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Prosecutors Detail USF Student's 'Martyrdom' Video

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By ELAINE SILVESTRINI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 22, 2007

TAMPA - A new court filing provides the most complete description yet of what the government views as an incriminating videotape made by a University of South Florida student who is accused of trying to help terrorists.

Up to now, federal prosecutors have paraphrased comments attributed to Ahmed Mohamed, 26, who was arrested Aug. 4 in South Carolina along with Youssef Megahed and accused of transporting explosives.

The new court filing quotes Mohamed directly from the video, which was posted for a time on the Web site YouTube. They had it translated from Arabic to English:

"Instead of the brethren going to, to carry out martyrdom operations, no may G-D bless him, he can use the explosion tools from distance and preserve his life, G-D willing, the blessed and exalted, for the real battles."

The "G-D" portions of the quote stand for the word "God," said Steve Cole, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hoffer "did that out of respect to God. That's the way he prints that name," Cole said

The prosecution says Mohamed acknowledged making the video, in which he demonstrated how to use a remote-controlled toy to detonate a bomb. Mohamed is charged with transporting explosives and trying to help terrorists by teaching or demonstrating the use of explosives on the video.

In the government filing, Hoffer says the video narrator "gave instructions on the range of operation of such a radio remote control and how it worked. The narrator explained how to convert the components of the chassis of the toy into a detonator."

Reporter Elaine Silvestrini can be reached at (813) 259-7837 or esilvestrini@tampatrib.com.

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