A federal jury in New Haven, Connecticut, has convicted a former U.S. navy sailor for providing material support to terrorists and disclosing classified national defense information.
Hassan Abujihaad, 32, was found guilty on March 5, 2008, of leaking classified information about the U.S. missile destroyer USS Benfold, on which he was stationed, and other ships within its battle group. These are the ships that carried out sanctions against the Taliban and employed missions against Al Qaeda in 2001, according to court documents.
Abujihaad, (a.k.a. Paul R. Hall) an American Muslim convert arrested in Phoenix in March 2007, is linked with several other suspected or convicted terrorists. Court documents indicate that he provided classified information via e-mail to members of Azzam Publications, a London-based organization that allegedly provided material support to individuals involved in terrorism activities through Web sites and e-mail communications. The FBI affidavit in Abujihaad’s case alleges that “the Azzam websites were among the first to successfully utilize the internet on a global scale to propagate the call to jihad.” Many of Azzam Publications’ Web sites were hosted for a period of time on the servers of a Web hosting company based in Connecticut.
Azzam Publications was run by Syed Talha Ahsan and Babar Ahmad, who are both British-born computer specialists. Both men are now under indictment in Connecticut in cases related to Abujihaad. They have been charged with providing and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and conspiracy to kill, kidnap, maim, or injure persons or damage property in a foreign country. Ahmad is also charged with money laundering. The U.S. is seeking to extradite Ahsan and Ahmad from Britain to face these terror charges.
In 2003, British authorities found classified information, including how some Navy ships could be singled out for an attack, on a password-protected document at Ahmad’s home. In addition to providing the naval information to Ahmad, Abujihaad also purchased videos promoting jihad, including at least one that he had sent to his shipboard address, and donated money to Azzam Publications. In one e-mail exchange with Ahmad, Abujihaad praised Osama bin Laden, the Mujahideen and the 2000 suicide attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors, according to court documents.
Evidence gathered in the case of Derrick Shareef, an Illinois man who pleaded guilty to planning an attack at an area shopping mall by setting off grenades in garbage cans, provided additional information about Abujihaad’s activity.
Abujihaad and Shareef reportedly met at the Islamic Community Center of Phoenix and lived together for about seven months in 2003 and 2004. Later in 2004, when Abujihaad learned of Ahmad’s arrest in London in the press, he reportedly told Shareef that, “I think this article is talking about me.”
Shareef moved to Illinois in 2004, and befriended an undercover agent. The agent subsequently recorded conversations he had with Shareef in which Shareef confirmed that Abujihaad sent information about Navy ships to a Web site. Shareef also told the agent that he and Abujihaad had previously discussed attacking a military base in San Diego or a recruiting station in Phoenix.
Abujihaad, whose lawyers say they are likely to appeal the conviction, faces up to 25 years in prison.
