Britain extradites terror suspect to U.S.

NEW YORK – An American student arrested last year in London on allegations of providing al-Qaida fighters with equipment to attack American soldiers was in federal custody Saturday.

Syed Hashmi, 27, arrived in the U.S. late Friday, said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Garcia. Hashmi is the first terror suspect extradited to the United States by British authorities.

Hashmi, known to his associates as “Fahad,” was indicted in May 2006 on charges of supplying the unspecified equipment for al-Qaida “to fight against United States forces in Afghanistan.”

He was also charged with agreeing to help others provide military gear for al-Qaida to use in Pakistan, the indictment said. The conspiracy to support the terrorist group behind the World Trade Center attack operated between January 2004 and May 2006, the indictment said.

“Syed Hashmi aided the enemy by providing military gear to al-Qaida,” said Mark Mershon, assistant director-in-charge of the FBI’s New York office.

The Pakistani native, who is an American citizen, had lived in Britain for three years before his June 2006 arrest as he boarded a flight to Pakistan at Heathrow Airport. He only spoke to confirm his name and date of birth at a subsequent London court hearing where he refused consent for extradition.

In March, the British High Court ruled against Hashmi in his legal battle, rejecting his claim that the U.S. arrest warrants were flawed.