One of Osama bin Laden’s sons-in-law was captured by U.S. authorities in Jordan and could make a court appearance in New York before the end of the week. He has been charged with conspiring to kill Americans.
Sulaiman Abu Ghaith was a son-in-law and spokesman to the late al-Qaida leader and appeared in several videos shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Though sources with intimate knowledge of Ghaith’s case have not been permitted to make public statements, it has been reported that he has been in U.S. custody for some time.
A statement released by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.), a member of the House intelligence Committee, commended the federal agencies involved and the Obama administration’s pursuit of al-Qaida’s top-ranked leaders.
Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan in May 2011, almost 10 years after he took responsibility for the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center in New York.
“I commend our CIA and FBI, our allies in Jordan, and President (Barack) Obama for their capture of al-Qaida spokesman Sulaiman Abu Ghaith. I trust he received a vigorous interrogation and will face swift and certain justice,” King said. “Propaganda statements in which Abu Ghaith and his late father-in-law, Osama bin Laden, praised the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, are alone enough to merit the most serious punishment.”
Ghaith was reportedly arrested last month while attempting to enter Turkey with a fake passport. He was to be transferred to Kuwait via Jordan. Working with authorities in Jordan, the FBI intervened and took custody of the terror suspect.
Sources close to the situation told Reuters that Ghaith is now being held in a New York City detention facility, and will face federal charges. Neither the U.S. Justice Department nor the FBI has made an official statement regarding Ghaith’s capture.
Speaking to the Associated Press, King said that the arrest is a sign that “definitely, one by one, we are getting the top echelons of al-Qaida.”
Referring to the Obama administration’s commitment to bringing down the organization, King said, “it’s steady and it’s unrelenting and it’s very successful.”
