2 Accused of Conspiring to Aid Terrorists

2 Accused of Conspiring to Aid Terrorists

NEW YORK (AP) -- The FBI arrested a Florida doctor and a New York martial arts expert on federal terrorism charges, saying they conspired to treat and train terrorists, federal prosecutors announced Sunday.

Rafiq Abdus Sabir, a Boca Raton physician, and Tarik Shah, a self-described martial arts expert in New York, were both charged in Manhattan federal court with conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida, according to the U.S. attorney's office for the Southern District of New York.

Both men are American citizens.


Prosecutors said Sabir agreed to treat jihadists, or holy warriors, in Saudi Arabia. Shah agreed to train them in hand-to-hand combat.

The one-count complaint details a sting operation from 2003 to 2005 in which the two men took an oath pledging their allegiance to al-Qaida.

Sabir was arrested Saturday and was held at the Palm Beach County Jail. It was not immediately known where Shah was being held.

Both men were scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Tuesday, Shah in New York and Sabir in Florida.