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U.S. indicts Iraqi-born Dutch citizen

Charges are first in U.S. for alleged terrorist activities in Iraq

From Terry Frieden
CNN Washington Bureau

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the first U.S. criminal indictment connected to terrorist activities in Iraq, a federal grand jury in Washington on Friday charged an Iraqi-born Dutch citizen with conspiring to kill U.S. citizens.

The six-count indictment accuses 32-year-old Wesam Al Delaema, who was born in Falluja, with intention to kill Americans there with roadside bombs

If convicted, Delaema faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.

The U.S. government alleges Delaema traveled in 2003 from Netherlands to Iraq, where he conspired with other members of the "Mujahedeen from Falluja."

U.S. officials say the indictment is a step in the process of seeking Delaema's extradition from Netherlands, where he is in custody.

Dutch officials arrested him on May 2 on similar terrorism-related charges.

A U.S. criminal complaint issued in Washington in July charged Delaema with four of the offenses alleged on Friday. That complaint served as the basis for a request to Netherlands for Delaema's extradition to the United States.

Shortly thereafter, Dutch officials transferred him to extradition custody, the Justice Department said.

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