Al-Qaida propagandist to be in court

Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, son-in-law of Osama bin Laden, is the most senior al-Qaida official to face a criminal trial in the U.S. war on terror, officials said. Ghaith, who was arrested in Turkey several weeks ago, is to appear in a New York courtroom Friday to face terrorism charges that could lead to life in prison, The New York Times reported. Ghaith, who is married to Fatima bin Laden and is an al-Qaida propagandist, will be charged with conspiracy to kill Americans, an indictment released Thursday indicated. Justice Department officials said they don't think he had an operational role in al-Qaida for years and did not participate in any plot against the United States, including the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the Times said. One law enforcement official said Ghaith was the most senior figure in the terror network to face a criminal trial in New York since America's war against al-Qaida began. Officials said Ghaith, 47, originally was arrested in Turkey for entering the country illegally with a phony passport. Turkey was returning him to his home country of Kuwait when, during a stopover in Amman, Jordan, U.S. officials took him into custody and flew him to New York. The operation in Jordon was a joint effort between the CIA and Jordan's spy service, the General Intelligence Directorate, officials said. The White House and the CIA declined to comment, the Times said. Among other things, the indictment indicated Ghaith appeared with bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri, a bin Laden deputy, and warned "a great army is gathering against" the United States and its allies. He also called upon "the nation of Islam" to do battle against "the Jews, the Christians and the Americans." George Venizelos, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York office, compared Ghaith's role in al-Qaida to that of a propaganda minister in a totalitarian regime, using his role to persuade others to join "al-Qaida's murderous cause."