PHOENIX, March 8, 2007
Ex-Sailor Accused Of Supporting Terrorism
Feds Say He Passed Ship Locations, Best Ways To Attack Them, To Terror Network
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The guided missile destroyer USS Benfold (DDG 65) in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia in 2005. Abujihaad served on the Benfold in 2000 and 2001. (AP)
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The secrets wound up with a suspected terrorism financier, FBI investigators say.
During an initial appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Phoenix, Ariz., Hassan Abujihaad, 31, accepted removal to Connecticut.
He has been charged with supporting terrorism with intent to kill U.S. citizens and transmitting classified information, reports David Moskowitz of CBS radio affiliate KFYI (audio).
He apparently was working as a delivery man in Phoenix.
The investigation that began in Connecticut followed a suspected terrorist network across the country and into Europe and the Middle East.
Abujihaad, who also is known as Paul R. Hall, is charged in the same case as Babar Ahmad, a British computer specialist arrested in 2004 and accused of running Web sites to raise money for terrorism.
Ahmad is scheduled to be extradited to the U.S. to face trial.
During a search of Ahmad's computers, investigators said they discovered files containing classified information about the positions of U.S. Navy ships and discussing their susceptibility to attack.
Abujihaad, a former enlisted man, exchanged e-mails with Ahmad while on active duty on the USS Benfold, a guided-missile destroyer, in 2000 and 2001, according to an affidavit released Wednesday. He allegedly purchased videos promoting violent jihad, or holy war.
"In these e-mails, he supported Osama bin Laden and the attack on the USS Cole" in Yemen in 2000, said special agent Deb McCarley of the FBI's Phoenix office.
In those e-mails, Abujihaad discussed naval military briefings and praised those who attacked the USS Cole in 2000, according to the affidavit by FBI Agent David Dillon.
The documents retrieved from Ahmad show drawings of Navy battle groups and discuss upcoming missions. They also say the battle group could be attacked using small weapons such as rocket-propelled grenades. The ships were never attacked.
Authorities discovered Abujihaad's military e-mail address among the computer files, and he had a secret security clearance that would have allowed him access to that material, according to the affidavit.
The investigation was run out of Connecticut because Ahmad allegedly used an Internet service provider there to host one of his fundraising Web sites. Kevin O'Connor, the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, had no comment Wednesday night.
Ahmad was arrested in 2004 but the case against Abujihaad apparently received a boost in December following the arrest of Derrick Shareef, 22, of Genoa, Ill., near Chicago, who was accused of planning to use hand grenades to attack holiday shoppers at a mall.
According to the affidavit, Shareef and Abujihaad lived together in 2004 when Ahmad was arrested. After reading news reports of the case, Abujihaad became upset and said, "I think this is about me," Shareef told investigators.
Authorities then taped a phone conversation between Abujihaad and an informant in which Abujihaad appeared nervous. Though Abujihaad didn't say outright that he was involved in the leak of classified information, the affidavit provided enough evidence for an arrest warrant.
Abujihaad received an honorable discharge from the Navy in 2002, according to the affidavit.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Add a Comment See all 11 Comments
- Americans merit the safe-guards of the Constitution namely Freedom of association,practice the religion of choice and
freedom of speech. These are rights that can't
abridged until and unless the behavior of the people who would use those rights to do harm to the Republic. Arrest is not the same as conviction nor should a mere arrest be confused with guilt. How many successful cases has the attorney general managed to prosecute in such matters? - Reply to this comment
- A simple rule of thumb:
NEVER EVER GIVE MILITARY ARMS AND MILITARY TRAINING TO MUSLIMS ANYWHERE, EVER!
(911 after Afghan military aid showed the clearest reason why)
I've stated that simple piece of wisdom for the longest time.
Yet asinine Americans mis-leaders will continue to remain asleep and IGNORE AT OUR PERIL!
Well, continue to bear the NEGATIVE consequences of arming your MORTAL FOE, who is beholden ONLY to the islamic insanity, nonsense allah, and koranic krap! - Reply to this comment
- Hello....his last name ends in JIHAAD. Is anybody surprised?
- Reply to this comment
- Neo-con and Zionist ranters are too funny! If they can't be trusted, why are the Bush's friends and business partners with the Bin Ladins? The president kisses and holds hands with the Saudi royals? Wants to sell the UA our ports. And the biggest question: what on earth is Shimon Parez doing having secret meetings with Hassan Nasrallah? Posing for his Martyr picture for killing Yitzhak Rabin, perhaps?
- Reply to this comment
- US_Infidel
I with you. Firing squad.
And what the hell is a arab doing in our Navy, or any other military anyway.
Wonder how many of his school loans we paid off when he joined.? ***.. - Reply to this comment
- anopinion1,
Following your logic, no Irish, Italian, Black, or any other religious or ethnic group should be allowed either, since at least one person of each of those groups has commited crimes against other americans!
If your so pro-american, try reading the consitutiona and the bill of rights, you idiot! You obviously have no clue what freedom is all about! If this person is guilty of treason, he should be tried and punished , but you can't punish a whole group of people based on what one person did!
Posted by nolalou at 10:03 AM : Mar 08, 2007
their is no other race of people that has gone sooooo completely insane from religion as the people in the middle east........they cannot be trusted.....they have suicide bomers man they can get people to spend years of their life training to fly planes in the U.S. and then turn on us....
they are willing to do ANYTHING GO THRU ANYTHING just to hurt us(and actually its not just us its basically anyone who dosent believe what they believe).. i dont know of any other race of people on earth that is soooo completely friggin insane on their religious practices........ - Reply to this comment
- anopinion1,
Following your logic, no Irish, Italian, Black, or any other religious or ethnic group should be allowed either, since at least one person of each of those groups has commited crimes against other americans!
If your so pro-american, try reading the consitutiona and the bill of rights, you idiot! You obviously have no clue what freedom is all about! If this person is guilty of treason, he should be tried and punished , but you can't punish a whole group of people based on what one person did! - Reply to this comment
- I knew j- whitman was a traitor!
- Reply to this comment
- Kill him....immediately!
- Reply to this comment
- If he's guilty line him up and shoot him!
- Reply to this comment
- and this is why no arab looking person should ever ever ever be allowed into our armed forces, let alone into the country......
- Reply to this comment
