Brit 'recruited rebels online'

2004-10-07 08:05

Hartford - A British computer specialist was indicted on Wednesday on charges he used United States-based websites to recruit al-Qaeda, Taliban and Chechen rebel fighters and outfit them with gas masks, night-vision goggles and camouflage suits.

Babar Ahmad, 30, was arrested in London in August and has been held there pending extradition. Wednesday's indictment accuses him of supporting terrorism, conspiring to kill Americans and laundering money.

"The acts of terrorism specifically involved violence against persons, including murder, and violence against property in those countries to achieve political, religious, and ideological ends," Assistant US Attorney Robert M Appleton wrote in an affidavit supporting Ahmad's extradition.

Ahmad allegedly ran several sites, including Azzam.com, which investigators say was used to funnel money to terrorists.

Inciting believers

"Azzam Publications has been set up to propagate the call for jihad ... to incite the believers and also, secondly, to raise some money for the brothers," the website allegedly said.

The site allegedly encouraged people to train in street combat, land mine operations and sniper combat. Financial donors were told to smuggle cash into Pakistan and pass it to the Taliban's consul general, investigators said.

"If you're supporting the Taliban and the Taliban is killing American soldiers, we're alleging you're conspiring to kill American citizens abroad," Connecticut US Attorney Kevin O'Connor said.

Investigators said Ahmad had obtained classified military documents describing the movements and formations of a Navy battle group. He was exchanging e-mails with an enlistee aboard the USS Benfold, a navy destroyer.

Authorities have not named the man, who investigators said was sympathetic to the jihad cause.

'Confused'

The navy documents described the Benfold's vulnerabilities to attacks by small boats, the affidavit said. Along with those documents, investigators also said they found a compact disc with audio tracks praising Osama bin Laden.

The charges were filed in Connecticut because Ahmad allegedly used an internet service provider in the state to host one of his sites.

Babar is also charged with maintaining e-mail contact with a Chechen mujaheedin leader. Chechen rebels and their supporters have been blamed or taken responsibility for several terrorist acts in Russia, including a hostage-taking raid at a school in North Ossetia last month.

Babar said little during his August court appearance in London. When asked if he understood the charges against him, he replied: "Not really. It's all a bit confusing to me."

- AP