'Dirty Bomb' Suspect Jose Padilla Indicted: "Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held by the Bush administration for three years without charges as an enemy combatant plotting a 'dirty bomb' attack in the United States, has been indicted on charges unrelated to any potential terrorist attack in this country.
Padilla, 35, a former Chicago gang member who converted to Islam, was indicted by a Miami federal grand jury Thursday on charges he and four others were part of a U.S.-based terrorism conspiracy to 'murder, maim, and kidnap' people overseas, Justice Department officials announced at a press conference in Washington today.
"The indictment alleges that Padilla traveled overseas to train as a terrorist with the intention of fighting a violent jihad," Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said.
The charges did not include the government's earlier allegations, however, that Padilla was planning to carry out terrorist attacks in the United States. When asked about those allegations, for which Padilla was held, Gonzales said he could comment only on the present indictments."
- posted by geoff @ #