An alleged al-Qaida operative accused of plotting to kill U.S. troops and diplomats overseas has been sent to New York from Libya for trial, prosecutors said.
Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun was named in court papers made public on Wednesday in New York City. Prosecutors said he would appear in federal court in Brooklyn on Friday.
Harun is charged with plotting to kill U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan between 2002 and 2003 and to bomb U.S. diplomatic facilities in Africa from 2003 to 2005. He's also charged with conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaida, providing material support and related firearms and explosives counts.
Authorities in Italy arrested him after he was accused of assaulting officers on a refugee ship. He was extradited from Italy to New York in October and arraigned in Brooklyn during a sealed proceeding.
“The United States will use every tool at our disposal to protect our nation’s security and stop terrorist attacks before they happen,” U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said in a statement.
The FBI said the 43-year-old Harun, who uses the alias "Spin Ghul," trained in al-Qaida terror camps and attempted to fight American and Coalition forces in Afghanistan from Pakistan.
Harun is the latest al-Qaida-linked figure to be sent to New York for civilian trial.
Earlier this month, Sulaiman Abu Gaith, a son-in-law of and spokesman for Osama bin Laden, was sent to New York for trial on terror-related charges. He was sent to the city despite objection from some congressional Republicans who believe terrorists should be held in military custody at Guantanamo Bay.
