Posted on 06/28/2005 6:45:25 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
NEW YORK - Two U.S. citizens accused of being al-Qaida loyalists pleaded not guilty Tuesday to terrorism charges.
An indictment unsealed in federal court late Monday charged Tarik Shah, 42, of New York, and Dr. Rafiq Abdus Sabir, 50, of Boca Raton, Fla., each with a count of conspiring to provide material support to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.
They were arrested May 27 after a government sting, and were being held without bail. Each could face a maximum 15 years in prison if convicted.
Prosecutors said Sabir, an Ivy League-educated doctor, agreed to treat jihadists, or holy warriors, in Saudi Arabia. Shah, a jazz musician and a self-described martial arts expert, allegedly agreed to train them in hand-to-hand combat.
Both allegedly pledged their allegiance to al-Qaida at a meeting a week before their arrest.
Outside court, the defendants' lawyers denied the allegations.
Shah is "charged with wanting to give al-Qaida members karate lessons," said attorney Anthony Rico. "The concept in and of itself is ridiculous given the seriousness of terrorism."
Sabir's lawyer, Martin Stolar, said his client was a victim of entrapment, and "is not a terrorist. He has no ties to terrorist organizations or even terrorist ideas."
Physician Rafiq Abdus Sabir (R) is accompanied by U.S marshal agents as he leaves at the courthouse of Fort Pierce, May 31, 2005. A complaint filed in Manhattan federal court on May 27 charges that Tarik Ibn Osman Shah and Sabir offered to provide assistance to al Qaeda during multiple meetings with a confidential source and an undercover FBI agent posing as an al Qaeda operative and recruiter, the Justice Department said in a statement. REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.