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Posted on 10/04/2002 11:56:10 AM PDT by Victor
U.S. Charges 6 in al-Qaida Plot
Fri Oct 4, 1:45 PM ET
By TED BRIDIS, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) - Six people, including a former U.S. reservist, were charged with trying to travel to Afghanistan ( news - web sites) after the Sept. 11 attacks and join forces with al Qaida and the Taliban against the United States.
U.S. Arrests 6 on Terror Charges (AP Video)
Attorney General John Ashcroft ( news - web sites), announcing the arrests of four of of them at a Justice Department ( news - web sites) news conference Friday, called it a "defining day" in the fight against terrorism. He noted the sentencing in federal court later Friday of John Walker Lindh and the guilty plea in Boston from accused shoe-bomber Richard Reid.
Two of the six remained free overseas. Five of them were U.S. citizens.
Ashcroft said one of the men, Jeffrey Leon Battle, joined the U.S. Army Reserves to obtain training in U.S. tactics and weapons. Ashcroft said Battle, who obtained an administrative discharge in January 2002 while in Bangladesh, intended to use that experience against American soldiers in Afghanistan.
The arrests, Ashcroft said, represent "a texbook example" of cooperation among federal, state and local authorities in the war against terrorism.
Court papers identified the six as Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub and October Martinique Lewis, the ex-wife of Battle.
FBI ( news - web sites) Director Robert Mueller told reporters that "those who support terrorism or acts of terrorism will be brought to justice."
Ashcroft said some of the men began traveling to Afghanistan in October 2001 to fight with Taliban troops against U.S. forces.
A federal grand jury indicted the men on charges of conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to al Qaida and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence.
The indictment said the men engaged in weapons training in Washougal, Wash., starting in late September 2001, to prepare to fight with Taliban forces. Some of the men sent money to others overseas to support their efforts, the court documents charged.
Battle obtained an administrative discharge from the U.S. Army Reserve in January 2002. The indictment said Battle had enlisted to receive training in U.S. tactics and weapons, which Battle ultimately intended to use against American soldiers.
No wonder the media is silent.
That might slow down the interest for those contemplating the destruction of our country!
I couldn't agree more. I don't know what it's going to take to bring about what should have already been a steely resolve.
More destruction and terror, probably, until the people who really want to survive become the relevant force.
We may yet see fighting on our streets; I pray not but I will be prepared.
I expected this to happen eventually. This is just sooner that I would have guessed. (...assuming that this is true.)
Don't say I didn't warn ya.
Regards
Another 'wronged' group, I'd say.
* Patrice Lumumba Ford : (aka Lumumba) Charged with Conspiracy to Levy War Against the United States, Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Al-Qaida , Conspiracy to Contribute Services to Al-Qaida and the Taliban ; US citizen who tried to travel to Afghanistan by way of China in October 2001 Patrice Lumumba Ford is world-traveled, apparantly a graduate of or attended the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze Center for Advanced Studies (SAIS), he studied in Beijing in the mid-1990s and has attained fluency in Mandarin Chinese.
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