Boston, America 9 December 2011

A Gujarati young lady is main defender of alleged al-Qaeda terrorist in America!

Sejal Patel, who speaks Gujarati at home and English in court room, is attorney of Tarek Mehanna, a 27-year-old Massachusetts resident who is facing charges that he conspired to provide material support to terrorists and planned to carry out a “violent jihad” by killing U.S. politicians, attacking American troops in Iraq and targeting customers at U.S. shopping malls.

U.S. attorneys claim that Mehanna worked with two other men on various plans designed to “kill, kidnap, maim or injure” U.S. citizens and soldiers from 2001 to 2008.

As an attorney, Sejal Patels is on the job of defending Tarek in ongoing court case that would decide Tarek’s fate.

Lastly on December 8, during the hearing in court, Sejal Patel used the testimony of a Yale associate professor of political science and religious studies to show that Mehanna had debated and disagreed with radical views on Islamic Web forums.

Mehanna, for instance, opposed the idea that American civilians could be targeted for retribution for the war in Iraq because of the decisions of their government or because they pay taxes, according to the testimony of the professor, Andrew F. March, who has written extensively on Al Qaeda and Islamic law related to warfare.

March was reading from material posted on a Web forum in 2005, in which Mehanna said that military facilities and personnel alone were justifiable targets.

“I saw this as an attempt to make an Islamic religious argument about who is targetable in a war,’’ March said.

“Does Al Qaeda’s position support the argument here?’’ Patel asked.

“No,’’ March said.

Later, Patel played a video showing Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar al-Awlaki endorsing the concepts that Mehanna had opposed. The American-born Yemeni cleric was killed earlier this year by the US military.

“I used to believe this,’’ Mehanna had written in one of his posts, “but after long reflection and thought . . . I have come to the belief that this is an incorrect concept.’’

He went on to point out that some of the biggest demonstrations protesting the war in Iraq occurred in the United States.

The case is going on, and Sejal Patel is strongly defending Tarek in court.

Fast facts about Mehanna(as per the Time magazine):

• A U.S. citizen, Mehanna is the fifth person living in the U.S. to be arrested on terrorism charges in the past five months.

• Was arrested at his parents’ house in Sudbury, Mass., an affluent Boston suburb.

• Graduated from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy in May 2008. His father is a professor of medicinal chemistry at the school.

• Had been planning to move to Saudi Arabia to become a pharmacist.

• Was questioned by the FBI on Dec. 16, 2006, about Daniel J. Maldonado, a Methuen, Mass., resident who was suspected of training at a terrorist camp of al-Qaeda’s and plotting to overthrow the Somali government. Maldonado later admitted to training with al-Qaeda and is now serving a 10-year prison sentence.

• Arrested in November 2008 for statements he made during the 2006 questioning. Mehanna had claimed that Maldonado was living in Egypt and working for a website, but FBI agents recorded a phone conversation between the two men in which Maldonado urged Mehanna to join him in “training for jihad” in Somalia. Was indicted for allegedly lying to authorities in January 2009.

• According to U.S. attorneys, Mehanna’s current plot had two co-conspirators — a man named Ahmad Abousamra and a third person, who is cooperating with authorities and has so far been unnamed. The three men met before the Sept. 11 attacks and attempted to join terrorist groups in Pakistan, Syria, Iraq and Yemen.

• A 2004 trip to Yeman proved fruitless when the men were unable to locate anyone affiliated with terrorist camps. They returned to the U.S. and allegedly plotted attacks on shopping malls. They abandoned their plans after failing to obtain automatic weapons.

• Used the code terms “peanut butter and jelly” when discussing fighting in Somalia and “culinary school” for terrorist camps.

• Appeared in federal court just hours after his arrest wearing a black sweatshirt and sweatpants. Witnesses say he refused to stand up at his bail hearing, kicking his chair over and making rude comments.

Fast facts about Sejal Patel(as per her own website):

• Sejal Patel began her private practice in Boston in 2004.

• She has specializes in criminal defense, appeals, and employment law.

• She also works as an Attorney Adviser at the Office of Public Interest Advising at Harvard Law School.

• She is fluent in Spanish, Hindi, and Gujarati.