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08/07/03
On August
6th, Maher Mofeid Hawash pled guilty in a Portland, Oregon,
federal court to conspiracy of knowingly and illegally supplying
services "to the territory of Afghanistan controlled
by the Taliban or to the Taliban" in violation of Executive
Order 13129, which was issued by President Clinton on July
4, 1999. He, an American citizen, and his co-conspirators
planned to travel from Portland to Afghanistan to assist the
Taliban in fighting against the armed forces of the United
States, prepared to "die as martyrs if necessary to defend
the Taliban government in Afghanistan."
In October
of 2001, in the wake of the horrific attacks of September
11, he put his affairs in order, flew to Hong Kong, obtained
a visa to enter mainland China, and flew to Urumqi in Western
China. Taking a train to Kashgar, he and his associates were
unsuccessful in entering Pakistan, from where he intended
to cross the border in Afghanistan, and ultimately had to
turn back, leaving money behind, however, for his associates
to use in the cause.
Mr. Hawash,
in pleading guilty, has further agreed to cooperate completely
and truthfully in the investigation and prosecution of his
co-conspirators, telling all the facts of the conspiracy and
providing truthful testimony to grand juries and at hearings,
trials, and military commissions. The government is recommending
that he be sentenced to no less than seven years and no more
than 10 years in prison. Mr. Hawash was arrested outside Portland
on March 20 in the parking lot of Intel Corporation, where
he worked as a software engineer.
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