Citing the success of the Patriot Act, Attorney General John Ashcroft said: “Prosecutors and investigators shared information in investigating the defendants in the ‘Virginia Jihad’ case. This prosecution involved members of the Dar al-Arqam Islamic Center, who trained for jihad…in northern Virginia. Eight of these individuals traveled to terrorist training camps in Pakistan or Afghanistan between 1999 and 2001. These individuals are associates of a violent Islamic extremist group known as Lashkar-e-Taiba, which operates in Pakistan and Kashmir, and has ties to al Qaeda. As a result of using information obtained through electronic surveillance, prosecutors were able to bring charges against these individuals. Six of the defendants pleaded guilty, and three were convicted in March 2004 of charges including conspiracy to levy war against the United States and conspiracy to provide material support to the Taliban.” [The 15th of the month used for date sorting purposes only.]
– John Ashcroft, Never Again, Page 155