Jihad in Oregon: another Aswat update. "Militant Accused of U.S. Terror Camp Plot," from AP, with thanks to the Constantinopolitan Irredentist:
LONDON - A suspected Islamic militant deported to Britain was arrested Sunday on a U.S. warrant accusing him of conspiring to organize a training camp in Oregon to prepare jihad fighters in Afghanistan, police said.The arrest of Haroon Rashid Aswat, a British citizen of Indian descent, comes as British prosecutors said they would consider treason charges against any Islamic extremists who express support for terrorism.
The U.S. warrant accuses Aswat of conspiring with others between October 1999 and April 2000 to set up a camp in Bly, Ore., aimed at training and equipping individuals to "fight jihad in Afghanistan," police said in a statement.
Aswat, 30, had been detained in Zambia since July 20, where he was questioned about 20 phone calls reportedly made on his South African cell phone with some of the bombers responsible for the July 7 transit attacks in London that killed 52 people and the four bombers. British newspaper reports quoting intelligence sources there have in recent days played down the possibility Aswat masterminded the London bombings.
He was deported Sunday to Britain, said Zambian Home Affairs Secretary Peter Mumba.
Aswat is one of two associates of the Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri who are referred to but not named or charged in a 2002 indictment issued by a federal grand jury in Seattle against a Muslim convert from the area, officials have said. The other is Oussama Kassir, a Lebanese-born Swede, who was convicted of weapons violations in Sweden in 2003.
Aswat and Kassir "inspected the proposed jihad training camp at the Bly property ... and they and others participated in firearms training and viewed a video recording on the subject of improvised poisons" in November and December 1999, the indictment said.
Be still my heart! This is the first time I've read that a western government will consider the charge of 'treason'. . .ok, ok, it's just a baby step, but it's about damn time!
Will the US follow suit? (tapping fingers impatiently)
I would like to see one of these bastards nailed on a tax evasion charge like Capone. How many virgins do you get for that?
"British prosecutors said they would consider treason charges against any Islamic extremists who express support for terrorism."
Finally!
Actually, the UK has indicted and even hanged people for treason on a number of occasions. Think of Sir Roger Casement in 1916. In the USA, we're a little chary of it. We know it's there, but arent' quite sure when it breaks the border of accepted free speech.
The arrest of Haroon Rashid Aswat, a British citizen of Indian descent, comes as British prosecutors said they would consider treason charges against any Islamic extremists who express support for terrorism.
And Mr blair should consider bringing back the death penalty for treason during war-time.
It seems like only last week there on various threads here and on dhimmiwatch, that people were discussing the very subject, of why these people werent being charged with treason.
Do you think someone in Towny Blur's cabinet is reading here?
shiva:
What good would killing people who worship death do us? no, better to chuck them in the slammer for a long long time, and feed them bacon every day for breakfast.