Two US citizens were charged Friday with conspiring to aid al-Qaeda by providing computer help and other services, the US Justice Department said, dpa reported.
Wesam el-Hanafi, 33, and Sabirhan Hasannoff, 34, "conspired to modernize al-Qaeda by providing computer systems expertise and other goods and services," US attorney Preet Bharara said.
El-Hanafi, born in New York, allegedly swore an oath to al-Qaeda while in Yemen. Hasanoff, who has both Australian and US passports, performed tasks for al-Qaeda while living in New York, according to the indictment.
Both men allegedly met with a third, unnamed person to discuss joining al-Qaeda. El-Hanafi bought a software program to communicate securely with al-Qaeda and purchased digital watches for the group, which have been linked to bombings in the past.
Both face 15 years in prison if found guilty.
New York pair charged with supporting al-Qaeda
Two US citizens were charged Friday with conspiring to aid al-Qaeda by providing computer help and other services, the US Justice Department said, dpa reported.
