Hashmi is First Terror Suspect Extradited to U.S.

Syed Hashmi was an American student before he was arrested last year in London on allegations of providing al-Qaida fighters with equipment to attack American soldiers was in federal custody Saturday.^[1] Hashmi is the first terror suspect extradited to the United States by British authorities.^[2]

The Pakistani native is an American citizen, but lived in Britain for the three years preceding his arrest; he was arrested boarding a plane to Pakistan at Heathrow Airport.^[3] In March, the British High Court rejected Hashmi’s claim that the U.S. arrest warrants were flawed.^[4]

Hashmi, also known as "Fahad," was indicted in May 2006 on charges of supplying unspecified equipment for al-Qaida "to fight against United States forces in Afghanistan," he was also charged with agreeing to help others provide military gear for al-Qaida to use in Pakistan.^[5]

It has been alleged that Hashmi was associated with Mohammed Junaid Babar, who pleaded guilty in August 2004 to smuggling night-vision goggles, money and military supplies to an al-Qaida official establishing a "jihad training camp" in Pakistan.^[6] Babar acknowledged meeting with a terrorist official near the Afghanistan border in the same area where the gear provided by Hashmi was allegedly brought.^[7]

Hashmi is to be arraigned Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, and could face up to 50 years in prison if he is convicted of all charges in the three-count indictment, including the top count of conspiring to contribute funds, goods or services to the terrorist group.^[8]

Contributing or supplying services to designated terrorist groups (or conspiring to contribute or supply services to these entities), is a violation of regulations issued under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act,^[9] we have previously discussed IEEPA in this blog, here.

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^[1] Larry McShane, Terror suspect extradited to U.S., Associated Press Newswire, May 26, 2007, available at LEXIS, News Library, Wire News Services.
^[2] Id.
^[3] Id.
^[4] Id.
^[5] Id.
^[6] Id.
^[7] Id.
^[8] Id.
^[9] 50 U.S.C. §§ 1701-07 (2007).