Wednesday, August 2 2006 10:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: A series of camps were located in the Balakot area of Pakistan, including a well-known Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Balakot, the expert opined during the recent trial of a father-son duo from Pakistan charged with supporting terrorists.

In addition, a Department of Defense imagery expert opined that he was 'confident' that certain satellite images of buildings and a location in the vicinity of Balakot were, in fact, a militant training camp.

"Well, I'm going to cut you off for the simple reason that, as in all ongoing legal proceedings, we're not going to comment," White House spokesman Tony Snow told reporters yesterday (Aug 1, 2006) in response to a question about the duo's alleged plans for jehad in the US.

The Indian Embassy also declined comment on the reported existence of militant camps in Pakistan.

The case was brought to trial after an extensive joint investigation by the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) comprising federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.

The son Hamid Hayat, 23, a resident of Lodi, California was convicted by a Sacramento court on April 25 on charges of providing material support to terrorists and making false statements to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). But his sentencing has been postponed to November.

Federal prosecutors have dropped terrorism-related charges against the father, Umer Hayat, 48, an ice cream truck driver in exchange for a guilty plea in a 2003 customs case after a hopelessly split jury failed to reach a verdict in his case.

Hayat, who has been released for time served after spending nearly a year in jail and under house arrest, was charged with providing false statements concerning his son's attendance at a terrorist training camp in Pakistan.

Evidence at trial established that, during a period of months between October 2003 and November 2004, Hamid Hayat, attended a jehadi training camp in Pakistan and ultimately returned to the United States with the intent to wage jehad upon receipt of orders, according to information on the case released by the FBI.

Between March 2003 and August 2003, Hayat, during the course of numerous recorded conversations with a cooperating witness, pledged his belief in violent jehad, pledged to go to a jehadi training camp and indicated that he, in fact, was going to jehadi training, the court was told.

On May 30 2005, while en route back to the US from Pakistan, Hayat's plane was diverted to Narita, Japan. When questioned by the FBI on that day, he concealed the fact that he had received jehadi training, and that he was returning to the US for the purpose of waging jehad.

Hayat was thereafter permitted to return to the US.

On June 4 2005, Hayat admitted during three separate interviews, including two videotaped interviews, that he attended a jehadi training camp in Pakistan in 2000 for a few days.

He admitted that he attended a camp in 2003-2004 located in the vicinity of Balakot, Pakistan, and actively trained at this camp for approximately three-six months. Hayat further admitted that he was trained for jehad, that he came to the US for jehad and that he was prepared to wage jehad upon the receipt of orders.

After his son Hamid made a series of confessions concerning his attendance at a terrorist training camp, Umer Hayat was interviewed again by the FBI, the California court was told.

On being confronted with a small portion of his son's videotaped interview, Umer Hayat admitted, during a videotaped interview, among other things, that:

Hamid Hayat attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan in 2003-04.

Umer Hayat paid for Hamid's flight, knowing that Hamid's intention was to attend a jehadi training camp.

The madrassa Hamid Hayat attended was operated by Hamid Hayat's grandfather (Umer Hayat's father-in-law). The father-in-law sends students from this madrassa to jehadi training camps in Pakistan.

After completing his education at the madrassa, Hamid went to a training camp near Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Hamid was at the training camp for six months.

Because of his family connections, Umer Hayat was invited to observe more than four operational training camps. He was assigned a driver who drove him from camp to camp.

While visiting these training camps, he observed weapons and urban warfare training - including target practice utilising pictures of President Bush and Secretary of Defence Rumsfeld - physical training, and classroom education.