GDN:Terror suspect appears in court

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Terror suspect appears in court
By NOOR TOORANI
Published: 9th October 2008

A BAHRAINI appeared in court yesterday accused of joining Al Qaeda, training for combat and helping finance the terror organisation.

The 27-year-old Traffic Directorate employee appeared before the High Criminal Court for the first time yesterday, where he denied all the charges.

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Terror suspect appears in court
By NOOR TOORANI
Published: 9th October 2008

A BAHRAINI appeared in court yesterday accused of joining Al Qaeda, training for combat and helping finance the terror organisation.

The 27-year-old Traffic Directorate employee appeared before the High Criminal Court for the first time yesterday, where he denied all the charges.

Defence lawyer Abdulla Hashim asked for time to summon witnesses for cross- examination and judges adjourned the case to November 16.

A National Security Agency (NSA) major told how the organisation received information that the defendant had joined Al Qaeda and was supporting it financially.

“We received reliable information that he was supporting the terrorist group financially and that he visited Lebanon, where he underwent military training,” the Bahraini officer said in his statement.

“He expressed his wishes to fight in live combat in Afghanistan to one of our sources.

“He had travelled to Iran several times to pay the group leaders cash as a source of financial support and he underwent military training there as well.”

The defendant was arrested as he arrived at Bahrain International Airport from Iran, in June, heard the court.

The GDN reported earlier that sources alleged that the defendant channelled 150,000 euros (BD84,900) to suspected terrorists in Afghanistan.

Two other men, a Bahraini and a Syrian, are also facing similar charges, but are being tried in absentia.

The other Bahraini man allegedly travelled to Afghanistan to fight in January and has not been heard of since.

“We received information that the second man involved in joining the terrorist group travelled to Afghanistan to fight in combat and we haven’t heard from him since,” said the NSA major.

noor@gdn.com.bh

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