Four accused of helping Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman pursue terrorism from prison

A U.S. grand jury has indicted four people for supporting and
providing resources for convicted blind terrorist Sheik Omar Abdel
Rahman and the organization known as the Islamic Group, Attorney
General John Ashcroft announced at an April 9 news conference in New
York.

"The Islamic Group is a global terrorist organization that has forged
alliances with other terrorist groups, including al Qaeda," Ashcroft
said, noting that it has an active membership in the United States,
concentrated in the New York City metropolitan area.

The four indicted include New York City attorney Lynne Stewart, one of
Rahman's lawyers; Ahmed Abdel Sattar, described as a Staten Island
resident and a "surrogate" for Rahman; Yassir Al-Sirri, the former
head of the London-based Islamic Observation Center and currently in
custody in Britain; and Mohammed Yousry, identified as an Arabic
language translator.

Ashcroft said the four helped the 62-year-old Rahman "direct"
terrorist activity from his prison cell.

Sheik Rahman is in prison in Rochester, Minnesota, after being
convicted in 1995 along with nine others of joining in the plot that
resulted in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and a
conspiracy to destroy several New York landmarks, including the United
Nations.

Ashcroft said the indictment charges that the four defendants worked
in concert with Rahman in violation of special administrative measures
restricting Rahman's communications with the outside world, to provide
material support and resources to the Islamic Group.

"The indictment charges that Rahman used communications with Stewart,
translated by Yousry, to pass messages to and receive messages from
Sattar, Al-Sirri and other Islamic Group members," Ashcroft said.

Federal officials learned of the activity between the four and Rahman
by, in part, monitoring conversations the Muslim cleric had with his
lawyer and associates, the Attorney General said.

Such monitoring of conversations, Ashcroft added, would continued in
an effort to thwart any possible terrorist activity.

Following is a transcript of the news conference:

U.S. Department of Justice
Attorney General Transcript
April 9, 2002
New York, NY

Islamic Group Indictments

ASHCROFT: This afternoon I'm announcing the indictment of four
associates of Sheik Abdel-Rahman, leader of the U.S.
government-designated terrorist organization, the Islamic Group. Since
1995 Sheik Rahman has been serving a life term, plus 65-year prison
sentence for conspiring to wage a war of terrorism against the United
States. Included in that conspiracy term is the plot that resulted in
the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center and a conspiracy to destroy
several New York landmarks, including the United Nations.

Today's indictment charges four individuals, including Rahman's
lawyer, a United States citizen, with aiding Sheik Abdel-Rahman in
continuing to direct terrorist activities of the Islamic Group from
his prison cell in the United States. The United States charges the
following individuals: Lynne Stewart, who was Sheik Abdel-Rahman's
attorney during his 1995 conviction for the World Trade Center bombing
and who has continued to act as one of his attorneys since he has been
in prison.

Mohammed Yousry, the Arabic language interpreter for communications
between Lynne Stewart and the imprisoned Sheik Rahman.

Ahmed Abdul Sattar, a resident of Staten Island, New York and an
active Islamic Group leader, whom the indictment describes as a
surrogate for Rahman.

And also indicated is Yasser al-Sirri, the former head of the
London-based Islamic observation center. He is currently in custody in
the United Kingdom. He is charged with facilitating communications
among Islamic Group members and providing financing for their
activities.

The indictment charges that these defendants worked in concert with
Sheik Abdel-Rahman in violation of special administrative measures
restricting Rahman's communications with the outside world, to provide
material support and resources the Islamic Group.

ASHCROFT: The indictment charges that Rahman used communications with
Stewart, translated by Yousry to pass messages to and receive messages
from Sattar, al-Sirri and other Islamic group members.

The terrorist movement at the center of the facts alleged in this
indictment is the Islamic group which has as its credo a message of
hate that is now tragically familiar to Americans, to oppose by
whatever means necessary the nations, governments, and individuals who
do not share its radical interpretations of Islamic law.

The Islamic Group is a global terrorist organization that has forged
alliances with other terrorist groups, including Al Qaeda. It has an
active membership in the United States, concentrated in the New York
City metropolitan area.

According to the indictment, since at least the early 1990s, Sheik
Abdel-Rahman has been one of the principal leaders of the Islamic
group and has directed its terrorist operations.

He has defined its goals, has recruited its membership in the United
States. In 1997, following his 1995 imprisonment, the Bureau of
Prisons implemented special administrative measures that defined the
conditions of his imprisonment. Among these restrictions, these
measures prohibited Rahman from, and I quote, ``from passing or
receiving any written or recorded communications to or from other
inmates, visitors, attorneys, prison staff, or anyone else.''

According to the indictment, in 1999, these restrictions were amended
to prohibit Rahman from communicating with any member of the news
media in person or through his attorneys. Before being allowed access
to Rahman, his attorneys, including Lynne Stewart, were required to
sign and did sign an affirmation acknowledging that they would abide
by these measures and they would be accompanied by a translator only
to communicate with Sheik Rahman according to and regarding legal
matters. ASHCROFT: Today's indictment charges that Lynne Stewart and
Mohammed Yousry repeatedly and willfully violated these order in order
to maintain Sheik Abdel-Rahman's influence over the terrorist
activities of the Islamic group.

Among other overt acts, the indictment charges that, during a May 2000
visit to Sheik Abdel-Rahman, Stewart allowed Yousry to read letters
from Ahmed Abdul Sattar regarding whether the Islamic group should
continue to comply with a cease-fire in terrorist activities against
Egyptian authorities that had been in place following the shooting and
stabbing of 58 tourists and four Egyptians visiting an archaeological
site in Luxor, Egypt in 1997. That's a terrorist attack for which the
Islamic group claimed credit.

The indictment charges that because these special
communications--pardon me. The indictment charges that because these
communications violated the special administrative measures placed on
Sheik Rahman, Stewart took affirmative steps to conceal the
conversation from prison guards, making extraneous comments in English
to mask the Arabic conversation between Rahman and Yousry. Following
the meeting, and in further violation of the special administrative
measures to which she had agreed, Stewart is charged with announcing
to the news media that Rahman had withdrawn his support for the
cease-fire.

The indictment further alleges that in a January 2001 phone call,
Ahmed Abdul Sattar informed Stewart that prison administrators had
pleaded with Rahman's wife to tell Rahman to take his medicine. The
indictment charges that although they knew Rahman was voluntarily
refusing to take insulin for his diabetes, Sattar and Stewart agreed
to issue a public statement falsely claiming that Rahman was being
denied medical treatment.

The indictment charges that Stewart stated that this misrepresentation
was, quote, ``safe,'' because no one on the, quote, ``outside,'' would
know the truth. Shortly after terrorists attacked the United States on
September 11, 2001, the Department of Justice promulgated a rule
creating the authority to monitor the attorney-client communications
of federal inmates whom we suspected of facilitating acts of
terrorism.

ASHCROFT: At the time, we attempted to make clear of the 158,000
inmates in the federal system, this authority would apply to only 16
inmates who, like Sheik Abdel-Rahman, were already under special
administrative measures, a definition of the conditions of their
custody. The authority was carefully circumscribed to protect inmates'
rights while preventing acts of terrorism.

Each prisoner would be told in advance his conversations would be
monitored.

None of the information that is protected by the attorney-client
privilege would be used for prosecution. Information would only be
used to stop impending terrorist attacks and save American lives.

The Department of Justice announced this authority back in October,
with the knowledge, which could not be publicly shared for fear of
exposing Americans to greater risk, that inmates such as Sheik
Abdel-Rahman were attempting to subvert our system of justice for
terrorist ends. In fact, the training manual for Al Qaeda terrorists
offers detailed constructions to recruits on how to continue their
terrorist operations in the event they get caught.

Imprisoned terrorists are instructed to take advantage of any contact
with the outside world to, quote--and now I'm quoting from the
terrorist manual--''communicate with brothers outside prison and
exchange information that may be helpful to them in their work. The
importance of mastering the art of hiding messages is self-evident
here.'' And I'm closing now the quotation from the Al Qaeda training
manual.

As today's indictment sets forth, Sheik Abdel-Rahman has learned the
lessons of the Al Qaeda manual well. Sheik Rahman is determined to
exploit the rights guaranteed to him under the United States system of
justice.

The United States cannot and will not stand by and allow this to
happen. Accordingly, today, I am announcing that the Department of
Justice is invoking for the first time to monitor the communications
between Sheik Abdel-Rahman and his attorneys under the new Justice
Department regulations.

Since America was attacked over six months ago, I have sought to
reassure the American people that the acts of the Department of
Justice are carefully designed to target terrorists and to protect the
rights of Americans and their freedom. Today's actions pursue the same
objectives with the same protections in mind. We will not look the
other way when our institutions of justice are subverted.

We will not ignore those who claim rights for themselves, while they
seek to destroy the rights of others. We will in the president's words
``defend freedom and justice no matter what the cost.''

Thank you. Now we'd be happy to respond to your questions.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) Is there any information pertaining to the
September 11 attacks that is not contained in these documents but
might be forthcoming later?

ASHCROFT: I don't want to try and discuss all the evidence, but I
think it's clear that the indictment does not indicate that there's
any information regarding the September 11 attacks, and I think it's
safe to assume that there is not any that would be likely to be
forthcoming.

QUESTION: Do you know what, if anything, is the consequence of the
letters that you allege were read to the Sheik, and if you read
letters back in addition to (inaudible) which you say was issued under
his name in the year 2000? What, if any, are the consequences of these
communications?

ASHCROFT: Well, the first consequence is that the agreement and that
the rules relating to his incarceration have been broken.

The second is that the communication, in accordance with the items
mentioned in the indictment, that he had lifted his approval of the
cease-fire is a very important signal to members of the Islamic group.

Yes, sir?

QUESTION: How did these people provide financial support (inaudible)
and other things, including sending money to Sheik Rahman's son in
Afghanistan?

ASHCROFT: The indictment alleges that money was transferred, but
frankly, for us to go beyond the indictment at this time would be
improper.

QUESTION: Can you describe (inaudible) listing his son as, I believe,
a co-conspirator but not a defendant, can you explain that?

ASHCROFT: Well, we're talking about Rahman...

(CROSSTALK)

QUESTION: ... Rahman's son.

ASHCROFT: His son?

Let me just call upon Jim (ph) to make a comment on (OFF-MIKE)

(UNKNOWN): I can't comment other than to say the investigation is
continuing. The people we've indicted are the people we've indicted.
So I'm sorry I can't give you more than that.

QUESTION: All right. Just to be clear, you said that you're announcing
for the first time that the attorney--that Sheik Rahman's
conversations will be monitored, his conversations with the attorney.
Is this the first instance in which attorney-client conversations will
be monitored under the new provisions?

ASHCROFT: Under the new provisions, that's correct.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

ASHCROFT: We've had about a dozen and a half people who have been
subject to special administrative measures. But under the new
regulations promulgated last fall, this is the first time we'll be
imposing those regulations as a means of monitoring conversations.

Yes, ma'am?

QUESTION: Do you have information beyond September 11 (inaudible) do
you have any information that these particular communications
(inaudible)

ASHCROFT: We're not going to go beyond the information in the
indictment at this time.

QUESTION: Can you characterize the relationship between the Islamic
group and Al Qaeda? What is the nature of that? How close did they
work together (inaudible)

ASHCROFT: I don't want to get into the facts that we're likely to
develop at one time or another. The indictment alleges a formal
relationship, that there's an allied relationship between the two. And
at this time, we wouldn't go further.

Yes?

QUESTION: Could you talk about the Luxor attack and the taking of the
tourists as hostages? Did the sheik--the information that got
out--what were the repercussions, that they encouraged these gentlemen
to take the hostages?

ASHCROFT: Well, you know that dozens of people died in Luxor.

QUESTION: Right.

ASHCROFT: And the sheik is a person whose leadership is substantial in
the community of terrorists. Scattered on the bodies of those who died
in Luxor were the pamphlets saying, ``Release the sheik from his
imprisonment in the United States,'' just to indicate that his
influence in the Islamic group as a terrorist organization was a
profound influence, and so that signaling from him would be important.

QUESTION: To encourage other attacks? But this is one instance that
you're suggesting occurred, where they actually did kill people...
ASHCROFT: Well, I think that instance occurred prior to the time in
which we...

QUESTION: OK.

ASHCROFT: We're not going to go beyond the indictment at this time and
provide other information. Yes, sir?

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) what is your concern about what would happen if
you didn't take this action that you're announcing today?

ASHCROFT: Well, I've stated on repeated occasions that we will not
allow individuals to continue to perpetrate criminal acts or terrorist
acts from their prison cells. And we will take whatever steps are
necessary to make sure that that opportunity, either to direct or
otherwise guide or plan or executive acts of terrorism or criminality
is restrained.

ASHCROFT: And the regulations which we are now imposing on this
particular individual provide for us to be able to monitor his
conversations very thoroughly.

QUESTION: And how seriously do you think (inaudible)?

ASHCROFT: I'm not in a position to comment on those things at this
time.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

ASHCROFT: I think that's a good question, yes. For a number of years,
the conversations have been monitored, pursuant to court order,
monitor these conversations, and with judicial authority and
authorization.

In order to be able to respond aggressively in a timely fashion, I
promulgated regulations last fall that allow to do so with a different
set of safeguards and a framework that could provide more expeditious
opportunities for surveillance. So, for the first time, we are
imposing the ability to surveil a conversation under this new
framework.

But for several years now, this office of the United States attorney
and the office of the Department of Justice, aided by the FBI and law
enforcement authorities, has been taking the steps necessary to
assemble this case. And frankly, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,
its local officials in this office, deserve credit for an
investigation which is extending over several years to culminate in
the action which is taken today.

QUESTION: How would you characterize the relationship between Sheik
Rahman and Lynne Stewart?

ASHCROFT: I think for me to go beyond the indictment today would be
inappropriate. We've alleged in the indictment that Sheik's attorney
has gone outside the confines of the agreement to which she had come
with the officials, and the fact that she has done so has resulted in
charges being brought.

QUESTION: When did you start monitoring conversations? Can somebody
answer that question?

ASHCROFT: 1998, I believe, is it? December of 1998.

Thank you very much.