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| Home Front: WoT |
| Afghan held for 'lies' about terror ties |
| 2009-02-22 |
| Federal agents arrested a naturalised US citizen from Afghanistan on Friday after he allegedly lied about ties to terrorist groups on citizenship and passport papers, authorities said. Jawa Report beat us to the punch on this one... FBI, immigration and local law enforcement agents from an anti-terrorism task force arrested Ahmadullah Sais Niazi, 34, at his home in Tustin, California, on Friday morning, according to the US attorney's office. He faces charges of perjury, naturalisation fraud, procuring a passport by fraud and making a false statement. US attorney's spokesman Thom Mrozek said Niazi became a US citizen about five years ago. Prosecutors allege Niazi is a relative of Amin Al Haq, Osama Bin Laden's security coordinator, and the two met when Niazi travelled to Pakistan in early 2005. Niazi is also accused of associating with the Taliban and a terrorist organisation called Hezb-e-Islami, which fights international and US troops in Afghanistan. Upon his return from the trip he allegedly told authorities he had been visiting his family in the Gulf nation of Qatar. Niazi also said he had never gone by any other name, when in fact he had previously used several other names including Ahmadullah Khan. According to the indictment, Niazi lied when he wrote on his naturalisation papers that he had never been a member of or in any way associated with a terrorist organisation. "In fact, as defendant Niazi then well knew, he was associated in any way with one or more terrorist organisations," the indictment states. Niazi was scheduled to be arraigned on Friday afternoon, where he was expected to be assigned an attorney. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Virginia Kice said prosecutors would seek to have Niazi's citizenship revoked, something that can be done if it was obtained fraudulently. If that happens, he would also be subject to deportation. He could face up to 35 years in prison. |
| Posted by:Fred |