Ohio Man Indicted On Terrorism Charges

(AP)  A U.S. citizen appeared Thursday in federal court on charges of joining al Qaeda and conspiring to bomb European tourist resorts and U.S. government facilities and military bases overseas.

The investigation of Christopher Paul, 43, of Columbus, spanned four years, three continents and at least eight countries, FBI agent Tim Murphy said Thursday at an earlier media briefing.

Paul trained with al Qaeda in the early 1990s overseas and told al Qaeda members in Pakistan and Afghanistan that he was dedicated to committing violent jihad, the indictment issued Wednesday by a federal grand jury said.

Paul, who was arrested Wednesday outside his apartment, is charged with providing material support to terrorists, conspiracy to provide support to terrorists and conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction. The weapon of mass destruction charge carries the most serious penalty, up to life in prison.

Magistrate Judge Terence Kemp asked Paul if he understood the charges in court, and Paul said, "yes, sir." Prosecutors asked that Paul be held without bond, and Kemp set another hearing Friday on the issue.

"The indictment of Christopher Paul paints a disturbing picture of an American who traveled overseas to train as a violent jihadist, joined the ranks of al Qaeda and provided military instruction and support to radial cohorts both here and abroad," Assistant U.S. Attorney General Kenneth Wainstein said in a statement.

Paul traveled to Germany about April 1999 to train co-conspirators to use explosives to attack European and American targets, including government buildings and vacation spots frequented by American tourists, the document said.

It does not address specific resorts or buildings that might have been targeted, but it gives U.S. embassies, military bases and consular premises in Europe as examples.

He later sent a wire transfer of $1,760 from a financial institution in the U.S. to an alleged co-conspirator in Germany, prosecutors allege.

Paul's attorney, Don Wolery, declined comment after the hearing.

A friend of Paul's, Hisham Jenhawi, 32, of Columbus, said he found the charges hard to believe.

"I don't think it's even close to his personality to act upon something like that," he said at the courthouse. "He's a very kind person. You would meet him on the street and he would want to hug you with the heart that he has."

Jenhawi gave Paul's wife a ride to the hearing but said he did not know her name. The woman declined comment.

Paul and Jenhawi, who have known each other about a year, live in the same neighborhood, attend the same mosque and their daughters play together, Jenhawi said. Paul's daughter is about 9 years old and is home-schooled, he said.

Paul is married to a woman named in the indictment as F. Bashir, investigators said. Authorities seized a letter from Paul's apartment that he sent to Bashir, according to the indictment.

After finishing his al Qaeda training in the early 1990s, Paul returned to Columbus to teach martial arts at a mosque, the indictment said.

A fax machine in Paul's residence contained names, phone numbers and contact information for key al Qaeda leadership and associates, the indictment says.

Paul also is accused of storing material at his father's house in Columbus, including a book on improvised land mines, money from countries in the Middle East and a letter to his parents explaining that he would be "on the front lines," according to the indictment.

Paul's sister, Sandra Laws, answered the door at the two-story, pale green home and said she and her father, Ernest, live there. She said the family will be speaking to Paul's attorney later Thursday and declined further comment.

No charges are expected against family members, authorities said.

Paul was born Paul Kenyatta Laws, and legally changed his name to Abdulmalek Kenyatta in 1989, then to Christopher Paul in 1994, the indictment said. Overall, 10 different names are listed for Paul on the indictment.

Two other Columbus men have been charged in federal investigators' terrorism investigation. Iyman Faris was sentenced in 2003 to 20 years in prison for a plot to topple the Brooklyn Bridge. Nuradin Abdi, accused of plotting to blow up a Columbus-area shopping mall, is awaiting trial on charges including conspiring to aid terrorists.

[hrdstonewall]

Hold on people, please just explain to me HOW is this the President's (or anyone's) fault?? The separation of church and state was not even invented when Jihad was already a massive growing force after the Fall of Rome! You all are going to blame President Bush for that that too?! Jihad is a cancer that invades societies from within and fills your heart with hatred until it kills you and everyobody else around, wether in a crowdwd bus, airliner or embassy. Nobody invented it, WE are all responsible for BLINDING ourselves to the fact that just like Rome, Babylon and Egypt, all of Western Civilizations are doomed thanks to lack of morals ambition and division and all are to be conquered once more by Eastern powers, like China, Midlle Eastern Emirates and Peoples of the former Soviet Bloc in Asia. History is a constant, repeating Cycle, and the clock is ticking on America and Europe NOTHING can stop it.

PRAY, BE VIGILANT, STAND READY.

[knyghtwolf]

Hey, this guy looks like an illegal migrant worker I saw on bush's ranch in Crawford.

[sandy19731]

But, they told us if we fought them over there we wouldn't have them over here...

[funkiwiteboy]

I thank GOD that this guy is off the streets and will have to answer to the courts for something that would/could hurt my family or friends,even if our judicial system is deplorable and follows the govenment, as big buck$ rule our kingdom... (I mean republic democracy.) Someone did their job! Someone did their duty! Someone is doing something positive in a government controled work enviroment!!
John taunted, "Imadgine there's no country" It's not easy I have tried while watching the news of other countrys fighting for what so many of US take for granted or "All we need is love"(perverts excluded!thank ya vera much) and a lot more folks doing whats kinda right, even when it hurtz.

[dredre2k]

"It does not address specific resorts or buildings that might have been targeted, but it gives U.S. embassies, military bases and consular premises in Europe as examples."

It would be nice if the Bush administration would find and stop CREDIBLE threats every once in a while. What did this man plan to do SPECIFICALLY and what terrorist plots in action did they foil? Yet another example of Bush & Cheney pulling out the terrorist handpuppet to scare the population into supporting the "war on terror".

[mountainzen]

Has anyone noticed how some of these (alleged) terrorists look like somebody hit them with the ugly stick? Hard to get a fair trial when you look like a Jr. Ossama that hit every branch falling out of the ugly tree.

[inventagod2]

Do you believe this story?

Think it over, this is a time of 'war'...
The Bu$h administration could charge YOU with the same...
You would disappear, and your friends would always wonder...
And so it is under Bu$h Laws.
No guarantees, no proof needed...

[ralan40]

The irony is: so far all the terrorists caught in the US have come from northern states that voted for GW Bush.
Posted by Sevenveils at 12:57 PM : Apr 12, 2007

Seven Veils, Of the 3 people, this is the first US - native born person and comes from an area that overwhelmingly voted for Kerry

[ralan40]

this is actually the 3rd al Qaeda operative busted that lives in my Zip code (the first sentenced for plotting to cut the supporting wires on the Brooklyn Bridge, the second was sentenced to plotting to blow up a local shopping Mall, here.) I'm sure this guy is just as innocent but that is for the courts to decide. The irony is that the Dept of homeland security cut all funding for this region as they don't feel this area is any type of haven for terrorists.

[terrapin78]

I don't know the facts of the case but he needs a FAIR trial.