Videos promoting jihad play in ex-sailor case

[unhappycamper]

Videos promoting jihad play in ex-sailor case
By John Christoffersen - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Feb 26, 2008 21:54:55 EST

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Prosecutors played videos promoting violent jihad Tuesday at the trial of a former sailor accused of communicating with suspected terrorists and leaking information that could have doomed his own Navy ship.

Prosecutors allege that Hassan Abu-Jihaad ordered the videos. His attorneys have said in court papers that they don’t dispute that he was in contact with the company that sold the videos, but that pictures and videos don’t prove he passed classified information.

Abu-Jihaad, 32, of Phoenix, has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he provided material support to terrorists and disclosed classified national defense information. If convicted, he faces up to 25 years in prison.

On Tuesday, prosecutors showed e-mails from 2000 and 2001 in which Abu-Jihaad ordered violent videos from Azzam Publications. They say he later destroyed his copies of the videos after news reports about the case.

The videos, filled with explosions, flames and dead bodies, feature Muslim fighters in Chechnya and Bosnia. In one segment played in court Tuesday, a group of fighters in Chechnya find an injured Russian soldier, then force him to stand despite his injuries. They eventually kill him with an assault rifle.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/02/ap_abujihaad_022608/