American Muslim Linked to London 'Terror' Cleric Jailed

And what will be done to ensure that James Ujaama doesn't rejoin the worldwide jihad when he is released in July? Are moderate Muslim clerics going to meet with him regularly to explain to him the true peaceful teachings of the Qur'an? Is CAIR going to conduct moderate teach-ins in his prison? Somehow I doubt it. From The Scotsman, with thanks to Nicolei:

James Ujaama, 38, was arrested in July 2002 following an investigation into a Seattle mosque and was indicted for conspiring to set up a terrorist training camp in Bly, Oregon, and using a firearm to further the conspiracy.

The government dropped those charges and filed a superseding complaint alleging that Ujaama brought money, computer equipment and a recruit to Taliban officials in Afghanistan.

Prosecutors let him plead guilty in exchange for his cooperation in terrorism investigations. In particular, they wanted to hear what he knew about London cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri, whose web site Ujaama once ran.

Prosecutors agreed to recommend a sentence of two years in prison – most of which Ujaama has already served. He is due to be released from prison in July.

However, he faces three years of supervised release and must surrender his passport.

Ujaama, born James Earnest Thompson, converted to Islam in the early 1990s and became involved in the now-closed Dar-us-Salaam mosque in Seattle, whose members preached a more extreme version of Islamic teachings.

In 1997, Ujaama left his son and family and moved to London, where he became friends with al-Masri at the Finsbury Park Mosque.

The US State Department has classified al-Masri as a terrorist, and he is wanted in Yemen for his alleged role in the 1998 kidnappings of 16 tourists by the Islamic Army of Aden. Four hostages died during a shootout.

But Ujaama sometimes travelled back to Seattle, and in 1999, federal officials alleged, he joined others in trying to set up a terrorist training camp at a ranch in Bly. He sent al-Masri a fax, investigators have said, proposing the establishment of a camp there, and al-Masri sent two representatives to evaluate the site.

The two were reportedly disappointed that the property had no barracks for troops, and the camp was never developed. One of them was Oussama Kassir, who was arrested at his apartment in Sweden last year and is being held on weapons charges.

Investigators learned of the plot through an informant within the group.

In 2000, Ujaama returned to London and ran al-Masri’s Web site, which advocated jihad, or holy war, against the United States. Later that year, at al-Masri’s bidding, he escorted another man to a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan, Ujaama admitted in his plea agreement.

Ujaama initially contended he brought the computer equipment and money to benefit a girls school in Afghanistan.

Posted by Robert at February 14, 2004 8:31 AM
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