Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Cheers and Jeers ... Stouts fire still growing, but in a good way ... Man suspected of sexually abusing child ... Our View: Cheers and Jeers ... Stouts fire still growing, but in a good way ... Man suspected of sexually abusing child ... KLAMATH COUNTY RANCH Man pleads guilty to trying to set up Oregon terrorist training camp Briton faces up to 20 years in prison Comment By Tom Hays The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Tom Hays The Associated Press Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 5:35 PM Updated Mar 30, 2015 at 5:43 PM By Tom Hays The Associated Press Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 5:35 PM Updated Mar 30, 2015 at 5:43 PM » Social News NEW YORK — A mentally ill British man pleaded guilty Monday to U.S. charges he plotted to set up an al-Qaida training camp on a Southern Oregon ranch that was likened to Afghanistan. Haroon Aswat admitted he traveled to Bly, a small town in eastern Klamath County, in 1999 at the direction of Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, a double-amputee and radical cleric based in London. His orders were to help train recruits "who wanted to participate in jihad on behalf of a terrorist organization," he said in a barely audible voice at the sentencing in federal court in Manhattan. Before pleading guilty to conspiracy and supporting terrorism, the Sheffield, England-born Aswat told U.S. District Judge Katherin Forrest that he had been diagnosed with schizophrenia at 20. The judge ruled that the sentencing could go forward because the defendant was under medical care and showing no symptoms. Aswat, 40, was charged in 2005 in the plot to establish the camp for military training at a site known as Dog Cry Ranch. Prosecutors accused the defendant of arriving in Oregon with instructions on how to make bombs and poisons. According to court papers, one communication between the conspirators said that the property was located in a "pro-militia and firearms state" that "looks just like Afghanistan" and that the group was "stockpiling weapons and ammunition." But the camp never materialized beyond a dozen people taking target practice, authorities said. Aswat faces up to 20 years in prison at sentencing July 31. It was unclear whether he could get credit for the nearly 10 years he spent behind bars in the United Kingdom fighting extradition to the United States. Prosecutors had no immediate comment Monday. Mustafa was sentenced this year to life in prison following a trial in the same Manhattan courthouse. Authorities say Mustafa, also known as Abu Hamza al-Masri, turned London's Finsbury Park Mosque in the 1990s into a training ground for Islamic extremists, attracting men including Sept. 11 conspirator Zacarias Moussaoui and shoe bomber Richard Reid. He claims to have lost his hands fighting the Soviets in Afghanistan. By Tom Hays The Associated Press MailTribune.com By Tom Hays The Associated Press Posted Mar. 30, 2015 at 5:35 PM Updated Mar 30, 2015 at 5:43 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501