California Terrorist Arrested- Linked to Al Qaeda

Rahmat Abdhir was arrested in California. His jungle-based brother is carrying out terror attacks in the Philippines.

Rahmat Abdhir, 43, also known as "Sean Kasem" or "Sean Kalimin," was arrested Thursday at his Sunnyvale workplace on multiple felony charges. (NBC 11)

The New York Times is carrying a blip today on the suspected terrorist arrested in California this week -Via LGF.
ABC Local had this on the arrest of Rahmat Abdhir:

Rahmat Abdhir (aka "Sean Kasem") has lived on Sunwood Drive in San Jose since 2003. The FBI raided his house yesterday.

Rahmat's younger brother is Zulkifli Abdhir, a fugitive terrorist living in the Philippines with an alleged leadership role in the al Qaeda affiliated terror group called Jemaah Islamiyah.

A 16-count indictment accuses the two men of working together to further terrorist acts. Rahmat's arrest has stunned his San Jose neighbors.

The indictment accuses Rahmat of funneling his brother more than $10,000 dollars in cash, dozens of two-way radios, ammunition and other equipment.

It lists 76 e-mails in the last year where the government says the two men used code words to carry out illegal activity.

The indictment concludes iron meant firearms, dogs refereed to government agents and prizes or presents were the code words for bombs or improvised explosive devices.

Jenny Martinez is a Stanford law professor who has argued before the Supreme Court in terrorism cases. She says the government is using its post 9/11 tools to thwart terrorism.

Inside the Bay Area has more on the terrorist brothers:

"Sean" in San Jose was creating an electronic clip file of news stories from the United States, news stories that told of troop movements and U.S. spy planes. He was sending these by e-mail to his brother, the indictment alleges.

Soon his brother wanted more than news.

"If I had extra money, I would buy more 'iron' ... because the occupants in the house in front of mine do not have any,'" he allegedly e-mailed his stateside brother in 2006.

Later that year, after more e-mails talking about the need for weapons, the San Jose Abdhir wire transfered

$5,500 from a Bank of America account to a Malaysian bank account that used their mother's name, according to the indictment.

He later allegedly sent 30 two-way radios.

In October, Zulkifli Abdhir sent an e-mail saying he needed money for a friend who needed "iron" (guns) for protection from "dogs" (government agents.) His friend, the e-mail said, had "given away prizes" and was planning on giving away others, the indictment said.

He suggested his brother check out the news.

The next day powerful bombs exploded at a celebration in the Philippines, killing five and injuring 29.

NBC 11 has video on the arrest of Abdhir.