Posted on 09/22/2004 10:44:33 AM PDT by LouAvul
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE - Travis airman Ahmad I. Al Halabi pleaded guilty Wednesday to three minor charges in what began as a high profile military espionage case, ending a yearlong effort by the government to prove that the naturalized U.S. citizen attempted to spy for his native country of Syria.
Al Halabi, who once faced charges that could have resulted in the death penalty, agreed to a plea bargain that involves substantially reduced charges, admitting he was guilty of illegally taking photographs, lying to investigators and improperly handling sensitive materials.
Al Halabi was expected to be sentenced to the 10 months he already has served in jail while awaiting court martial proceedings. His hearing is continuing today at Travis before a packed gallery that includes his 73-year old father.
Al Halabi, a Syrian native and naturalized U.S. citizen, was accused of attempting to spy for Syria while stationed at the military prison camp at the U.S. Naval Base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. He was working as a supply clerk at Travis in November 2002 when he was transferred to Guantánamo to serve as a translator for suspected al-Qaida and Taliban terrorists being held there. He was arrested in July 2003, en route to Syria, where the government contends he planned to pass on secrets to unidentified foreign enemies.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
He sang like a bird for reduced charges. His Syrian handlers now compromised.
Perfect. Another terrorist wannabe goes free due to our broken legal system.
Soon to be voting for Kerry...
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