US indicts two men in conspiracy to aid Taliban

HOUSTON, Nov 29 (Reuters) The US Justice Department charged two men with conspiracy to aid the Taliban by training with firearms and contributing money to Taliban families, according to court documents unsealed in a federal court here.

One man, Kobie Diallo Williams, a US citizen also known as Abdul Kabeer and Abdul Kabir, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to one count of conspiracy to aid a designated global terrorist organization, the Taliban, said US Attorney Donald DeGabrielle.

A second man, Adnan Babar Mirza, a Pakistani citizen living in Houston on an expired student visa, was indicted on conspiracy and three counts of illegal possession of firearms.

The indictment said the men acquired a number of guns, including semi-automatic rifles, shotguns and ammunition. Beginning in 2005, they met at various shooting ranges in and around Houston ''to hone their skills with weapons to assist fighters engaging United States forces in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq,'' according to court documents.

The men discussed traveling to the Middle East to fight with the Taliban, and Williams gave 350 dollars to support Taliban fighters or their families, the indictment alleges.

While the pair's actions did not represent ''a sophisticated gig, they did as much as they could to prepare themselves,'' said Roderick Beverly, special agent in charge of the Houston office of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.

The FBI's Joint Terrorist Task Force worked with immigration, state and local law enforcement agencies, Beverly said.

Both men remain in federal custody.

Williams, who will be sentenced in February, faces five years in prison and a 250,000 dollars fine, DeGabrielle said.

REUTERS SBA BST0614