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July 21, 2006
US: Pakistani Muslim Sentenced To 30 Years For Al Qaeda Plot
We reported on November 23 that a 25-year old Pakistani man, Uzair Paracha, was convicted on five counts. The charges against him included conspiracy and giving material support to al-Qaeda, as well as identification fraud and receiving funds to be used for the benefit of al-Qaeda.
A full account of the five counts in his initial indictment can be found in a pdf document here. Though not specifically stated on his charge-sheet, it was alleged that Paracha had planned to blow up gasoline stations in the US.
Yesterday, according to Agence France Presse via the Pakistan Daily Times and the BBC Paracha was given a jail sentence of thirty years.
After the sentencing, US Attorney Michael Garcia said: "Paracha attempted to help an Al-Qaeda operative enter the United States to carry out terrorist attacks within our borders. We are committed to the vigorous prosecution of all those who provide support to terrorist organisations, in whatever form."
Prosecutors claimed in the trial that Paracha and his father Saifullah had meetings with al-Qaeda members Majid Khan and Ammar al-Baluchi. It was planned for Paracha to send travel documents to Khan from the US and to hold $200,000 in al-Qaeda funds.
The fifth count on his indictment was that he "unlawfully and knowingly transferred and used, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person with the intent to commit, and to aid and abet, an unlawful activity that constitutes a violation of Federal law, to wit, PARACHA obtained and used a means of identification of another individual with the intent to provide material support or resources to al Qaeda, a foreign terrorist organization, in violation of 18 U.S.C. # 2339B, and which offense was committed to facilitate an act of international terrorism. "
Paracha set himself up as Majid Khan, who had been a former resident of the US. His intention was to then gain papers which would have allowed Majid Khan to re-enter the United States.
Majid Khan and Ammar al-Baluchi are currently in US custody, at an undisclosed location.
Paracha's father Saifullah, a successful businessman with several companies in New York, was arrested in Karachi airport in Pakistan on July 5, 2003. He is now in Guantanamo. He has not been charged with any offense, but he is believed to have laundered money for Al-Qaeda.
Uzair Paracha requested during his trial that Majid Khan and Ammar al-Baluchi be brought in as witnesses. The request was turned down, but a statement by the two men was read out in court in which they claimed that Uzair and also Saifullah Paracha did not knowingly assist Al Qaeda.
Anthony Ricco, Uzair Paracha's lawyer, said that his client had rejected a plea bargain, which would have invoked a lesser sentence, because he had maintained he was innocent.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at July 21, 2006 8:53 PM
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