2 terror suspects may have chance at plea deal

Two suspected members of the terror group al-Shabab, the organization behind this weekend's deadly Kenya mall attack, are talking about pleading guilty to terrorism charges in New York, federal prosecutors disclosed Monday.

Assistant U.S. attorney Shreve Ariail in Brooklyn said in court his office was giving Ali Yasin Ahmed and Madhi Hashi about 45 days to come to an agreement on a plea bargain before they are put on track for a trial on charges they traveled to Somalia to train with al-Shabab and were involved in giving the terror group significant support.

Ahmed, 27, Hashi, 23, and Mohamed Yusuf, 29, all of whom are foreign nationals, were charged in a federal indictment unsealed last year and are now being held in a Brooklyn federal jail under tough special administrative measures, which keeps them separated and in solitary confinement. They were arrested in Africa.

In a letter filed with the court last week, prosecutors asked that all three men appear in court separately whenever their case is called.

Ariail didn't indicate how fruitful the plea negotiations were. If defense attorneys and the government do strike a deal, it likely will result in a plea agreement, although it was unclear if there would be any promise of cooperation. Yusuf was not in court Monday, and his case is expected to be called next week.

Ahmed's defense attorney, Susan Kellman, complained to Judge Sandra Townes that federal budget cuts have deprived him of timely meals in prison on the weekends, something Townes promised to look into.

Ali and Yusuf are Swedish nationals, while Hashi was a British national, a source familiar with the case said. All three are believed by federal investigators to have "substantial knowledge" of al-Shabab's efforts to develop and use chemical weapons, government court documents show. While the acts the three men are alleged to have carried out occurred overseas, U.S. courts have jurisdiction because of the expansive federal terrorism laws, said one legal expert.

The indictment against the three men is relatively sparse on details. But a letter filed by prosecutors in May listed various acts the men stand accused of taking part in, including travel to Somalia, participating in terrorism training and making statements supporting jihad.The filing also identified a U.S. citizen from Missouri, Farah Mohamed Beledi, who authorities say participated in a 2011 al-Shabaab attack in Somalia.