U.S. deports man accused of terror ties

A man accused of attending a terrorist training camp was deported Thursday to Pakistan. Sajjad Nasser, 29, was deported under a section of the Patriot Act that expands the legal definitions of terrorist organizations and acts, said Corina Almeida, chief counsel for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I think this case sends a very loud message to the terrorists and those that seek to do us harm," she said. Nasser's attorney, David Lane, called the allegation that his client helped terrorists "a big, fat lie." "He is a sacrificial lamb," his lawyer said. "It's ludicrous. It's racist." Nasser was arrested in March 2003 on charges of conspiring to harbor an illegal resident. In a deal with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of possessing a fake ID and was sentenced to the 17 months already served. Nasser's brother used Nasser's immigration identification card to make a fake ID so the brother could get a job at a grocery store, Lane said. Nasser was never charged with a terrorism crime. Under his plea deal, Nasser agreed not to appeal and may never return to the United States. Nasser's wife, Farida Mommandi, and 9-month-old son, both U.S. citizens, live in Denver. [more ]