Convicted of misunderstanding IslamBetim Kaziu “became interested in the Koran and said he wanted to dedicate his life to God.” Funny how becoming interested in the Qur’an led him to want to kill U.S. troops. How could he have misunderstood the book’s beautiful message of peace?
“High school dropout convicted of trying to join terrorist group so he could kill U.S. troops,” by John Marzulli for the New York Daily News, July 7 (thanks to all who sent this in):
A Brooklyn high school dropout was convicted Thursday of conspiring to join a foreign terrorist group so he could kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Betim Kaziu faces life in prison for the jihadi adventure that took him to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and finally Kosovo – where he was arrested in 2009. […]
Kaziu, 23, wanted to become a member of the Taliban or the Somali-based Al Shabbab so he could die a Muslim martyr on a battlefield in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Palestine or Africa.
“The defendant desired to wage jihad,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Ali Kazemi said in his closing argument.
“He never intended to return to the United States. He hoped to die a martyr. ”
Flush with cash from a court settlement for a playground accident, Kaziu traveled overseas with a buddy from Mill Basin who chickened out of the scheme and returned to Brooklyn to eventually became a government cooperator.
Defense lawyer Joshua Dratel argued that a trove of militant videos – including some from hate-spewing Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al-Awlaki – found on Kaziu’s laptop computer don’t make him a terrorist.
“Millions of people watch these videos and don’t fight jihad,” Dratel said.
Oh, that makes it all right, then.
Kaziu had made a so-called martyrdom video in Albania before he was arrested.
“I came here with the brothers to chill before I, God willing, depart,” Kaziu said as he stood on a cliff above the sea.