Terror Suspects Arraigned in New Haven

U.S. Attorney Press Release:

"David B. Fein, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, ICE Director John Morton and Special Agent in Charge Kimberly K. Mertz of the New Haven Division of the FBI announced that Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan are scheduled to appear at 8:00 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven.

Ahmad, 38, and Ahsan, 33, both British citizens, are charged with terrorism-related offenses stemming from their involvement in, and operation of, “Azzam Publications,” an entity in London that allegedly provided material support to the Chechen Muhjahideen, the Taliban, and associated terrorist groups.

Both defendants were extradited from the United Kingdom and arrived in the U.S. earlier today. On October 6, 2004, a federal grand jury sitting in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Ahmad with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing material support to terrorists, conspiring to kill persons in a foreign country, and money laundering.

On June 28, 2006, a Bridgeport grand jury returned an indictment charging Ahsan with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, providing material support to terrorists, and conspiring to kill persons in a foreign country.

Ahmad and Ahsan have been detained since their arrests by British law enforcement authorities on August 5, 2004, and July 19, 2006, respectively. The indictments allege that Ahmad and Ahsan were members of a group that supported the Chechen Muhjahideen, the Taliban and associated terrorist groups through various means, including the operation of a series of websites under the name of “Azzam Publications,” which promoted violent jihad and featured jihadi training manuals, interviews with Al-Qaeda and Chechen leaders and associates, and stories and martyrdom videos of fallen jihadists."