Prototype of typical al Qaeda operative revealed

Washington, Mar. 21 : A civilian court in New York has tried a man charged with violent and international terrorist crimes that prosecutors said is exactly what comes to mind when they think of 'al Qaeda'.

U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch said the defendant was a prototype al Qaeda operative, trained by the group in terrorist tradecraft, deployed to fight American servicemen, and dispatched to commit terrorist attacks throughout the world

According to ABC News, Lynch made the comment in a Department of Justice (DOJ) release, which announced the criminal activities against Saudi man Ibrahim Suleiman Adnan Adam Harun, also known as 'Spin Ghul'.

Though Harun was arrested in July 2011 by Italian authorities and extradited to the U.S. last October, his case was kept under wraps until today at the request of prosecutors, because he was 'in a position to provide the government with information relevant to the national security of the United States', the report said.

The document said if the defendant continues to provide information to the government, it is possible that such information would permit the government to learn about more terrorist plots, identify terrorist operatives, and potentially seek criminal process for those operatives or related evidence, it added.

In the DOJ release, prosecutors said Harun, now 43, began his career in terrorism by traveling from Saudi Arabia to Afghanistan in 2001, arriving shortly after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, 'with the intent to fight violent jihad'.

According to the report, there he allegedly joined al Qaeda and received 'military-type' training and participated in fighting against U.S. and coalition troops in Afghanistan.

The DOJ said that in 2003 Harun received additional training in Pakistan before being sent to Africa where he intended to 'conduct attacks on U.S. diplomatic facilities in Nigeria' using bombs.

Later, Harun traveled to Libya, where he was apprehended in 2005. He remained detained there until 2011, when the Libyan government released him.

According to the report, Harun apparently planned to make his way into Italy, but was once again arrested by Italian authorities on a refugee ship for allegedly assaulting officer on board, the DOJ said.

The unsealing of Harun's indictment follows the sudden appearance of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's son-in-law in a New York court earlier this month, after his own dramatic, international arrest.