Posted on 06/03/2008 11:07:51 PM PDT by Bokababe
A US-born man pleaded guilty Tuesday to helping to train fellow Al-Qaeda agents to carry out bombings in Europe and the United States, after a five-year global investigation, officials said.
The targets included European tourist resorts frequented by Americans, as well as US military bases, embassies and consular offices in Europe.
"Today's guilty plea brings an end to the long, dangerous career of Christopher Paul, an Ohio native who joined Al-Qaeda in the early 1990s, fought in Afghanistan and Bosnia and conspired with others to target Americans both at home and abroad," said Acting Assistant US Attorney General Patrick Rowan.
"His conviction demonstrates our continuing resolve to protect the American public against terrorism."
Paul, 44, was arrested in April 2007 on charges of providing material support to terrorists and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction.
He agreed to a sentence of 20 years in prison in exchange for having two of the three charges dropped during a change of plea hearing at an Ohio court Tuesday.
"This guilty plea is a significant step forward in the war on terror," said US Attorney Gregory Lockhart said.
In a statement of facts read during the hearing, Paul admitted that he traveled to Pakistan in the early 1990s to join the mujahedeen (Islamic fighters) and was trained by Al-Qaeda to fight in Afghanistan.
Upon his return to Ohio, Paul began recruiting "local individuals with extremist intentions in order to establish a jihadist group in Ohio," the US Justice Department said in a press release.
He used various passports and false identities to travel to the Balkans and fought in conflict zones such as Bosnia from 1993 through 1995.
While he was there he established further contacts with radical Islamic fundamentalists, and created a master list of Al-Qaeda leaders and other Islamic radicals worldwide, the statement of facts said.
That list and bomb-making information was seized at his Columbus, Ohio home, officials said.
Paul continued to work with Al-Qaeda upon his return from the Balkans in 1997 and "conducted training operations in Burr Oak State Park in Ohio with several members of his local group, replicating terrorist training he had received in Afghanistan and Bosnia."
He traveled to Germany in 1999 to provide explosives training to an Islamic terror cell "knowing that it was planning to use this training to construct bombs, car bombs, and similar devices to be used against Americans," the justice department said.
From March 31, 1999 until January 31, 2000, Paul made 44 calls to an Islamic fundamentalist co-conspirator in Europe, who was arrested in 2003 and later convicted of a terrorist conspiracy, the statement said.
"Today's guilty plea brings an end to the long, dangerous career of Christopher Paul (who) ... conspired with others to target Americans both at home and abroad," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Rowan.
"His conviction demonstrates our continuing resolve to protect the American public against terrorism."
Ah yes, those "innocent Bosnian Muslim victims" who we supported, in bed with al Qaeda.
When will Obama disassociate himself from this guy? LOL
And this, still, is not yet treason?
Sometimes good things happen.
In a sane country he would have been executed and be underground already.
Unbelievable.
Paging the folks who still deny the al Qaeda - Bosnia connection.
Next up, they’ll post about the sky not really being blue.
Wait but CNN said their was no Al-Qaeda in Bosnia. I have been telling folks in this forum for years that there always was a connection. In fact, I still think there is no such thing as Al-Qaeda as an organization. The fact is this is all an Islamic Jihad for conquest in Bosnia and in Afghanistan. Many came from all over the Islamic nations to fight against the Serbs in Bosnia. In fact, Clinton and Blair fought side by side with the Nazi Muslims. He dealt with Iran to send in arms to Bosnia.
The truth will come out. One way or another. One day American folks will see that the war against the Serbs was unjust.
I thought the story has been that there WAS no Al Qaeda back then.
Judicial activism will kill us all.
The Clinton Legacy, feeling safer yet?
Talk about an unjust war, one to expand Islamic imperialism.
Awaiting for Mujo and Haso to provide us the ubiquitous “this is Serbian propaganda” spin.
Why is this inhuman scum getting off with just 20 years..and with good behavior less? For murder and mayhem?
Clearly there is no “justice” for terrorists..just leniency and dhimmi behavior.
He is guilty of crimes against the State and training in a foreign army. The cowards treat his actions lightly.
Treason is a legal term and a war must be formally declared by Congress for it to be applied.
Sedition is one good word, although I personally believe in a quick hanging for all who fall under the terms used.
A US-born man pleaded guilty Tuesday to helping to train fellow Al-Qaeda agents
Paragraph three
"Today's guilty plea brings an end to the long, dangerous career of Christopher Paul, an Ohio native who joined Al-Qaeda in the early 1990s
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