Portland, Ore.
The FBI last week charged four American Muslims from Oregon with plotting to join forces with al Qaida. Federal officials said the four—Jeffrey Leon Battle, 32; his former wife, October Martinique Lewis, 25; Patrice Lumumba Ford, 31; and Muhammad Ibrahim Bilal, 22—resolved after Sept. 11 to help Osama bin Laden fight his holy war against America. The men, and two others who remained at large, reportedly tried unsuccessfully to reach Afghanistan to join up with bin Laden’s al Qaida organization. Investigators said they also practiced firing assault rifles near Portland. Defense lawyers said the evidence was wafer thin, but Attorney General John Ashcroft said the arrests “neutralized a suspected terrorist cell within our borders.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Amorim follows Maresca out of Premier League after ‘awful’ seasonIn the Spotlight Manchester United head coach sacked after dismal results and outburst against leadership, echoing comments by Chelsea boss when he quit last week
-
January’s books feature a revisioned classic, a homeschooler's memoir and a provocative thriller dramedyThe Week Recommends This month’s new releases include ‘Call Me Ishmaelle’ by Xiaolu Guo, ‘Homeschooled: A Memoir’ by Stefan Merrill Block, ‘Anatomy of an Alibi’ by Ashley Elston and ‘Half His Age’ by Jennette McCurdy
-
‘Jumping genes': How polar bears are rewiring their DNA to survive the warming ArcticUnder the radar The species is adapting to warmer temperatures
