New York man pleads guilty to aiding al-Qaida
NEW YORK - A New York man pleaded guilty on Monday to US terrorism charges for helping the militant group al-Qaida.Brooklyn, New York-born Wesam El-Hanafi, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of providing material support to a terrorist group and one count of conspiracy.Manhattan federal prosecutors, in a plea agreement with the defense, recommended a 20-year prison sentence."In July 2009 I participated in a conversation with others in which we discussed seeking out additional contacts within al-Qaida," El-Hanafi told US District Judge Kimba Wood.El-Hanafi was arrested in April 2010, along with Sabirhan Hasanoff, 36, a dual US and Australian citizen who pleaded guilty on June 4 to similar crimes. The men, who were arrested abroad and brought to the United States to face charges, had been under law enforcement surveillance.ByREUTERS06/08/2025 07:57 AMByREUTERS06/08/2025 05:36 AMByMAARIV06/07/2025 02:33 PMByWALLA!06/07/2025 11:18 AMByREUTERS06/07/2025 03:25 AM
