American facing IED charges

American facing IED charges
Houston case alleges suspect planned to kill on behalf of al-Qaida
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Posted: February 17, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

By Bob Unruh
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

An American who is accused of guarding a flight attendant who later was murdered by radical Muslims in Somalia, and learning how to make IEDs at a compound used by al-Qaida there, is facing a court hearing Tuesday in Houston after his arrest by anti-terrorism experts and his return to the U.S.

The case is pending against Daniel Joseph Maldonado, aka Daniel Aljughaifi, 28, formerly of Houston, who was named in the government charges filed by U.S. Attorney Don DeGabrielle in Houston.

"Any who seek to aid terrorists in their mission to threaten our national security will be held to account for such serious criminal conduct," DeGabrielle said.

A spokeswoman in the prosecutor's office in Houston, Nancy Herrera, told WND that the hearing on Tuesday will be on Maldonado's detention and preliminary examination, at which a magistrate judge will determine whether there is probable cause in the criminal case, and whether the government will get its request of detaining him without bond.

Maldonado was returned to the U.S. just days ago after he was captured by members of the Kenyan military on Jan. 21 as he fled Somalia to avoid the military conflict between Ethiopian and Somalian forces, according to prosecutors.

Being expelled by Kenyan authorities, he was turned over to American authorities, then flown to Houston in the company of special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Already being described as another John Walker Lindh, he is alleged to have traveled on his own to Somalia in late 2006 to join the Islamic Courts Union and elements of al-Qaida to fight "jihad" in Somalia. The ICU is blamed for the suicide bombers and vehicles containing improvised explosive devices just weeks earlier that targeted the leadership of Somalia's Transitional Federal Government, according to federal documents.

"While in Somalia, Maldonado was … provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib, Somalia," prosecutors said. "The camps included physical fitness, firearms and explosives training all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU."

The complaint alleges Maldonado studied at the training camps with al-Qaida members and expressed his willingness go to the front and fight, and become a suicide bomber if he was wounded.

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