NOT RICCO SUAVE

Pakistani came to U.S. to help al-Qaida, FBI says (LARRY NEUMEISTER, August 9, 2003, Chicago Sun-Times)

Uzair Paracha, 23, detained as a material witness since his March arrest in New York, waved and smiled to more than a dozen family members as he entered U.S. District Court in Manhattan for a brief appearance. He was held pending a bail hearing next week.

According to the criminal complaint, Paracha agreed to help the al-Qaida associate obtain documents that would let him enter the United States and help him obtain legal immigration status. The government has not released the associate's identity but say the man has remained overseas.

Anthony Ricco, Paracha's lawyer, said outside court that his client was manipulated into helping the associate and was looking forward to a trial to prove that he had no criminal intent.

He described Paracha as ''a very bright, but, I say, a very naive young man'' and added that he did not expect to contest that his client knew the associate was in al-Qaida.

''Having knowledge someone is in al-Qaida is not a criminal act,'' Ricco said. ''Many members of al-Qaida are not involved in criminal activity.''

No? What is al Qaeda then? kind of like an Islamicist version of the Boy Scouts and only a few members have earned their final badge? Posted by Orrin Judd at August 9, 2003 10:15 AM