Man accused of plotting terror camp extradited
By Pat Milton, Associated Press Writer
Wednesday, September 26, 2007 |
NEW YORK — A European terrorism suspect accused of planning to teach followers how to make bombs, poison people and slit throats pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Tuesday in federal court.
Oussama Kassir, a Lebanese-born Swede, plotted to set up a terrorist camp in Bly, and was offering bomb- and poison-making tips on several Web sites, federal prosecutors said in announcing Kassir’s extradition to Manhattan.
One of the Web sites was located on an Internet server in suburban White Plains, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia said.
“The purpose of the camp was to identify and further radicalize individuals that would be willing to carry out attacks against the United States at home or abroad,” said Richard Falkenrath, deputy commissioner for counterterrorism at the New York Police Department.
Prosecutors said Kassir and others wanted to set up the U.S. camp to teach military-style methods so a community of Muslims could move to Afghanistan to fight or receive further training.
Falkenrath described the Web sites as “the sort that radicalized potential terrorists and provided them with instructions on how to build weapons to use in attacks.”
Charges against Kassir include conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim and injure people in a foreign country; providing material support to terrorists, including al-Qaida; and distributing information related to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction.
Garcia said Kassir also discussed hijacking trucks and killing the drivers to raise money to support the camp.
When asked during the arraignment in U.S. District Court through an interpreter to raise his right hand, Kassir replied in English, “Why would I swear? I swear by God that everything is true. I told you I swear by Allah. Why should I raise my hand?”
The court accepted Kassir’s refusal to raise his right hand.
Kassir also was asked if he understood the charges against him. With his hands cuffed in front of him, he responded, “I don’t care to see it because I am innocent. I don’t care about it. I didn’t do anything. I have done nothing.”
Asked for his plea, Kassir said, “I already told the judge I am innocent and I have done nothing.”
Kassir is accused of operating at least three Web sites that sought to recruit terrorists from December 2001 until his arrest on Dec. 11, 2005, at Prague’s Ruzyne international airport while flying from Stockholm, Sweden, to Beirut, Lebanon.
Authorities said the sites included such titles as “The Mujahideen Explosives Handbook” and “The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook.”
The allegations are contained in a criminal complaint and a superseding indictment.
The indictment says Kassir told witnesses he supported Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida and that he had personally undertaken holy warrior training in Afghanistan, Kashmir and Lebanon.
In November 1999, prosecutors said, Kassir and a co-defendant were sent by another man to establish the training camp. After two months they left the U.S., with Kassir complaining that there were too few men and he was not going to waste his time.
Authorities in Oregon have said the camp near the unincorporated town in Klamath County never materialized beyond a dozen people taking target practice and was abandoned for unknown reasons.
The two co-defendants are awaiting extradition.
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