Suspected al-Qaida associate charged in New York

New York - A Vietnamese immigrant arrested in Britain has been charged in New York for his alleged role in helping al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen.

Minh Quang Pham, 29, was indicted in a Manhattan federal court on Friday on charges of helping the Yemeni branch of al-Qaida, following his arrest in Britain, NBC reported. Pham has been charged with assisting AQAP with their online propaganda and accused of meeting with Samir Khan, former editor of the al-Qaida magazine "Inspire." Pham spent a year in Yemen before returning to Britain and is accused of receiving military training in Yemen, where he pledged allegiance to AQAP. According to an FBI report U.S. Attorney Bharara said: “The international law enforcement cooperation that lead to today’s arrest of Minh Quang Pham, an alleged associate of a terrorist organization committed to killing Americans both here and abroad, underscores our joint commitment to identifying, prosecuting, and punishing those who would do harm to our country and our people.” NYPD Commissioner Kelly said: “These charges point to the ongoing threat posed by al Qaeda affiliates like AQAP, and the importance of law enforcement collaboration internationally in thwarting them.”