Two Britons expected to plead guilty to terror charges in U.S. court

[December 10, 2013]  (Reuters) — Two Britons facing trial in the United States are expected to plead guilty in court on Tuesday to charges of supporting militant groups, including al Qaeda, by operating websites promoting jihad.

The men, Babar Ahmad and Syed Talha Ahsan, faced trial on charges that included providing material support to terrorists and conspiracy to injure the property of a foreign government. The two, U.S. prosecutors said, ran a website that raised funds for Muslim militants in Afghanistan and Chechnya.

Ahmad and Ahsan were extradited to the United States from Britain last year and entered not guilty pleas to all charges in U.S. district court in Connecticut.

They are due in court in New Haven for change-of-plea hearings on Tuesday, court records show.

Ahmad also was charged with a count of money laundering.

He faces the possibility of up to 30 years in prison, while Ahsan faces up to 15 years. Each could be fined up to $500,000.

They were among five men extradited to the United States from Britain last year to face terrorism-related charges. That group also included one-eyed radical Islamist cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri on charges related to a 1998 hostage-taking in Yemen.

(Reporting by Scott Malone; editing by Colleen Jenkins and Steve Orlofsky)

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