FBI: al-Qaida recruiting in U.S. prisons

WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (UPI) -- FBI officials say al-Qaida continues to recruit members in U.S. prisons despite a government crackdown, WorldTribune.com reported Tuesday.

"These terrorists seek to exploit our freedom to exercise religion to their advantage by using radical forms of Islam to recruit operatives," FBI counter-terrorism chief John Pistole said. "Unfortunately, U.S. correctional institutions are a viable venue for such radicalization and recruitment."

Pistole told a recent session of the Senate subcommittee on terrorism, technology and homeland security federal and state authorities have faced an uphill battle to halt al-Qaida recruitment in prisons.

He said al-Qaida and other insurgency groups have exploited the isolation of inmates and offer them protection, positions of influence and a network they can correspond with both inside and outside of prison.

Officials said the federal prison system contains 9,600 Muslims, or 5.5 percent of the inmate population.