Trial for accused al-Qaida plotter begins

BOSTON, Oct. 24 (UPI) -- Jury selection began in Boston Monday in the federal trial of a Massachusetts man accused of conspiring to support the al-Qaida terror network.

Tarek Mehanna, 29, of Sudbury is charged with allegedly conspiring to support terrorists and lying to investigators. The U.S. citizen allegedly traveled to Yemen in 2004 seeking training as a terrorist. Failing that, he returned to the United States so he could serve al-Qaida by translating documents that promoted jihad and distributing them on the Internet.

U.S. District Judge George a. O'Toole Jr. told prospective jurors the trial could last six to eight weeks, The Boston Globe reported.

Mehanna has said he is being prosecuted for airing his beliefs and for his opposition to U.S. foreign policy. Through his attorneys, he has argued he went to Yemen for educational research and his distribution of materials was protected by the First Amendment. He maintains he did not act on behalf of, or in partnership with, any terrorism group.

The prosecution is expected to call an unidentified witness to testify how he, Mehanna and a third man -- fugitive co-defendant Ahmad Abousamra -- went to Yemen to be schooled in holy war and enlist as terrorists to kill U.S. troops in Iraq, the Boston Herald reported.

Prosecutors have said the evidence list will include personal e-mails and passports that are likely to be used to show Mehanna tried to act on his beliefs.

Mehanna's supporters have been warned by O'Toole that outbursts and "Free Tarek" materials will not be tolerated in the courthouse, the Herald said.