About Damn Time! American al Qaeda Charged With Treason

[Woodmonkey]

American al Qaeda charged with treason


American al Qaeda spokesman Adam Yahiye Gadahn has been indicted on treason charges, U.S. Deputy Attorney General Paul McNulty said Wednesday.

The 28-year-old California native who has appeared in five al Qaeda videos is also charged with offering material support for terrorism, McNulty said.

Gadahn is the first American to face the charge since the World War II era and McNulty called the treason charge "exceptionally severe. "

"This is the right case for this charge," he said.

Nicknamed "Azzam the American," Gadahn is not in U.S. custody and McNulty said he is believed to be living overseas.

McNulty said he believes that Gadahn has been involved in issuing propaganda but not in carrying out any terrorist attacks. (Watch how Gadahn came to be indicted for al Qaeda ties -- 1:59 Video)

Gadahn has appeared in several al Qaeda messages speaking English and appealing to Americans.

In a recording released in September, he called for the world to convert to Islam, and in a videotape posted on the Internet, he hailed the 9/11 hijackers.

"All the brothers who took part in the raids on America were dedicated, strong-willed, highly motivated individuals with a burning concern for Islam and Muslims, and they had to be chosen for such a difficult mission. They were definitely not failures looking for a way out," he said in the video.

The FBI first put out an alert on Gadahn in 2004, saying he was "being sought in connection with possible terrorist threats against the United States," although the agency said it had "no information indicating this individual is connected to any specific terrorist activities."

FBI Director Robert Mueller, referring last month to Gadahn's importance in al Qaeda, said: "It's significant in terms of his being a spokesperson for al Qaeda.

"He has been on television. People have seen his face. It's going to be very difficult for him to become an operative. But he is a contributor. He's certainly supporting al Qaeda and [is] somebody who we would very much like to arrest and prosecute," Mueller said.
California roots

Gadahn grew up in Riverside County, California, on a goat farm. His father was a rock guitarist before starting the farm with his wife.

Gadahn left when he was a teenager, according to his father. After a heavy-metal rock phase, he turned to Islam in 1995 and wrote about it on the Internet.

"As I began reading English translations of the Koran, I became more and more convinced of the truth and authenticity of Allah's teachings contained in those 114 chapters."

Gadahn's call on Americans to convert came with an explicit warning of what would happen if his call went unheeded.

"Anyone who pays any attention to the messages of the leaders of the jihad, like Sheik Osama bin Laden and Sheik Ayman al-Zawahiri, may God protect them, will know that they have been consistent in inviting the Americans and other unbelievers to Islam and in pressing upon them that they want the best for them. And making it clear to all that we have no choice but to fight those who fight us," Gadahn said.

Gadahn's family had no comment about the latest tape. In the past, his father has said Gadahn moved to Pakistan in 1998 and that the family lost touch with him in 2002.

The Source

[las47032]

Probably get off like Johnny Taliban.

[Woodmonkey]

I hope you're wrong.

[las47032]

Originally Posted by Woodmonkey

I hope you're wrong.

Me too.