The National Security Division has announced several terrorism-support convictions or charges in recent weeks, underscoring what Attorney General Eric Holder recently called the troubling “radicalization” of many Americans.
“Leaving this country and going to different parts of the world and then coming back, all, again, in aim of doing harm to the American people,” as Holder explained the threat to ABC News.
On Wednesday, a federal jury in Atlanta convicted 23-year-old Ehsanul Islam Sadequee of terrorism-support. Sadequee was accused of taking videos of the Pentagon, U.S. Capitol and other landmarks and sending them to overseas terrorist groups.
Sadequee represented himself at trial, as did his friend, former Georgia Tech student Syed Harris Ahmed, who was convicted earlier this year after giving a closing argument that consisted of reading nine verses from the Koran in Arabic and talking about his Islamic faith. According to the Federal Criminal Defense Blog, the judge in Ahmed’s case, William Duffey, admonished the defendant for “smirking” during his unorthodox “closing argument” and said: “This is not a case about your faith, nor my faith. This is about your conduct.”
Now comes a news release from the Justice Department following Sadequee’s conviction today. In it, Atlanta FBI Special Agent in Charge Gregory Jones says:
This defendant, like many others we have investigated, tried to argue that his criminal conduct and activities were protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The FBI does not buy that argument and today the jury agreed.
The statement from Jones also reminded Americans not to become complacent because there have been no attacks in the U.S. since Sept. 11, 2001:
“The FBI continues to investigate a growing number of cases involving U.S. citizens providing material support to terrorists. However, as we move further away from the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there also seems to be a growing public perception that such conduct is harmless, especially since no bombs were exploded and no one was killed. “
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert McBurney and Christopher Bly and Counterterrorism Section Trial Attorney Alexis Collins prosecuted the case.
