Three Ohio Men Charged With Conspiring to Kill U.S. Iraq Troops

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. charged three men in Ohio with conspiring to attack soldiers in Iraq as part of an alleged terrorist conspiracy.

Mohammad Zaki Amawi, Marwan Othman El-Hindi and Wassim Mazloum were indicted last week by a federal grand jury in Cleveland, the Justice Department said today in Washington. The three, while living in Toledo, Ohio, trained themselves in the use of explosives and shooting and attempted to raise money for a holy war against U.S. troops and other coalition soldiers in Iraq, according to the indictment.

``Individuals who aid terrorists from within our borders threaten the safety of all Americans,'' Attorney General Alberto Gonzales said at a news conference. ``This case stands as a reminder of the need for continued vigilance in the war on terrorism.''

All three men are now in federal custody, Gonzales said. They face up to life in prison if convicted on charges they conspired to kill or maim people outside the U.S., including military personnel in Iraq, and conspired to provide material support to terrorists. Amawi, 26, is also charged with distributing information regarding explosives and making a threat against President George W. Bush.

Amawi is a citizen of both the U.S. and Jordan. El-Hindi, 42, is a U.S. citizen and Mazloum, 24, is a permanent legal resident of the U.S. The plot began before November 2004, the government said.

Gonzales declined to say if the government used its domestic eavesdropping program, which allows wiretapping without a court- approved warrant, to get information on the group. ``We feel very strongly about this case,'' he said.

Gregory White, the U.S. attorney in Cleveland, said federal investigators were tipped off to the group by local citizens.

``The allegations in this indictment are based on traditional law enforcement kinds of efforts,'' he said.

And they say there are no terrorists here.