Ex-Sailor Convicted in Terror Case

Navy signalman told al-Qaeda group about ship movements

By John Johnson, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 5, 2008 5:43 PM CST

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Ex-Sailor Convicted in Terror Case — The motorcade transporting Hassan Abu-Jihaad arrives at U.S. District Court in New Haven, Conn., Wednesday, April 4, 2007. (AP Photo/Bob Child) (Associated Press)

A jury in Connecticut convicted a former Navy sailor today of passing along classified information about US ships in the Persian Gulf to terrorists, the AP reports. Prosecutors said Phoenix native Hassan Abu-Jihaad, 32, sent details about naval ship movements to a group affiliated with al-Qaeda in April of 2001. The FBI says no attacks resulted from the leak.

Abu-Jihaad, who converted to Islam and changed his name from Paul Hall, faces 25 years in prison when he's sentenced in May. His lawyers plan to appeal. Prosecutors say they uncovered emails and phone recordings in which Abu-Jihaad praised terrorist operations against the US and acknowledged leaking classified information. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in 2002. (More Navy stories.)

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