NEW YORK
OCTOBER 26, 2010,
Staten Island Man Held on Terror Charges .
www.wsj.com
By CHAD BRAY ________________________
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NEW YORK—A one-time Staten Island resident has been charged with lying about the purpose of a 2008 trip to Pakistan in which he allegedly hoped to join the Taliban, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, who now lives in Hawaii, allegedly flew to Pakistan on a one-way ticket from John F. Kennedy International Airport in hopes of joining the Taliban or a similar group, prosecutors said. He was denied entry to Pakistan, said prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn.
When he returned, he allegedly lied to Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and New York Police Department detectives, telling them he had gone to visit an Islamic university and to attend a friend's wedding, prosecutors said. He later admitted to FBI agents in Hawaii the true purpose of the trip, prosecutors said.
"As this case demonstrates, we and our partners in law enforcement are committed to preventing terrorist acts before the plots can be set in motion," U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement. "We will spare no effort, and will deploy all available resources, to accomplish this mission."
Mr. Shehadeh, 21 years old, allegedly created several websites devoted to violent jihadist ideology and allegedly tried to recruit another person to join him on the trip to Pakistan after discussing a sermon by Anwar Al-Awlaki, a radical Islamic cleric born in the U.S.
After returning to the U.S., Mr. Shehadeh allegedly tried to enlist with the U.S. Army at a recruitment station in Times Square, but was denied because he concealed the trip to Pakistan, prosecutors said. Mr. Shehadeh allegedly wanted to deploy to Iraq, desert the U.S. Army and fight alongside insurgents there, prosecutors said. Mr. Shehadeh was charged with making false statements in a matter involving international terrorism. He faces up to eight years in prison if convicted. He was arrested in Honolulu on Friday and briefly appeared in federal court there Monday. He was ordered detained and will be brought to New York for further proceedings, prosecutors said.
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Those damn amish!
