Grimy Times has learned that Saddiq al-Abbadi, a Yemeni national, pleaded guilty to conspiring to murder U.S. nationals abroad, providing and conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaeda, and using a machine gun in furtherance of those crimes in the Eastern District of New York.
The guilty plea was announced by officials with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI’s Washington Field Office.
‘The defendant was a high-level al-Qaeda operative with ties to the terrorist group’s senior leadership in both Pakistan and Yemen. He fought in battles against U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, tried to kill U.S. troops in Afghanistan by luring them to a compound rigged with explosives, and helped an American citizen gain entry to al-Qaeda,’ stated Acting United States Attorney Kelly T. Currie. ‘We stand resolute in our commitment to bring to justice those who would try to harm members of our military or who assist al-Qaeda’s efforts to kill Americans at home or abroad.’
According to court documents, al-Abbadi traveled from his home country of Yemen to Iraq where, from approximately late 2005 through early 2007, he fought alongside al-Qaeda affiliated battalions against U.S. troops stationed in Iraq.
In early 2008, al-Abbadi traveled to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (“FATA”) of Pakistan in order to fight for al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan. While in the FATA, al-Abbadi – who had longstanding ties to senior members of al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based affiliate, known as al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula or AQAP – engaged directly with senior al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan, including Sheikh Saeed al-Masri, at the time the third-ranking member of al-Qaeda.
At sentencing, al-Abbadi faces a maximum of life imprisonment. The investigation into al-Abbadi’s activities was a collaborative effort between the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and international partners.
With the guilty plea entered today, Saddiq al-Abbadi will be held accountable for conspiring to kill Americans overseas and providing material support to al-Qaeda. The FBI will continue to work tirelessly to identify, thwart, and hold accountable those who target U.S. citizens and interests around the world.
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Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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