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September 03, 2004
Oregon Soldier Convicted of Trying to Aid Al Qaeda

REUTERS: Oregon Soldier Convicted of Trying to Aid Al Qaeda

Spc. Ryan Anderson, 27, was convicted on all five counts of attempted treason and related charges by a panel of nine officers in a court-martial that concluded on Thursday.

Defense attorneys had argued at the start of the court martial on Monday in Fort Lewis, 50 miles south of Seattle, that Anderson was filled with grand visions of his own importance that led him to lie and seek out representatives of al Qaeda, blamed for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America.

The vote is kept secret, although only a two-thirds vote by the nine-member panel is needed for a conviction.

Anderson, a convert to Islam, faces up to life in prison.

Sentencing deliberations were ongoing, military officials said, and the base commander would also have to affirm the verdict.

Anderson, a tank loader, was scheduled to ship out to Iraq when he began posting messages on extremist Muslim Web sites seeking to contact al Qaeda. He was caught in a sting operation in which he was videotaped blasting U.S. leaders over the war.

Posted by Laurence Simon at September 3, 2004 01:23 PM | TrackBack
Comments
"He was sentenced to confinement for life with possibility of parole and a dishonorable discharge, with reduction to the rank of private," the Army said in a statement on Friday.

What a weak sentence! A firing squad would be much more appropriate.

Posted by: ajf [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 3, 2004 05:58 PM

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