BOISE, Idaho – A Saudi graduate student at the University of Idaho (search) was indicted Friday on charges he supplied his computer expertise to terrorist groups.
Prosecutors said Sami Omar Al-Hussayen (search), 33, put together Web sites to recruit members and raise money for Muslim terrorist activities. He was charged with providing material support to terrorism.
The indictment came less than two weeks before Al-Hussayen was set to go on trial on visa fraud charges brought against him last February. He has been in jail since then.
U.S. Attorney Tom Moss said Al-Hussayen, a graduate student in computer science, knew his computer services and expertise on behalf of two Islamic organizations would be used "to recruit and to raise funds for violent holy war, or jihad, in Israel, Chechnya and elsewhere, which have involved destruction of property, kidnaping, maiming and murder."
"Sami is not guilty of committing these offenses," defense attorney David Nevin said. "I don't see anything that wasn't available to them long ago. I think they have stalled this off to avoid going ahead with their trial."
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