Judge Acquits Muslim Accused of Taliban Ties

A judge on Friday acquitted a man charged in an alleged conspiracy to aid the Taliban and tossed out some of the allegations against three other men accused in the case.

The judge dismissed all charges against Caliph Basha ibn Abdur-Raheem, 29, after the prosecution rested its case, saying there was little evidence in the two-week trial to link him to the conspiracy.

The government alleged that Abdur-Raheem was part of a network that used paintball games as a means to join Lashkar-e-Taiba, a militant Islamic organization that has since been labeled terrorist by the government.

“He does ascribe to perhaps a more radical form of Islam,” U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema said.

“He did go and participate in paintball ... but playing paintball itself is not an illegal activity.”

The Lashkar organization seeks to drive India from disputed Kashmir. Engaging in a military expedition against India would violate the federal Neutrality Act.

The government said the group’s aims took a hostile turn against the United States after the Sept. 11, attacks.

Officials contended that the group’s religious leader told the men Islam required them to defend the Taliban, and that the U.S. military was a legitimate target of holy war.

The defendants, all U.S. citizens from the Washington suburbs, said that the paintball was merely a way for them to fulfill their religious duty to learn self-defense, and that they never intended to fight against the United States.

Masoud Khan, who faces the most serious charge, is still accused of conspiracy to levy war against the United States and conspiracy to provide support to Osama bin Laden’s Al Qaeda network.

In addition to dismissing all charges against Abdur-Raheem, the judge threw out several conspiracy and firearms charges against Seifullah Chapman and Hammad Abdur-Raheem and one lesser count against Khan.

“I knew I didn’t do anything,” Abdur-Raheem said.

“I always try do to everything by the law.”