Seven charged with plotting terror attacks
Seven North Carolina residents were charged with plotting to commit terrorist attacks around the world, including in Israel. An eighth suspect is believed to be in Pakistan.
Federal prosecutors charged six American citizens, including the group’s leader, Daniel Boyd, and one foreign national in an indictment unsealed July 27. Two days later, an Israeli official said Israel denied entry two years ago to members the family. Boyd’s wife, Sabrina Boyd, told a Raleigh newspaper that he and one of their sons flew to Israel in 2007 to visit Muslim holy sites but were denied entry and detained for two days. She denied any malevolent motive for that visit, as well as another one made by Boyd with a different son.
Daniel Boyd, a convert to Islam, reportedly trained in terrorist camps in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Three years ago he began recruiting men to wage jihad, or holy war. The group had amassed a large cache of weapons and trained in North Carolina. Several of the men traveled to Israel, the Gaza Strip and Jordan in 2006 and 2007. In Israel in 2007, they reportedly intended to engage in “violent jihad” but did not do any fighting.
Besides the Boyds, the others charged are identified in court papers as Hysen Sherifi, Anes Subasic, Mohammad Omar Aly Hassan and Ziyad Yaghi. They were charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim and injure persons abroad. Some also face weapons charges.
The men face life in prison if convicted. — jta
U.S. groups back Obama
Five left-leaning, pro-Israel organizations have teamed up to back the Obama administration’s opposition to “unilateral actions” in Jerusalem.
A statement released jointly by Ameinu, Americans for Peace Now, Brit Tzedek v’Shalom, Meretz USA and J Street says that “issues of borders and sovereignty related to Jerusalem should be determined through negotiations in the context of a regional, comprehensive resolution to the Arab-Israeli conflict” and “unilateral actions that inflame tensions, impair negotiations and make the ultimate resolution of issues surrounding Jerusalem more difficult are unhelpful and should be avoided at this particularly sensitive moment.” — jta