Sunday, 15 May 2011

US charges six with aiding Pakistani Taliban

Authorities in the US have charged six people with providing financial support to the Pakistani Taliban.
Three are US citizens, including two imams at Florida mosques, while three are at large in Pakistan.
The news comes amid heightened tension in relations between Pakistan and the US following the US raid that killed al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden.
The Pakistani Taliban said it was behind a revenge attack on Friday that killed 80 in north-western Pakistan.
Pakistani MPs on Saturday passed a resolution condemning the US special forces raid in the town of Abbottabad and demanding a review of the bilateral relationship.
US Senator John Kerry, who is about to visit Pakistan, insisted the US wanted to "build, not break" ties with Pakistan but said there were "serious questions that need to be answered" in the relationship.
Florida imams The four-count indictment against the six people was announced by the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida and local FBI agents.
The three Florida citizens were named as Hafiz Khan, 76, and his sons Irfan Khan, 37, and Izhar Khan, 24. The latter was reportedly arrested in Los Angeles.
Hafiz Khan is the imam at the Flagler Mosque in Miami, while Izhar Khan is the imam at the Jamaat al-Mumineen Mosque in nearby Margate.
Ali Rehman, Alam Zeb and Amina Khan, who live in Pakistan, were also charged.
Amina Khan is the daughter of Hafiz Khan. Alam Zeb is her son.
The six are accused of conspiring to provide material support to a conspiracy to murder, injure and kidnap people abroad and conspiring to provide support to a terrorist organisation, the Pakistani Taliban.
Each of the four counts carries a possible 15-year jail term.
Miami FBI special agent John Gillies said: "Today terrorists have lost another funding source to use against innocent people and US interests. We will not allow this country to be used as a base for funding and recruiting terrorists."
@'BBC'

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