US Prepares to Seek Extradition of al Qaeda Bomb Plot Suspect Held by Germany

Abdeladim El-Kabir was arrested in Germany, along with two other men, back in April of this year.  German officials at the time alleged that the men were planning to build a bomb to use somewhere in Europe; that there was correspondence indicating that this was an al Qaeda-related group; and that the men had trained at a camp in  Waziristan, Pakistan.  It appears that Germany had charged him only with membership in a terrorist organization, however.  Der Spiegel provides much more information about his al Qaeda links, in a story near the time of his original arrest, here. A grand jury in Brooklyn has now indicted El-Kabir.  The indictment, here, is very brief.  The first count is a material support conspiracy charge under 18 USC 2339B, and the second count is conspiracy to carry a destructive device or firearm in connection with a crime of violence (that crime being the one alleged in the first count). Extradition proceedings will follow, though it is interesting to ponder whether and why Germany would send him here rather than prosecute him itself.