During the course of the trial, members of the Somali community packed the court room to support the men. One of the defendants, Mohamed Mohamed Mohamud, is a well known religious leader.

The government’s case relied on its interpretations of wiretaps and attempts to inflame the jury.

At issue is the fact that many in the community strongly opposed the U.S.-backed Ethiopian invasion of Somalia and attempts to install a Western-backed puppet government. The indictment of the four men explicitly equates fighting the Ethiopian invasion with terrorism.

This case is the latest of many targeting Somali immigrants who are working to help their homeland.

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