(AP) Jose Padilla, center, is escorted by federal marshals during his arrival in Miami, in this Jan. 5,... Full Image
By CURT ANDERSON
MIAMI (AP) - Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant, was convicted Thursday of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks in a case that came to symbolize the Bush administration's zeal to clamp down on terrorism.
But it was hardly a complete victory for the government. When Padilla was arrested in the months following the 2001 terrorist attacks, authorities touted him as a key al-Qaida operative who planned to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in a U.S. city. That allegation never made it to court.
Instead, after a three-month trial and only a day and a half of deliberations, the 36-year-old Padilla and his foreign-born co-defendants were convicted of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people and two counts of providing material support to terrorists. Padilla showed no emotion and stared straight ahead as he heard the verdict that could bring him a life prison sentence. One person in the family section started to sob.
The three were accused of being part of a North American support cell that provided supplies, money and recruits to groups of Islamic extremists. The defense contended they were trying to help persecuted Muslims in war zones with relief and humanitarian aid.
The White House thanked the jury for a "just" verdict.
"We commend the jury for its work in this trial and thank it for upholding a core American principle of impartial justice for all," said Gordon Johndroe, a spokesman for the National Security Council at the White House. "Jose Padilla received a fair trial and a just verdict."
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales called the verdict "a significant victory in our efforts to fight the threat posed by terrorists and their supporters." Estela Lebron, Padilla's mother, said outside the courthouse: "The winner is George Bush." Earlier in the courtroom, she said she felt "a little bit sad" at the verdict but expected her son's lawyers would appeal.
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(AP) Jose Padilla, center, is escorted by federal marshals during his arrival in Miami, in this Jan. 5,...
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