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Soldier a traitor, military jury says

Sep- 3-2004 » Filed Under: General Military

[Link to Full Article]
ADAM LYNN; The News Tribune

Spc. Ryan G. Anderson, who as a boy wore an "Airborne" T-shirt for days on end and dreamed of becoming an Air Force pilot, was judged a traitor Thursday by nine Army officers.

After about 4 1/2 hours of deliberation, the jury of six men and three women found Anderson guilty of attempting to provide military information to the al-Qaida terrorist network earlier this year.

Anderson appeared stunned when the jury president announced the decision in a Fort Lewis courtroom just before 5 p.m.

"Specialist Ryan G. Anderson, this court-martial finds you guilty of all charges and their specifications," said the jury president, an Army lieutenant colonel.

Anderson's wife of 18 months, Erin, burst into tears in the gallery behind him.

The Washington Army National Guardsman was arrested in February after a sting by federal agents who learned that he was posting messages on the Internet seeking to join an Islamic extremist group. The most damaging piece of evidence against Anderson was a video recording of a meeting between him and two undercover agents posing as al-Qaida operatives. In the video, Anderson tells the agents the best ways to disable military vehicles and kill U.S. soldiers.

Apparently that included information about the Stryker vehicle.


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