BOSTON, Dec. 18 – LAWFUEL – The Law News Network — A Canadian national has been arrested in Canada on a provisional arrest warrant for extradition to the United States to face charges related to his alleged procurement of munitions for Al Qaeda.
United States Attorney Michael J. Sullivan; Kenneth W. Kaiser, Special
Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New England; James
P. Ennis, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Diplomatic Security, U.S.
Department of State in New England; and Keith Johnston, Special Agent in
Charge of the Department of Defense’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service,
announced today that ABDULLAH KHADR, age 24, a Canadian national, was arrested
yesterday in Toronto, Canada, based on a warrant requested by the United
States for his extradition in connection with a criminal Complaint filed in
U.S. District Court in Boston. The Complaint charges KHADR with Possessing a
Destructive Device in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence and with Conspiracy
to Possess a Destructive Device in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the Complaint, KHADR
procured munitions for Al Qaeda to use against United States and Coalition
Forces in Afghanistan. The affidavit alleges that, over a six-month period in
2003, KHADR purchased approximately $20,000 worth of AK-47 ammunition rounds,
PK rounds (for use in Russian PK machine guns), rocket propelled grenades
(“RPGs”), rockets, and 82 mm and 120 mm mortar rounds. Also according to the
Complaint, KHADR told FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force agents that he was asked
to undertake those activities by his father, Ahmed Said Khadr, allegedly a
colleague of Usama Bin Laden. After purchasing the munitions, KHADR is
alleged to have taken them to a third party, whom KHADR identified as a
munitions procurer and high level member of Al Qaeda, who then distributed the
munitions to Al Qaeda forces. It is alleged that KHADR estimated that about
half of the ammunition was used for training and the other half was used in
the fighting against United States and Coalition Forces in Afghanistan.
The Complaint further alleges that in addition to purchasing ammunition,
KHADR told investigators that he provided explosives components, specifically,
hydrogen peroxide, to make mines for distribution to Al Qaeda. On two
separate occasions, KHADR is alleged to have transported 25 containers of
hydrogen peroxide and 20 containers of hydrogen peroxide to the same Al Qaeda
operative to whom he delivered the ammunition. KHADR allegedly said that the
mines were to be used against United States and Coalition Forces in the Burmil
region of Afghanistan.
The Complaint further alleges that KHADR told investigators that he was
born in Canada, but at three and one half years old, he and his family moved
to Pakistan. Over the course of the next thirteen years, the KHADR family
moved back and forth between Canada and Pakistan several times until finally
moving to Pakistan in 1997. KHADR said he attended a training camp in
Afghanistan known as Khalden in the mid-1990s for four months, where he
received training in the use of RPGs, AK-47s, anti-aircraft weapons,
detonators and explosives, specifically TNT and dynamite. The Complaint
further alleges that KHADR said that he was experienced in purchasing these
types of munitions. In 2000, KHADR allegedly spent time procuring AK-47s, C-4
explosive compound, surface-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, as well as 82
mm and 120 mm mortar rounds for use in fighting against the Northern Alliance
forces in Afghanistan and for a training camp.
According to the Complaint, KHADR’s father was killed by Pakistani forces
in or about October 2003. According to the Complaint, after his father’s
death and up until October 2004, KHADR continued his efforts to procure
munitions for eventual use by Al Qaeda forces against United States and
Coalition Forces.
If convicted of Possessing a Destructive Device in Furtherance of a Crime
of Violence, KHADR faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison up
to a maximum of life and a fine of $250,000. If convicted of Conspiracy to
Possess a Destructive Device in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, KHADR
faces a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The investigation is continuing.
The case is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and has
included Special Agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the
Diplomatic Security Service, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Farmer, Gregory
Moffatt and Kimberly West in Sullivan’s Anti-Terrorism and National Security
Section and John Gibbs of the Counterterrorism Section of the Criminal
Division of the Department of Justice.
The details contained in the Complaint are allegations. The defendant is
presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable
doubt in a court of law.
