![\"Craig](\"https:\/\/www.azuse.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/01\/Craig-Benedict-Baxam.jpg\")
<\/a><\/center>\nThe Baltimore Sun<\/a> reports today that Craig Benedict Baxam, 26, of Laurel, MD was sentenced to seven years for trying to join the African terror group, Al-Shabbab after he finished his stint in the Army as an intelligence specialist;<\/p>\n
Baxam’s attorney argued that the defendant merely wanted to practice Islam among other Muslims in Somalia, and that he was free under the First Amendment to take actions to do so.<\/p>\n
But the U.S. attorney’s office contended that Baxam wanted to fight and was prepared to die for al-Shabaab, which is a crime. Federal prosecutors originally charged Baxam with attempting to provide material support to al-Shabaab.<\/p>\n
Noah Feldman, a professor at Harvard Law School who has examined the free-speech implications of terrorism prosecutions, said Baxam’s case rested on a tricky legal issue.<\/p>\n
“The question is, could you join without supporting?” Feldman said. “That’s not entirely clear.<\/p>\n
“Under the law, if you engaged in coordinated action designed to support al-Shabaab, even if you were not a member and even if your action was as a whole peaceful, you could be found guilty of providing material support.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Yeah, judging by the picture from a Somali website<\/a>, he looks like he was just going lend moral support to the al Qaeda-connected terrorist group. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"