American charged with treason

WASHINGTON – A 28-year-old California man who has appeared in five al-Qaida propaganda videos was charged with treason Wednesday, becoming the first U.S. citizen charged with the offense since World War II.

Adam Gadahn, also known as Azzam al-Amriki or Azzam the American, “gave al-Qaida aid and comfort … with intent to betray the United States” through his appearances in the videos, including two released last month by the terror network, according to an indictment handed up by a grand jury in Orange County, Calif.

Gadahn, who could face the death penalty if convicted, is at large and believed to be in Pakistan. As a result of the charges, which also include providing material support to the terrorist group, Gadahn’s name was added to the FBI’s terrorist most wanted list and a $1 million bounty was offered for his capture.

Deputy Atty. Gen. Paul McNulty, who announced the indictment at the Justice Department, acknowledged that Gadahn is not charged with planning to attack the U.S., but solely with serving as a propagandist.

“This is a very significant piece of the way the enemy does business: to demoralize the troops, to encourage the spread of fear,” McNulty said.

Gadahn originally had been charged in a sealed indictment in October 2005. An American-born convert to Islam, Gadahn has been publicly linked to al-Qaida by the FBI since mid-2004.

The decision to publicly detail a new set of charges against Gadahn resulted from stronger evidence against him gleaned from the three videos he made this year, and a desire “to discourage anybody else who might be tempted … to join al-Qaida,” McNulty said.