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