Thursday, October 20, 2011

The enemy within

2 Minn. women guilty of aiding Somalian terror group

Two Minnesota women were convicted today of conspiring to support a U.S.-designated terrorist group in Somalia. They argued they were helping needy children in their homeland.

Amina Farah Ali, 35, and Hawo Mohamed Hassan, 64, were among 20 people charged in a years-long investigation into recruiting and financing for al-Shabab, an al-Qaeda affiliate. They are the first to go to trial. Others have pleaded guilty.

Blog: 8 more Somalians charged in Minnesota terror probe

The federal jury also found Ali guilty of funneling more than $8,600 to al-Shabab from September 2008 through July 2009. Hassan was also convicted of two counts of lying to the FBI. Both are U.S. citizens.

The Associated Press writes that after the verdicts, Ali, told the judge through an interpreter that she was happy, because she was "going to heaven no matter what," and condemned those in authority, saying: "You will go to hell."

She was ordered detained pending her sentencing. No date was set.

Each terrorism count carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years; lying to the FBI carries an eight-year maximum.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune notes that Ali could face additional jail time for refusing to stand in the courtroom, citing Islamic strictures. U.S. Chief Judge Michael Davis ordered her jailed five days for every time she refused. After 100 days, Ali relented.


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