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California: Two Muslims on trial for plot to join al Qaeda

Aug 25, 2014 12:01 pm By Robert Spencer

Ralph-de-Leon-417x248It’s perfectly clear to Barack Obama, John Kerry, the Pope, the Archbishop of Brisbane, Australia, David Cameron, and so many other non-Muslim authorities that Islamic jihadists are misunderstanding and misinterpreting the true, peaceful teachings of their religion. Yet there are so very many misunderstanders; now, why is that? “Terrorism trial underway for men accused of trying to join Al Qaeda,” by Matt Hansen, Los Angeles Times, August 18, 2014:

The trial of two Inland Empire men accused of being involved in a terrorist plot resumes in Riverside federal court this week, as jurors weigh whether the defendants’ alleged plans to travel overseas and join Al Qaeda posed a true threat or were overstated by investigators.

Sohiel Omar Kabir, 36, of Pomona and Ralph Kenneth Deleon, 25, of Ontario face five counts of conspiracy, including plans to provide support to overseas terrorist groups, commit terrorist acts overseas and receive Al Qaeda training.

Prosecutors allege that Kabir, a naturalized American citizen who was born in Afghanistan, persuaded Deleon, a Filipino citizen and legal resident of the United States, and two other men to travel to Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban and later join Al Qaeda.

The other men, Miguel Alejandro Santana, 23, of Upland and Arifeen David Gojali, 23, of Riverside, are scheduled to testify against the remaining two defendants, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Deleon, Santana and Gojali were arrested in November 2012 as they prepared to leave California to rendezvous with Kabir, who had relocated to Afghanistan. Kabir was seized by American soldiers in Afghanistan and returned to the United States to face charges.

The men’s purported plot was documented by a confidential informant who became close with the men and recorded audio and video of them as they spoke openly of their plans to join terrorist organizations overseas, according to the prosecution’s trial memorandum, which lays out its plans for the case.

Prosecutors also allege that the men began exercise regimens, visited firing ranges and renewed their passports in preparation for traveling to Afghanistan. Deleon dropped out of college and sold his car to raise money for the trip, prosecutors say.

“Kabir told Deleon and Santana that he made contacts in Afghanistan and that upon their arrival the three men would join the ‘Students,’ referring to the Taliban, before joining the ‘professors,’ referring to Al-Qa’ida,” the trial memo states.

Defense attorneys argue that overzealous federal authorities misinterpreted the men’s sometimes immature actions as true threats, and said their clients never intended to actually join or assist terrorist groups.

“This was a very carefully planned out plot by the government from the investigation stage onwards,” said David Thomas, who represents Deleon. “It was a manufactured prosecution, is our argument. They had their target two years ago and executed.”

On Friday, the second day of testimony, witnesses included a firearms range manager and a Customs and Border Protection inspector who testified about the men’s actions before their arrest.

Nolan Avery, a manager at LAX Firing Range in Inglewood, testified that Deleon, Santana and a third man, whom defense attorneys identified in court as the confidential informant, visited the range in September 2012 and shot an AR-15 rifle and a Glock 17 pistol.

Avery said he remembered the men because they seemed unenthusiastic and had traveled from the Inland Empire to go to the range, passing other shooting ranges closer to home.

“Usually there is a sense of camaraderie in groups,” he said. “This was kind of weird because they separated right away.”

Later testimony placed Gojali picking up a passport in Los Angeles in November 2012, and Santana returning to the U.S. after a visit to Mexico with his grandmother in January 2012.

A Border Patrol agent testified that Santana crossed into the U.S. carrying anti-American propaganda, including literature from radical imam Anwar al-Awlaki and a copy of the jihadist magazine Inspire. Defense attorneys argued that Santana was also carrying unrelated books that explored conspiracy theories and the occult.

A recurring topic during testimony was the role of the government’s informant. After the prosecution showed video from a hidden camera reportedly taken by the informant of Deleon firing weapons at the range, defense attorneys challenged the evidence, saying that only the informant could verify the authenticity of the video. The defense has subpoenaed the informant to appear.

Although U.S. District Judge Virginia Phillips determined that the video evidence was admissible, the confidential informant remains a sticking point in the case.

Hamas-linked CAIR is crying victimhood and wants information about the informant — information which, if made public, could lead to his injury or death:

The Los Angeles branch of CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, an advocacy organization, has called for the public to share any additional details they may know about the informant.

The organization alleges that the frequent federal use of informants in terrorism cases can lead to entrapment of suspects.

“We’ve seen other communities targeted by the FBI with informants sent into communities and mosques,” said Fatima Dadabhoy, senior civil rights lawyer for CAIR in Los Angeles. “I think what’s important about not just this case but this issue in general is to make sure that when we are doing terrorism cases, we’re not using improper tactics.”

The trial is set to resume Tuesday.

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Filed Under: Al-Qaeda, United States Tagged With: featured


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Comments

  1. Jay Boo says

    Aug 25, 2014 at 12:12 pm

    “Hamas-linked CAIR is crying victimhood and wants information about the informant — information which, if made public, could lead to his injury or death:”

    Islam is very porous and every Muslim knows it.
    In the bigger picture, It won’t help CAIR to know his identity because there are many more like him.
    Islam is rotting from within and splitting at the seams and is full of Muslims secretly disgusted with Islam.
    That is why Muslims are forced not to leave Islam.
    How pathetic is that When Muslims must use intimidation to keep Muslims from dumping Islam in the trash can.
    Its dirty laundry just keeps falling out all over the place day by day.

  2. Stanley234 says

    Aug 25, 2014 at 3:56 pm

    What is most disturbing is the absence of these stories in our national media. We’re constantly being brow-beaten with “RACIST AMERICA” stories on CNN and the networks and yet this insidious assault on democracy falls completely below the radar. Why?

  3. wes says

    Aug 25, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    CAIR’s actions are quite telling. Except for organizations that purposely have members break the law, such as fringe environmentalists who liberate minks or destroy bulldozers, I can’t think of another advocacy group that tries to expose informants.

  4. Oliver says

    Aug 25, 2014 at 11:46 pm

    Three questions: De Leon is 25; arrested 2 years ago–so 23–still in college? or was it grad school or is he dumb>

    2. IF he sold his car and quit college to go to Afghanistan, who is paying his attorney fees? Criminal defense attorneys, if decent (not necessarily good, just decent) FOR NON FEDERAL cases cost decent sized dollars; Federal cases–more, and terrorism more then other Federal criminal cases. (I used to do soem work for a criminal defense attorney-but he never did terrotist cases).

    3. Why ( as numerous others have said in other posts/other articles about assholes wanting to join ISIS, Free Syrain Army, Al queida, etc. ) why not jsut let the scum go, and not let them back in? Why arrest them, and the cost of a trial and imprisonment. let them go and hope that they get killed–and quickly.

    • EYESOPEN says

      Aug 26, 2014 at 5:51 am

      The answer to Oliver’s question #2 is : most probably the tax-paying citizens of California – or if this is a federal case, U.S. taxpayers.

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