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Eleven Charged in Federal Terror Sweep

Eleven Charged in Federal Terror Sweep

Author: Curt Anderson, Associated Press Writer
Publication: Yahoo News
Date: June 27, 2003
URL: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=514&e=4&u=/ap/20030627/ap_on_go_ca_st_pe/terrorism_arrests_12

Eleven men, nine of them U.S. citizens, were charged with conspiring to join a Muslim extremist terror group that has been blamed for thousands of deaths in the disputed Kashmir (news - web sites) territory of India and Pakistan.

A federal indictment unsealed Friday contends the men, who lived in suburban Fairfax County just south of Washington from early 2000 to May 2003, obtained AK-47-style assault weapons and ammunition, trained in military tactics and visited terrorist camps in Pakistan linked to the Lashkar- e-Taiba group dedicated to driving India out of Kashmir.

Six of the men were arrested Friday, two were in custody earlier and three were being sought.

U.S. Attorney Paul McNulty called the indictment "a stark reminder that terrorist organizations of various allegiances are active in the United States. And these groups exploit America's freedom as a weapon to recruit and position themselves on our shores."

McNulty said that Lashkar-e-Taiba has claimed responsibility for the deaths of 14,000 Indian soldiers and the killing of more than 300 civilians. The group, which appears on the State Department's international terror list, was behind the Dec. 13 2001 attack on India's Parliament that killed 12 people.

There have also been reports of links between the Kashmir group, whose name means "army of the righteous," and al-Qaida, McNulty said. Although Friday's indictment does not allege any plots to stage attacks here, it does say that members were told that U.S. troops in Afghanistan (news - web sites) were legitimate targets and that "the United States was the greatest enemy of Muslims."

Alice Fisher, chief deputy in the Justice Department (news - web sites)'s criminal division, said the indictment underscores the government's "strong commitment to disrupting terrorist activities" before an attack occurs.

The 11 were charged with conspiracy, a variety of firearms violations and attempting to mount a military attack against a friendly nation, India. The indictment says that they used warlike paintball games to train in military tactics in Spotsylvania County, Va., and practiced with firearms at shooting ranges in the Washington area, near York, Pa., and elsewhere.

Six of those charged were arrested Friday by the FBI (news - web sites): Mohammed Aatique, 30, a Pakistani national and U.S. visa holder, in Philadelphia; Masoud Ahmad Khan, 31, and Donald Thomas Surratt, 30, both U.S. citizens, in Baltimore; and U.S. citizens Randall Todd Royer, 30; Hammad Abdur-Raheem, 29; and Caliph Basha Ibn Abdur-Raheem, 29, in northern Virginia.

Two had previously been taken into custody: Ibrahim Ahmed Al-Hamdi, 25, a Yemeni national; and Yong Ki Kwon, 27, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from South Korea (news - web sites).

Three others, all U.S. citizens, are believed to be in Saudi Arabia: Seifullah Chapman, 30; Khwaja Mahmood Hasan, 27; Sabri Benkhala, 28. FBI officials said the United States is working with the Saudis to locate and apprehend the men.

Before the indictments were unsealed, the fathers of two suspects held a news conference at Washington's National Press Club to criticize what they called the government's heavy-handed tactics and proclaim their sons' innocence. King Lyon and Ramone Royer said they were present when federal agents made the arrests early Friday morning.

"My son is a veteran of the U.S. Army. He took an oath to uphold the laws of the United States of America," said Lyon, father of Hammad Abdur- Raheem. "He is a loyal citizen, the same as I am."

Trial dates for those arrested were not immediately announced. McNulty said each could face long sentences if convicted.
 


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