by Andrew Kramer, The Associated Press
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Authorities arrested three people in Oregon and another in Michigan today on charges they conspired to wage war on the United States and provide support to al-Qaida, law officials said.
Two other suspects have also been indicted and are at large overseas, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in Washington.
Court papers identified the six as Jeffrey Leon Battle, Patrice Lumumba Ford, Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, Habis Abdullah al Saoub, and October Martinique Lewis. Battle was a former U.S. soldier, Ashcroft said. Muhammad Bilal was arrested in Detroit.
Battle, Ford and Lewis were arrested early Friday in Portland, said Charles Mathews, the FBI’s special agent in charge in Portland. Battle and Lewis had lived in Portland at least since 2000, according to court papers.
Mathews told a news conference in Portland that “a group of Oregon residents” decided after last year’s Sept. 11 terror attacks to travel to Afghanistan to fight for al-Qaida and the Taliban against U.S. forces.
He said the FBI is looking into whether other local residents may have also gone to Afghanistan with the same intention.
The Bilals are brothers. October Lewis is Battle’s ex-wife.
Al Saoub and Ahmed Ibrahim Bilal, whom the FBI said are wanted and thought to be overseas, had lived in southwest Portland in 2001, according to court records.
His brother, Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, 22, was arrested in Michigan and had been staying in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn with a sister.
Battle joined the U.S. Army reserves last year for training he intended to use against U.S. forces in Afghanistan, Ashcroft said at a press conference in Washington, D.C.
Battle later “caused himself to be discharged” from the Army in January, 2002 while in Bangladesh, Ashcroft said without elaborating.
Battle, Ford, the Bilal brothers and al Saoud “acquired firearms and engaged in weapons training and physical training in preparation to fight a Jihad,” Ashcroft said.
Last October, Ashcroft said, the five bought tickets to travel to Afghanistan “to join forces with Taliban and al-Qaida troops battling United States and allied military personnel.”
Battle told his ex-wife on Nov. 2, 2001, that the group was having trouble entering Afghanistan from China, Ashcroft said.
Lewis wired money to Battle eight times “with the knowledge the money would be used to support his attempt to reach Afghanistan” to help al-Qaida and Taliban forces, he said.
It was not clear from Ashcroft’s comments whether the group was ever able to enter Afghanistan.
Battle, Ford and Mohammed Bilal returned to the United States in late 2001 and early 2002, Ashcroft said.
A federal grand jury indicted the suspects on charges of conspiracy to levy war against the United States, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to al-Qaida, conspiracy to contribute services to al-Qaida and the Taliban and possessing firearms in furtherance of crimes of violence.
The investigation that led to the arrests started on Sept. 29, 2001, when a Skamania County, Wash., deputy came upon some people firing weapons at a gravel pit on private land, said Chuck Bryan, Skamania County Sheriff.
One of the people at the gravel pit was Ali Khaled Steitiye, a Lebanese immigrant who was recently sentenced in Portland to federal prison for firearms, fraud and immigration offenses, Bryan said.
The men were not arrested at the time, but the incident prompted the sheriff’s office to contact the FBI, he said.
“We started connecting the dots and that was the first dot. We assumed that there was more to this story, so we began some contacts with the FBI,” Bryan said.
The FBI has intensified its scrutiny of possible terrorist connections in Portland in the past few months.
Agents on Sept. 9 arrested Sheik Mohamed Abdirahman Kariye, a prayer leader at the Islamic Center in Portland, and charged him with Social Security fraud. He remains in jail with a trial date set for Nov. 5. The FBI initially said customs officials found traces of explosives residue in is luggage after his arrest at Portland International Airport, but further FBI tests ruled out the residue.
Battle and Lewis were arrested at the 65-unit Westport Square Apartments, a large complex located one block from the Rizwan Mosque. The president of the mosque, Mizra Luqman, said he was not aware of any arrests within his mosque but had been watching the police activity from his window all morning.
Ford was arrested at another apartment complex in Portland.
Members of Portland’s Muslim community reacted with anger to the latest arrests, saying they were being targeted unfairly.
“It seems like part of the witch hunt from the FBI,” said Alaa Abunijem, president of the Islamic Center. “The Muslim community in general is being targeted. People in general feel targeted.”