at the meeting that the terror attacks five days earlier, on Sept. 11, would be used as an excuse to trigger a global war against Islam. The time had come, the man said, for fighters to go abroad and, if possible, join in a holy war.
Al-Hamdi admitted to possessing a rifle with a telescopic site and various ammunition, including tracer rounds, to enhance his ability to train for a holy war in Chechnya, Kashmir or other locations outside the United States. He also admitted to carrying a rocket-propelled grenade as part of a conspiracy to undertake a military operation against India.
Four other members of the Virginia network pleaded guilty in August and September. Five members of the network are awaiting trials.
I bet you feel safer now.
In another story, it was mentioned he had an RPG round in his possession, which he intended to be used in Kashmir (at least that's how I interpreted it????).
Why would he have such a thing in his Northern VA house, when you can buy explosives off-the-counter in Peshawar? Makes no sense.
Also, Royer was an actual employee of CAIR at the same time he was involved in this conspiracy, not after.
And just how is he going to post at LF while he's doing his 20 year minimum prison sentence? (snicker)
Well, there is that prison pen pals website, where even those on death row can ask for a date.
I guess he needs a surrogate there. Ernst Zundel appears to have a few among the LF nutters.
Zundel has surrogates at LF? One of them is probably his wife.
Thanks for reminding me why I don't go to LF.
I've been there only once or twice. I saw some hideous anti-Semitic spew. And it wasn't deleted. I haven't been back.
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