Earnest James Ujaama
Encyclopedia
Earnest James Ujaama is a convicted felon who was found guilty of supporting al-Qaeda
.
in 1966 as James Thompson, he moved with his family to Seattle at the age of 5. He converted to Islam
and changed his name to Ujaama. On June 10, 1994, then Washington state lawmaker Jesse Wineberry issued a certificate declaring James Ujaama Day in the state of Washington. Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Senator Harry Reid
, a key to the City of Las Vegas
, was honored by KCPQ
13 as a "Special Person". While traveling in England
in 1999, he had meetings with Abu Hamza al-Masri
, a radical Muslim
cleric.
Ujaama also traveled to Afghanistan
in 1999 to study Sharia
and offer his support to al-Qaeda, according to family friends.
Ujaama was arrested in Denver on July 22, 2002 as a material witness
. He was transferred to a hospital in Virginia around July 29, and held there with restricted access to family or counsel until an indictment for providing material resources to al-Qaeda was returned against him in Seattle. These charges included attempting to create a camp for training terrorists near Bly, Oregon
between October and December 1999.
In April 2003, the government dropped those charges and filed a complaint accusing Ujaama of providing money, computer equipment and women to Taliban officials in Afghanistan. In February of the following year, Ujaama pled guilty in a plea bargain
: in return for a two year sentence, he would provide information for ongoing terrorism investigations—especially for what he knew about al-Masri, whose Web site Ujaama once ran.
Federal officials have said Ujaama's help was useful in the 2004 indictment of al-Masri on charges of trying to establish the training camp in Bly, Oregon
. In December 2006, Ujaama was once again arrested in Belize
after violating parole in the United States. He was in possession of a counterfeit Mexican passport at the time of his apprehension.
On August 13, 2007, he pled guilty to charges of raising money for terrorism and for attempting to set up training camps.
In 2009, during the trial of Oussama Kassir
, Ujaama's promise to help the British men set up a jihad training camp in Oregon was described as a "petty hustle".
Kassir, and Haroon Rashid Aswat
were two British man who were to be the camp's trainers were disappointed with the facilities Ujaama had provided at the Dog Cry Ranch
.
According to the Komo News
Kassir was "enraged" because "He expected to be welcomed by Muslim recruits, eager to learn the ways of war."
Ujaama had provided two recruits Semi Osman, a "mechanic and part time imam" from Seattle, and his teenage brother-in-law who was mentally delayed.
Ujaama had provided just two weapons.
The only accommodation were two dilapidated trailers, one of which was occupied by the sympathetic wife of the owner of the Ranch.
After listening to the British men's complaint during the first day, Ujaama slipped away the night of their arrival.
Al-Qaeda
Al-Qaeda is a global broad-based militant Islamist terrorist organization founded by Osama bin Laden sometime between August 1988 and late 1989. It operates as a network comprising both a multinational, stateless army and a radical Sunni Muslim movement calling for global Jihad...
.
Biography
Born in Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
in 1966 as James Thompson, he moved with his family to Seattle at the age of 5. He converted to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
and changed his name to Ujaama. On June 10, 1994, then Washington state lawmaker Jesse Wineberry issued a certificate declaring James Ujaama Day in the state of Washington. Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition from Senator Harry Reid
Harry Reid
Harry Mason Reid is the senior United States Senator from Nevada, serving since 1987. A member of the Democratic Party, he has been the Senate Majority Leader since January 2007, having previously served as Minority Leader and Minority and Majority Whip.Previously, Reid was a member of the U.S...
, a key to the City of Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, was honored by KCPQ
KCPQ
KCPQ, channel 13, is the Fox television affiliate licensed to Tacoma, Washington serving the Seattle/Tacoma television market, owned by the Tribune Company...
13 as a "Special Person". While traveling in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1999, he had meetings with Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri
Abu Hamza al-Masri is an Egyptian Sunni activist known for his preaching of a violent and politicised interpretation of Islam, also known as militant Islamism or jihadism...
, a radical Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
cleric.
Ujaama also traveled to Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
in 1999 to study Sharia
Sharia
Sharia law, is the moral code and religious law of Islam. Sharia is derived from two primary sources of Islamic law: the precepts set forth in the Quran, and the example set by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in the Sunnah. Fiqh jurisprudence interprets and extends the application of sharia to...
and offer his support to al-Qaeda, according to family friends.
Ujaama was arrested in Denver on July 22, 2002 as a material witness
Material witness
A material witness is a person with information alleged to be material concerning a criminal proceeding. The authority to detain material witnesses dates to the First Judiciary Act of 1789, but the Bail Reform Act of 1984 most recently amended the text of the statute, and it is now codified at...
. He was transferred to a hospital in Virginia around July 29, and held there with restricted access to family or counsel until an indictment for providing material resources to al-Qaeda was returned against him in Seattle. These charges included attempting to create a camp for training terrorists near Bly, Oregon
Bly, Oregon
Bly is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is about east of Klamath Falls. , the population was 486.- History :...
between October and December 1999.
In April 2003, the government dropped those charges and filed a complaint accusing Ujaama of providing money, computer equipment and women to Taliban officials in Afghanistan. In February of the following year, Ujaama pled guilty in a plea bargain
Plea bargain
A plea bargain is an agreement in a criminal case whereby the prosecutor offers the defendant the opportunity to plead guilty, usually to a lesser charge or to the original criminal charge with a recommendation of a lighter than the maximum sentence.A plea bargain allows criminal defendants to...
: in return for a two year sentence, he would provide information for ongoing terrorism investigations—especially for what he knew about al-Masri, whose Web site Ujaama once ran.
Federal officials have said Ujaama's help was useful in the 2004 indictment of al-Masri on charges of trying to establish the training camp in Bly, Oregon
Bly, Oregon
Bly is an unincorporated community in Klamath County, Oregon, United States. It is about east of Klamath Falls. , the population was 486.- History :...
. In December 2006, Ujaama was once again arrested in Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
after violating parole in the United States. He was in possession of a counterfeit Mexican passport at the time of his apprehension.
On August 13, 2007, he pled guilty to charges of raising money for terrorism and for attempting to set up training camps.
In 2009, during the trial of Oussama Kassir
Oussama Kassir
Oussama Abdallah Kassir is a Lebanese-born Swedish militant Islamist.- Early life :Kassir was born in Beirut, Lebanon. He came to Sweden in 1984 and was granted Swedish citizenship in 1989. He participated in the Lebanese Civil War during the 1980s and was hurt in battle...
, Ujaama's promise to help the British men set up a jihad training camp in Oregon was described as a "petty hustle".
Kassir, and Haroon Rashid Aswat
Haroon Rashid Aswat
Haroon Rashid Aswat is a British citizen of Indian origin. He is alleged to have ties to al Qaeda.-Possible role in the London transit bombing of July 7th, 2005:In the first two weeks following the July 7, 2005 bombings...
were two British man who were to be the camp's trainers were disappointed with the facilities Ujaama had provided at the Dog Cry Ranch
Dog Cry Ranch
The Dog Cry Ranchwas a sheep ranch near Bly, Oregon that American security officials assert was to be the locationof a jihad training camp.James Uyaama, an American convert to Islam has admitted he met Abu Hamza al Masri in 1999, and convinced him that together they could set up a military training...
.
According to the Komo News
Kassir was "enraged" because "He expected to be welcomed by Muslim recruits, eager to learn the ways of war."
Ujaama had provided two recruits Semi Osman, a "mechanic and part time imam" from Seattle, and his teenage brother-in-law who was mentally delayed.
Ujaama had provided just two weapons.
The only accommodation were two dilapidated trailers, one of which was occupied by the sympathetic wife of the owner of the Ranch.
After listening to the British men's complaint during the first day, Ujaama slipped away the night of their arrival.