APRIL 18, 2003 : (YEMENI AMBASSADOR WRITES LETTER TO US STATE DEPT -- See AL HAMDI, LASHKAR-E-TAIBA aka LeT ) Abdulwahab al-Hajjri, Yemen's ambassador to the United States, wrote a letter to the State Department on April 18 - after al-Hamdi had been in detention for a month on the weapons charge. The letter included a not-so-subtle reminder of his government's cooperation in the war on terrorism. "Yemen has taken steps that allowed U.S. officials access to Yemeni suspects on Yemeni soil, an act that has caused the government much consternation with opposition forces inside Yemen … ," al-Hajjri wrote. "We, therefore, find it somewhat disconcerting to see the case of Mr. Al-Hamdi being drawn out in this manner." His lawyer declined to discuss the issues that led the FBI to search his apartment in the first place: the travels abroad of al-Hamdi and his fellow paintball team members, and whether they involved training with groups such as Lashka-I-Taiba.- "12 Washington-area Muslims investigated for alleged terrorist ties," By Karen Branch-Brioso, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thu, Jun. 12, 2003
APRIL 2003 : ( PAINTBALL CELL : KWON LEAVES HIS PARENT'S HOME IN SOUTH KOREA--see LASHKAR-E-TAIBA aka LeT) - "12 Washington-area Muslims investigated for alleged terrorist ties," By Karen Branch-Brioso, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thu, Jun. 12, 2003
APRIL 29, 2003 : (USA : PAINTBALL CELL / VA JIHAD'S KWON ARRESTED ON ARRIVAL IN US FROM SOUTH KOREA--see LASHKAR-E-TAIBA aka LeT ) According to court records, federal agents arrested Kwon on a passport fraud complaint April 29, after he arrived in Virginia from South Korea to testify before the grand jury. There is little other information available in the court record on Kwon, 27, who took part in the paintball games and studied with al-Timimi like many of the other men. - "12 Washington-area Muslims investigated for alleged terrorist ties," By Karen Branch-Brioso, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thu, Jun. 12, 2003
APRIL - JUNE 12, 2003 : (PAINTBALL CELL : KWON REMAINS IN JAIL FOR ALLEGED PASSPORT FRAUD--see LASHKAR-E-TAIBA aka LeT ) Kwon has been in prison since his arrest in late April. He has not yet been indicted on the passport fraud complaint that is keeping him there. - "12 Washington-area Muslims investigated for alleged terrorist ties," By Karen Branch-Brioso, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thu, Jun. 12, 2003
MAY 2003 : ( BRIGITTE ARRIVES IN AUSTRALIA : See SYDNEY CELL, LET) He [Brigitte] entered Australia in May this year [2003] ------ "Deportee tie to assassination," By Peter Fray, Paris & Mark Forbes, Canberra, The Age [Australia] , October 29, 2003 ; This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/10/28/1067233172665.html
MAY 8, 2003 : (VA : PAINTBALL CELL : RAHEEM'S APARTMENT IS SEARCHED--see LASHKAR-E-TAIBA aka LeT ) Caliph Basha Raheem's Virginia apartment was searched on May 8.... Abdur-Raheem said the FBI agents he spoke to believe that these trips made by al-Timimi's students were made to conduct training with Islamic terrorist groups. Of particular interest to them, he said, was the militant Lashkar-I-Taiba group in Pakistan that is battling Indian forces over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, claimed by India and by Pakistan.- "12 Washington-area Muslims investigated for alleged terrorist ties," By Karen Branch-Brioso, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Thu, Jun. 12, 2003