Jury convicts former Navy sailor of leaking details about his own ship
From the International Herald Tribune:
A former Navy sailor was convicted Wednesday of leaking details about ship movements to suspected terrorism supporters, an act that could have endangered his own crewmates.
Jurors convicted Hassan Abu-Jihaad, 32, of Phoenix of providing material support to terrorists and disclosing classified national defense information on the second day of deliberations.
The American-born Muslim convert formerly known as Paul R. Hall faces up to 25 years in federal prison when he is sentenced in May. His attorney, Dan LaBelle, said an appeal was likely.
“We’re disappointed with the verdict, but we respect the process. It was a close case,” LaBelle said.
Reached by telephone Wednesday afternoon, a juror called the case “difficult” and said there was plenty of debate in two days of deliberations.
“It was a very, very difficult decision to make,” said the juror, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the nature of the case. “It was not something that was clear cut. When we concluded, there was not a doubt in our mind.”
Abu-Jihaad’s relatives declined to comment as they left the courthouse.
The leak came amid increased wariness on the part of Navy commanders whose ships headed to the Persian Gulf in the months after a terrorist ambush in 2000 killed 17 sailors aboard the USS Cole.
You have to admit it’s pretty brazen to collude with terrorists when you have a name like Hassan Abu-Jihaad. Did he really think he wouldn’t get noticed?
-Chris Jones
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