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Man Sentenced For Plotting Bush Assassination

An Arab-American student was sentenced this week to 30 years in prison for plotting to kill U.S. President George W. Bush. A federal court in Virginia found Ahmed Omar Abu Ali, 25, guilty of all charges in a nine-count indictment last November, including conspiracy to hijack a plane, and conspiring to support al Qaeda. Abu Ali was born in Houston and grew up in Falls Church, Virginia.

According to international news reports, Ahmed Omar Abu Ali confessed to being an al Qaeda member when he was detained in Saudi Arabia in 2003. However, defense lawyers claim Abu Ali was tortured and that since his confession was coerced it is inadmissible in court according to U.S. law. But the judge allowed the confession into evidence.

District Judge Gerald Bruce Lee in Alexandria, Virginia said "The court is sentencing you to 360 months, which is 30 years in prison." Prosecutors requested a life sentence for Ali, but Judge Lee says Abu Ali`s crimes "did not result in one single actual victim" and he was not found with any weapons. "That fact must be taken into account," Judge Lee stated.