Manu
10-22-2002, 10:38 PM
BUFFALO, New York (CNN) -- Six U.S.-born men pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges of being part of an al Qaeda terrorist training cell.
The six men were arraigned a day after a federal grand jury indicted them on two counts each of conspiracy to provide and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Security was extremely tight outside the U.S. District Court in downtown Buffalo, with armed federal marshals and mounted police patrolling the area.
The six men, wearing prison jumpsuits, did not say anything during the 20-minute arraignment. At the end of the proceeding, some of them turned to family members and other loved ones in the courtroom, smiling and waving to them.
U.S. Magistrate Kenneth Schroeder did not set a trial date during the hearing, saying he would wait another 30 days to give all sides more time to prepare.
Prosecutor William Hochul said a trial isn't likely to begin for a year.
The six are Muslims of Yemeni descent from Lackawanna, New York, near Buffalo. Five are being held without bail. One of the men, Sahim Alwan, 29, was granted bond of $600,000 but he has not posted bail yet.
They stand accused of providing material support for a terrorist organization by allegedly attending an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan last year.
Alwan has admitted attending the camp and has implicated his codefendants. He has said he left the Al Farooq camp, near Kandahar, because he didn't share its organizers' extremist views and missed his family. Alwan is married with two sons and a daughter.
It was Alwan's cooperation with investigators, as well as his early departure from the camp, that led Schroeder last week to grant him bail. However, the bail comes with restrictions that amount to virtual house arrest.
Alwan will be prohibited from leaving his house except for commuting to and from work, visiting a doctor, or meeting his attorney. A global positioning satellite system will monitor his movements.
In addition, Alwan may not use a cellular telephone, e-mail, a fax machine or pager. Authorities will monitor the one phone line he'll be allowed for calls to people other than his lawyers. A second line, for conversations with his attorneys, will not be monitored.
In addition to Alwan, the defendants are Mukhtar al-Bakri, 22; Shafal Mosed; 24; Yasein Taher, 24; Yahya Goba, 25; and Faysal Galab, 26.
Schroeder ruled earlier this month that, had these five men "become disciples of al Qaeda and believers in self-destruction as a legitimate means of causing harm to others, there are no conditions that could be imposed that would deter such acts of self-destruction, other than detention."
Two other men are still sought in the case.
www.cnn.com
The six men were arraigned a day after a federal grand jury indicted them on two counts each of conspiracy to provide and attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Security was extremely tight outside the U.S. District Court in downtown Buffalo, with armed federal marshals and mounted police patrolling the area.
The six men, wearing prison jumpsuits, did not say anything during the 20-minute arraignment. At the end of the proceeding, some of them turned to family members and other loved ones in the courtroom, smiling and waving to them.
U.S. Magistrate Kenneth Schroeder did not set a trial date during the hearing, saying he would wait another 30 days to give all sides more time to prepare.
Prosecutor William Hochul said a trial isn't likely to begin for a year.
The six are Muslims of Yemeni descent from Lackawanna, New York, near Buffalo. Five are being held without bail. One of the men, Sahim Alwan, 29, was granted bond of $600,000 but he has not posted bail yet.
They stand accused of providing material support for a terrorist organization by allegedly attending an al Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan last year.
Alwan has admitted attending the camp and has implicated his codefendants. He has said he left the Al Farooq camp, near Kandahar, because he didn't share its organizers' extremist views and missed his family. Alwan is married with two sons and a daughter.
It was Alwan's cooperation with investigators, as well as his early departure from the camp, that led Schroeder last week to grant him bail. However, the bail comes with restrictions that amount to virtual house arrest.
Alwan will be prohibited from leaving his house except for commuting to and from work, visiting a doctor, or meeting his attorney. A global positioning satellite system will monitor his movements.
In addition, Alwan may not use a cellular telephone, e-mail, a fax machine or pager. Authorities will monitor the one phone line he'll be allowed for calls to people other than his lawyers. A second line, for conversations with his attorneys, will not be monitored.
In addition to Alwan, the defendants are Mukhtar al-Bakri, 22; Shafal Mosed; 24; Yasein Taher, 24; Yahya Goba, 25; and Faysal Galab, 26.
Schroeder ruled earlier this month that, had these five men "become disciples of al Qaeda and believers in self-destruction as a legitimate means of causing harm to others, there are no conditions that could be imposed that would deter such acts of self-destruction, other than detention."
Two other men are still sought in the case.
www.cnn.com