United States Unseals Complaint Against
Terrorism Suspect Arrested in Czech Republic

(FBI) Michael Garcia, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Alice Fisher, Assistant Attorney General of the Department of Justice Criminal Division, Mark Mershon, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and Raymond Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York, announced the unsealing of a criminal complaint against Oussama Kassir, a/k/a “Abu Abdullah,” a/k/a “Abu Khadija,” which charges Kassir with one count of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

Kassir was arrested in Prague, Czech Republic, on December 11, 2005, based on the sealed criminal complaint, and the corresponding arrest warrant that were on file with Interpol. He is currently detained in Prague, and the United States is pursuing his extradition.

According to the allegations in the Complaint, Kassir and others conspired to establish a jihad training camp on a parcel of property located in Bly, Oregon. It is alleged that the conspirators in this case used the term “jihad” to mean defending Islam against its enemies through violence and armed aggression, -2- including killing the enemies of Islam, if necessary, in order to expel non-believers from holy Muslim lands.

The Complaint further alleges that the purpose for which the conspirators established the Bly, Oregon jihad training camp was to provide a place where Muslims could receive various types of training, including military-style jihad training, in preparation for a community of Muslims to move to Afghanistan. According to the Complaint, the training would provide the men in the community with enough familiarity with weapons so that when they arrived in Afghanistan they could opt either to fight jihad in Afghanistan, or continue with additional jihad training in Afghanistan. The Complaint refers to a letter that was faxed from one of the coconspirators to another, which states that the property in Bly, Oregon, was located in a “pro-militia and fire-arms state” that “looks just like Afghanistan,” and that the group was “stock-piling weapons and ammunition.”

According to the Complaint, on November 26, 1999, after this faxed letter was sent, Kassir and another co-conspirator traveled from London, England, to J.F.K. International Airport in New York City, and then on to Seattle, Washington, and Bly, Oregon, to assist with the jihad training camp. It is alleged that while at Bly, Kassir complained to a witness that there were only a few men available to train at the jihad training camp, and that he was not going to waste his time with such a small number of men, and that the facilities and supplies were inadequate. Kassir also told witnesses that he had previously undertaken jihad training in Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Lebanon. An additional witness also saw Kassir in possession of a compact disc which contained information about improvising poisons, it is alleged.

The allegations against Kassir relate to an indictment pending in the Southern District of New York, United States v. Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, a/k/a “Abu Hamza” and Haroon Aswat, S1 04 Cr. 356 (JFK). Mustafa Kamel Mustafa was arrested in May 2004, by the Metropolitan Police at New Scotland Yard in London. Haroon Aswat was arrested in Zambia in July 2005, and then deported to England. Both men are presently detained in England, awaiting extradition to the United States.

Mr. Garcia praised the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes agents from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department. He also expressed appreciation to the FBI’s Legal Attache Offices in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Prague for their assistance in this investigation.

Mr. Garcia also stated: “The arrest of Oussama Kassir in Prague demonstrates, once again, the firm resolve of the Department -3- of Justice and this Office to identify, arrest, and prosecute those who engage in global terrorist activities. We will use every tool at our disposal to bring to justice those who would do harm to the United States.”

“The arrest of Oussama Kassir demonstrates our commitment to holding terrorists and their supporters responsible for their alleged crimes,” said Assistant Attorney General ALICE S. FISHER of the Criminal Division. “Supporters of terrorism must know that they should not feel safe in trying to hide overseas. We will work to bring these individuals to justice, however long it takes.”

Assistant United States Attorney Eric Bruce and Trial Attorney George Toscas from the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the complaint and indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.