A US federal court in New York on Thursday (May 16th) convicted a man of charges that he bought weapons and plotted attacks on behalf of Lebanon’s Hizbullah, AFP reported Friday.
Ali Kourani, a 34-year-old American of Lebanese descent, was convicted of eight allegations including conspiracy to use weapons in a violent crime, which is punishable by life in prison.
"Kourani’s chilling mission was to help procure weapons and gather intelligence about potential targets in the US for future Hizbullah terrorist attacks," US attorney Geoffrey Berman said.
The targets Kourani surveyed include the JFK International Airport and a federal building in Manhattan.
"Today, Kourani has fittingly been convicted for his crimes in a courthouse that stands in the shadow of one of his potential targets," Berman said.
Kourani attended several Hizbullah training camps in Lebanon and took orders from agents of the Iran-backed militia after his 2003 arrival in the US.
He is set to be sentenced on September 27th.
The US has designated Hizbullah a terrorist organisation.
