TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Terrorist Gets Life Term For Embassy Bomb Plots

ADVERTISEMENT

By DAVID B. CARUSO, The Associated Press

Published: January 19, 2008

NEW YORK - A Canadian who secretly pleaded guilty years ago and briefly became an informant against al-Qaida was sentenced Friday to life in prison for plotting to blow up U.S. embassies in Singapore and the Philippines.

A federal judge imposed sentence after listening to a speech by Mohammed Mansour Jabarah, in which he asked to be allowed to go home to his family and blamed his past on brainwashing. "I am not a ruthless, infamous and notorious terrorist," said Jabarah, who was 19 when captured in Oman after the bomb plot collapsed. "I do not believe in terrorism, violence and killing."

U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones said she gave Jabarah credit for repudiating violence, but said she couldn't overlook what he had done.

Jabarah has been in U.S. custody since 2002, when he was turned over to the FBI by Canada's intelligence service. He pleaded guilty to terrorism charges as part of a short-lived plea bargain. For a time, he was a valuable resource in the hunt for al-Qaida leaders.

In the few months of his cooperation, Jabarah gave information about Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, described meetings with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan and of interactions with al-Qaida lieutenants.

He described his involvement in a terrorist plot. After graduating from high school in Canada, he slipped into Afghanistan and trained at al-Qaida camps in 2001. Prosecutors said he became a protege of Mohammed and was preparing for bomb attacks on U.S. and Israeli embassies in Manila and Singapore when the scheme was foiled.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Rodgers said tons of explosives were bought and a suicide bomber selected.

After his capture by Oman agents, he was brought to Canada, told he had two choices: Go to the U.S. military prison in Guantanamo, Cuba, or switch sides and inform on terrorists. He chose the latter. By July 2002, he had pleaded guilty and moved into FBI safe houses in the United States.

His informant work ended in a few months. FBI agents searching his quarters found jihadist writings, details on making explosives and a list with initials of U.S. agents and prosecutors. Authorities allege that he had intended to kill them.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT