A Virginia resident of Pakistani origin has been charged with providing material support to a terrorist group and lying to federal authorities in a terrorism investigation.
Jubair Ahmad allegedly received religious and commando training from the Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), according to an FBI affidavit filed in support of a criminal complaint.
Ahmad lived in Pakistan until he was 19, and then moved to the United States with his family in 2007. The FBI launched an investigation into Ahmad in 2009 after receiving information he might be associated with the LeT.
The affidavit alleged that in September 2010 Ahmad produced and posted a propaganda video on Youtube to "develop support for the LeT and recruit jihadists" to the terrorist group. The five-minute video contained images of LeT leader Hafeez Saeed as well as "jihadi martyrs and armored trucks exploding after having been hit by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)."
The video showed Saeed leading a prayer in Arabic that includes words such as "mujahideen" and "jihad," the affidavit said. The video also contained a logo of al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI), pictures of the Abu Ghraib military detention facility in Iraq, including a picture of a naked prisoner in a defensive position in front of American soldiers, one of whom is holding an attack dog.
At the time of the video's production, Ahmad was communicating with someone named "Talha." In a subsequent conversation with another individual, Ahmad identified "Talha" as "Talha Saeed," the son of LeT commander Hafiz Saeed, the affidavit claimed.
Ahmad allegedly revised and reposted the video in October under Talha's instructions. Ahmad wanted to include images from the November 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, when 10 armed men from Lashkar laid siege on India's financial capital, killing 166 people including six Americans. But Talha warned Ahmad against including any reference to Mumbai. Instead he told Ahmad to include references to "Palestine and operations of mujahideen in Kashmir."
Talha's concern about referencing the Mumbai attacks could be a result of growing pressure from India on the Pakistani government to bring the terrorists responsible to justice. Several individuals involved in the attacks, including the attacks' mastermind Hafeez Saeed remain at large in Pakistan.
Ahmad denied any involvement with the video when interviewed by FBI agents interviewed him last month, the affidavit said. He faces 23 years in prison if convicted on the two charges.