US man pleads guilty to conspiring to aid al-Qaida

A martial arts expert pleaded guilty Wednesday to pledging to help al-Qaida, admitting he was willing to share his fighting skills to further the terror organization's goals. Tarik Shah, who also is a jazz musician, entered his plea before a federal magistrate in US District Court in Manhattan. Shah, 44, faces up to 15 years in prison at a sentencing scheduled for July 10. He became the third of four defendants and the second this week to plead guilty in the case, which also involves a Washington, D.C., cab driver, a Florida doctor and a New York bookstore owner.