|
The
FBI added Adam Gadahn to the Most Wanted
Terrorist list and the U.S. State Department
is offering a reward up to $1 million
for his arrest. |
MOST
WANTED TERRORIST
American Charged With Treason
10/11/06
A
28-year-old California man has been indicted
on federal charges of treason and providing
material support to a terrorist group for
making a series of propaganda videotapes for
al Qaeda, including one in which he praised
the hijackers involved in the 9/11 attacks
and referred to the U.S. as "enemy soil."
The
charges filed in the Central District of California
say Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam the American,
"gave al Qaeda aid and comfort
with intent to betray the United States."
Gadahn is the first person to be charged with
treason against the U.S. since the World War
II era.
The
FBI added Gadahn to the Most
Wanted Terrorists list and the U.S. Department
of State is offering a reward of up to $1
million for information leading to Gadahn's
arrest.
"Adam
Gadahn represents a new breed of home-grown
extremist, who has chosen to betray the country
of his birth," FBI Executive Assistant
Director Willie Hulon said during a press
conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C.
Gadahn,
a former resident of Orange County, appeared
in a series of videotaped segments that were
broadcast between October 2004 and September
11, 2006. In the first tape, Gadahn is wearing
black sunglasses and a headdress wrapped around
his face. He identified himself as Azzam the
American and announced his relationship with
al Qaeda. "The streets of America shall
run red with blood," Gadahn said on the
2004
broadcast.
In
a broadcast in 2005, around the fourth anniversary
of the 9/11 attacks, Gadahn called the attacks
"blessed raids" and discussed the
"jihad against America." Earlier
this summer, Gadahn appeared in a videotape
that also contained statements from al Qaeda
leaders Usama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri.
More recent propaganda broadcasts aired Sept.
2 and on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.
Gadahn
was among seven
individuals singled out in 2004 by Director
Robert Mueller and the Attorney General as
posing a danger to U.S. interests around the
world. As a result, Gadahn was added to the
FBI's
Seeking Information list "in connection
with possible terrorist threats against the
United States."
Executive
Assistant Director Hulon said Gadahn's indictment
for treason and material support for terrorism
prompted his elevation to the Most Wanted
Terrorists list. "Gadahn is considered
a high value target, which puts him high on
the FBI's radar screen," Hulon said.
"This intense exposure limits Gadahn's
operational ability, but he still poses a
different kind of threat as a communicator
for al-Qaeda."
Gadahn,
who is believed to be overseas, is 5 feet
11 inches tall and weighs about 210 pounds.
He has brown hair, hazel eyes, and scars on
his chest and right forearm. He should be
considered armed and dangerous.
If
you have any information concerning Adam Gadahn,
please contact your local
FBI office or the nearest American embassy
or consulate. To submit a tip, visit our anonymous
tip line.
Related
Links:
- Press Release
- Gadahn
'Most Wanted' Poster
- Most
Wanted Terrorists
- Interview With 'Azzam The American' (2004)
Video
Clip | Text
Transcript
- Headline
Archives: Counterterrorism