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U.S. man allegedly wanted to join Taliban
NEW YORK, -- A 21-year-old American was charged Monday with lying to authorities about his intentions to go to Pakistan to join a terrorist group.
A federal criminal complaint unsealed in New York charges Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, a former Staten Island, N.Y., resident currently living in Hawaii, with making false statements to cover up his intentions to join insurgents in fighting against the United States. Shehadeh was arrested Friday in Honolulu and was to be extradited to New York to face the charge, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release.
The complaint alleges that in June 2008, Shehadeh bought a one-way ticket and flew to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was denied entry to the country by Pakistani officials and returned to the United States. When he was questioned by U.S. authorities, he initially told them he had gone to Pakistan to visit an Islamic university and attend a friend's wedding but later allegedly admitted his intention was to join the Taliban or a similar insurgency group.
Shehadeh also is accused of trying to recruit another individual to join him and of trying to enlist in the Army with the intention of deploying to Iraq where he planned to desert and join up with insurgents to fight the United States.
NEW YORK, -- A 21-year-old American was charged Monday with lying to authorities about his intentions to go to Pakistan to join a terrorist group.
A federal criminal complaint unsealed in New York charges Abdel Hameed Shehadeh, a former Staten Island, N.Y., resident currently living in Hawaii, with making false statements to cover up his intentions to join insurgents in fighting against the United States. Shehadeh was arrested Friday in Honolulu and was to be extradited to New York to face the charge, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release.
The complaint alleges that in June 2008, Shehadeh bought a one-way ticket and flew to Islamabad, Pakistan, where he was denied entry to the country by Pakistani officials and returned to the United States. When he was questioned by U.S. authorities, he initially told them he had gone to Pakistan to visit an Islamic university and attend a friend's wedding but later allegedly admitted his intention was to join the Taliban or a similar insurgency group.
Shehadeh also is accused of trying to recruit another individual to join him and of trying to enlist in the Army with the intention of deploying to Iraq where he planned to desert and join up with insurgents to fight the United States.