Posted on 05/12/2009 7:31:36 PM PDT by Cindy
May 12, 2009
Note: The following text is a quote:
Leader of Liberty City Six Convicted on All Counts, Four Others Convicted on Multiple Counts, and One Defendant Acquitted on Charges of Conspiring to Support Al Qaeda, Attack Targets in the United States
After a three-month trial, a Miami jury convicted five men of multiple charges that include conspiring to provide material support to the al Qaeda terrorist organization and conspiracy to levy war against the U.S. by discussing and planning attacks on targets in the U.S., including the Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI building and other federal buildings in Florida. A sixth defendant was acquitted on all counts.
The six men – Narseal Batiste, Patrick Abraham, Stanley Grant Phanor, Naudimar Herrera, Burson Augustin, and Rothschild Augustine – were named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of Florida (Miami) in June 2006. The indictment charged four counts: conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, namely al Qaeda (Count 1); conspiracy to provide material support and resources to terrorists (Count 2); conspiracy to maliciously damage and destroy by means of an explosive (Count 3); and conspiring to levy war against the government of the U.S. (Count 4). Narseal Batiste was convicted of all 4 counts; Patrick Abraham was convicted on Counts 1, 2, and 3; Stanley Grant Phanor was convicted on Counts 1 and 2; Burson Augustin was convicted on Counts 1 and 2; Rothschild Augustine was convicted on Counts 1 and 2; and Naudimar Herrera was acquitted on all counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, beginning in November 2005 and continuing to the date of their arrests, Batiste recruited and supervised individuals to organize and train for a mission to wage war against the U.S., including a plot to destroy the Sears Tower by explosives. Batiste and his co-conspirators attempted to obtain the support of al Qaeda to achieve their goals and discussed this desire with an individual cooperating with law enforcement who posed as a member of al Qaeda. Believing they were dealing with that terrorist group, in March 2006, Batiste and other defendants pledged an oath of allegiance to al Qaeda and supported a plan to destroy FBI buildings in the United States by taking photos of the FBI Building in North Miami Beach, Florida, and other federal buildings in Miami-Dade County.
Batiste then took reconnaissance photographs of the FBI Building in North Miami Beach, the James Lawrence King Federal Justice Building, federal courthouse buildings, the Federal Detention Center and the Miami Police Department. In addition to conducting surveillance, the defendants provided the individual, whom they believed was an al Qaeda member, with a list of materials and equipment needed to wage jihad, including boots, uniforms, machine guns, radios and vehicles. In December 2005, at one of a number of meetings with this person, Batiste spoke of using an army of “soldiers” and explosives to destroy the Sears Tower. In a subsequent meeting, he provided the individual with a list of other materials needed in his plot to take down the Sears Tower, including radios, binoculars, bullet proof vests, firearms, vehicles and $50,000 cash.
According to the evidence, the plot advanced further through meetings with other co-defendants. In one of the meetings on Feb. 19, 2006, Batiste allegedly told the “al Qaeda representative” that he wanted to attend al Qaeda training with five of his soldiers, with a mission to wage a “full ground war” against the United States in order to “kill all the devils we can,” which “will be just as good or greater than 9/11.” Ultimately, all seven of the defendants swore bayat, or an oath of loyalty to al Qaeda. During his first meeting with the undercover FBI informant, Batiste explained that he was in the same position as Jeff Fort, the leader of the El-Rukn gang in Chicago who, in the 1980's, had negotiated with Libya to commit terrorist acts in the U.S. for $2.5 million.
U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern District of Florida stated, “A federal jury today found defendant Batiste, the leader of this organization, guilty on all counts against him. The jury also found four other defendants guilty of multiple counts, and acquitted defendant Herrera. This was a difficult trial, and we thank all the prosecutors and agents involved, whose efforts resulted in today’s successful conclusion.”
On behalf of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, Jonathan I. Solomon, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office, stated, " We commend the agents and prosecutors who worked tirelessly on this case as well as all members of the South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force. Working side-by-side with our law enforcement partners, we identified and disrupted a terrorist threat and as a result our community and nation are a much safer place.”
Sentencing is scheduled for July 26, 2009 at 2:30 p.m. At sentencing, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 15 years each in prison on the charges of conspiracy to provide material support or resources, and a maximum of 20 years in prison each on the charges of conspiracy to destroy by use of explosives and conspiracy to levy war against the United States.
This prosecution was the result of an investigation led by the FBI’s South Florida Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Miami. The JTTF is comprised of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies whose primary work is to identify and disrupt terrorist cells before they commit acts of terror. Members of the JTTF include the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida; the FBI; U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement; U.S. Secret Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Internal Revenue Service; the Bureau of Prisons; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; Miami Dade Police Department; City of Miami Police Department; Broward Sheriff’s Office; Palm Beach County’s Sheriff’s Office; Ft. Lauderdale Police Department; Hollywood Police Department; and the Miramar Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacqueline Arango and Richard Gregorie.
Narseal Batiste & Stanley Grant Phanor
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41806000/jpg/_41806158_afp_composite203.jpg
Alleged ringleader Narseal Batiste apparently asked an undercover agent he thought was from al-Qaeda for help to build an “army to wage jihad”, the indictment said.
Photos of the accused men were released on Friday
He is said to have told the agent he and his “soldiers” wanted al-Qaeda training and planning for a “full ground war” against the US in order to “kill all the devils we can”.
His mission would “be just as good or greater than 9/11”, Mr Batiste said, according to the indictment.
After a three-month trial, a Miami jury convicted five men of multiple charges that include conspiring to provide material support to the al Qaeda terrorist organization and conspiracy to levy war against the U.S. by discussing and planning attacks on targets in the U.S., including the Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI building and other federal buildings in Florida. A sixth defendant was acquitted on all counts.
"...and Naudimar Herrera was acquitted on all counts."
“be good or greater than 9/11”...
Sums up the intent in a nutshell.
Patrick Abraham aka 'Brother Pat', arrested along with:
Burson Augustin known as 'Brother B'
Rothschild Augustine or 'Brother Rot'
Narseal Batiste alleged ringleader, aka Prince Manna
Lyglenson Lemorin or Brother Levi
Naudimar Herrera aka Brother Naudy
Stanley Grant Phanor or Brother Sunni
Damn those McCain voters, always causing trouble.
Look at those guys, right out of DHS playbook right? White, exmilitary, don’t tread on me, Christian right wing extremist. Boy, old Janet N. really called it right didn’t she?(do I need the sarc tag?)
..they didn’t really mean it...
Published on Sunday, June 25, 2006 by the lndependent/UK
Tall Stories: The Plot to Topple Chicago’s Sears Tower Was Not All That It Seemed
The plan uncovered by the FBI last week proved little more than wishful thinking
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0625-04.htm
In fact, the conspiracy seems to have extended little further than those words. By last month, it had all but fizzled out, amid squabbling among Mr Baptiste’s followers. Even their religious leanings are in dispute. Neighbors say they were part of a group, called Seas of David, that mixes Christian and Islamic elements...
(Christian and Islamic elements. Sort of like Jeremiah Wright’s God Damn America! Trinity ‘Church’?)
“We are not terrorists. We are members of David, Seas of David,” said the man, identified as Brother Corey. “We study and believe in the word of God,” he told CNN.
“This is a place where we worship,” he added.
Brother Corey said the “Seas of David” blends the teachings of Christianity and Islam.
“We study Allah and the worship of the regular Bible.”
He said his group had connections in Chicago.
“We have soldiers in Chicago,” he said clarifying that by soldier he meant: “We train through the Bible... not only physical but mentally.”
http://911review.org/Alex/David_Cult.html
GOOD!
And despite the ridiculously improbable names, no one needs to see their birth certificates. :’)
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