Two US Muslims suspected of having planned a suicide attack have been arrested in Virginia and one has been charged with making a false declaration under oath, a judicial source said.
The two men, Mohammed El-Yacoubi and Mohammed Osman Idris, bearing brand new US passports, boarded an El-Al flight at New York's John F. Kennedy airport on December 13, 2001.
They were arrested upon arrival in Israel, according to court documents. The two were sent back to the United States three days later for interrogation by the FBI.
According to AFP, a letter written in Arabic referring to Allah and jihad was found on one of the men and appeared to indicate his involvement in a suicide attack, said the statement.
It does not state whether the attack was planned to take place in Israel or in the United States, nor does it give other details of the operation.
In the four-page letter, found on El-Yacoubi in an envelope addressed to himself, his younger brother Abdalmuhssin El-Yacoubi, whom he had been visiting in Virginia, appears to bid him farewell.
He wrote: "When I heard what you are going to carry out, my heart was filled with the feeling of grief and joy because you are the closest human being to my heart ... "Therefore, I have no right to prevent you from your migration to Allah and his holy messenger, but it is incumbent upon me to encourage you and help you, because Islam urges jihad for the sake of Allah."
According to the document, the two men supported the Palestinian cause and had on several occasions expressed support for suicide attacks against Israeli targets was legitimate to defend the Palestinians.
The letter was confiscated at the New York airport as the two men rushed to board their flight.
Details of the case were outlined in an affidavit from a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent in support of the criminal complaint against Idris.
The charges were presented after Idris twice appeared to testify before a grand jury in January and February, in an investigation into whether the two men were providing or attempting to provide material support to terrorist groups.
In sworn testimony, Idris had claimed to have chosen to visit Israel after considering a trip to that country, the Vatican or Saudi Arabia. The travel agent, however, said Idris only ever mentioned Israel as his destination.
Citing details about the men's applications for new passports, the FBI agent said he believed the two men were seeking new documents to enhance their chances of being allowed into Israel because their old passports carried Saudi immigration stamps. (Albawaba.com)
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
