British wife lied over terror hit list

A British woman and her American husband accused over a domestic terrorism plot have admitted lying about a hit list of possible targets.

Paul Rockwood and his wife, Nadia, of King Salmon, Alaska, were charged with lying about the list and making false statements about domestic terrorism during interviews with FBI agents in May. The FBI said the list had about 15 targets. Its contents were not made public.

Under a plea deal, Paul Rockwood would serve eight years in prison and his wife, who is five months' pregnant, would get five years' probation in Britain.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

US District Judge Ralph Beistline did not immediately approve the deal, but will announce their sentence later.

Prosecutors said Paul Rockwood, also known as "Bilal", converted to Islam about a decade ago and began studying the teachings of American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who has professed hatred for the US and supports acts of terrorism.

According to court documents, he converted to Islam in 2001 or 2002, when the couple lived in Virginia. "After his conversion, and while residing in Virginia, Rockwood became a strict adherent to the violent Jihad-promoting ideology of cleric Anwar al-Awlaki," the documents said. "This included a personal conviction that it was his religious responsibility to exact revenge by death on anyone who desecrated Islam."

Federal authorities claimed Rockwood began researching and selecting possible targets for future execution. In late 2009, he began discussing using mail bombs and possibly killing targets by a gunshot to the head.

They claimed he gave the list of targets to his wife in April and she carried it with her on a trip to Anchorage, where the FBI obtained it.

Related topics: