Terror charges for ex-US sailor

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/6429479.stm

Version 0 of 1.

A former US navy sailor has been arrested on charges of spying and supplying a pro-al-Qaeda website with information on ship movements.

Hassan Abujihaad, previously known as Paul Hall, was arrested in Phoenix, Arizona as part of an inquiry into alleged terrorists based in the UK.

He is accused of passing classified details of US navy ships to Azzam.com - a pro-Jihad website that is now closed.

US prosecutors say it was actively supporting terrorists.

The US Justice Department affidavit said Mr Abujihaad knew the information he supplied would be used to attack Americans.

He served on board the USS Benfold while it was part of a battlegroup in the Middle East engaged in anti-Taleban and anti-al-Qaeda activities.

'E-mailed documents'

The prosecutors said he used his security clearance to supply Azzam with diagrams of ships and how to attack them using rocket-propelled grenades - though the attacks never happened.

The alleged spying took place just months after the USS Cole was attacked in Yemen in October 2001 killing 17 sailors.

The investigation began in 2003 when British police arrested Babar Ahmad, one of the people involved in Azzam, and found a computer disk in his home that the US government says contained classified US navy information.

The US prosecutors say Mr Abujihaad had e-mailed the information to Azzam.

Mr Ahmad was indicted by US authorities in 2004 on terror-related charges and faces possible extradition to the US.

A grand jury will now decide whether Mr Abujihaad should face trial. He faces 25 years in jail if convicted.

He was honourably discharged from the US navy in 2002.